Mike Conway and his Toyota Gazoo Racing team are back on track this weekend at the iconic Imola circuit.

It is the latest round of the FIA World Endurance Championship and indeed the first European round of 2025.

he reigning manufacturers’ World Champions opened the season by maximising the opportunities available in a challenging Qatar 1812km event to sit third in the standings. Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries finished sixth in their #7 GR010 HYBRID, while Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa were fifth in the #8 sister car.

Now the eight-race season moves to Italy for round two at a venue with fond memories for the team. Its first victory last year came in a weather-affected race in Imola, when the #7 GR010 HYBRID conquered the conditions to earn a win which kicked started the team’s challenge for both world titles.

As the first of three European races, culminating in the Le Mans 24 Hours in June, Imola also represents an important step in TOYOTA GAZOO Racing’s efforts to win for the sixth time at La Sarthe.

The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola has become one of motorsport’s most recognisable circuits since its opening in 1953. It has hosted World Championship endurance racing six times, including its return to the WEC calendar last year after a 40-year absence, to replace Monza.

A large and passionate crowd is once again expected to watch 18 Hypercars from eight manufacturers – Alpine, newcomers Aston Martin, BMW, Cadillac, Ferrari, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing, Peugeot and Porsche – do battle alongside 18 LMGT3 cars over the Easter weekend.

On-track preparations begin on Friday 18 April with two 90-minute free practice sessions, before the starting grid is decided in qualifying and Hyperpole on Saturday, from at 3.10pm CEST. The Six Hours of Imola begins at 1pm on Sunday 20 April.

Speaking ahead of the weekend, Conway said: “I’m looking forward to racing again at Imola, especially after our win last year. It’s a great, old-school circuit with a good mix of corners, but it’s also quite tight so overtaking is not easy.

“We saw last year how important it is to get the strategy right there, so that will be a big priority. After a short break since Qatar, now it feels like the season is really starting to ramp up and I can’t wait.”