Afrigather TOKYO, Oct 25, 2024 – (JCN Newswire) – TOYOTA GAZOO Racing is prepared for an FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) title showdown when a rollercoaster 2024 season reaches its climax within the 8 Hours of Bahrain on Saturday 2 November.
The staff heads into the season’s eighth and remaining race with a mission to retain its producers’ World Championship towards robust competitors from Ferrari and Porsche. Within the seven races up to now, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing has earned two victories, and a win in Bahrain will assure the title for the sixth successive season.
Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries retain a slim probability of the drivers’ title however to take action, they have to win the race, alongside #7 GR010 HYBRID team-mate Mike Conway, and hope the #6 Porsche crew fail to attain factors. Final yr’s Bahrain winners, and outgoing drivers’ World Champions, Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa will struggle for his or her second win of the season of their #8 GR010 HYBRID in Saturday’s race, which begins in daylight and ends after sundown.
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing has a formidable file on the Bahrain Worldwide Circuit, having gained the final seven WEC races there, together with six consecutive one-two finishes. In complete it has gained 9 of its 12 races within the island kingdom, incomes six pole positions and 5 front-row lock-outs.
The problem is harder than ever this yr towards an 18-strong Hypercar discipline together with title rivals Ferrari and Porsche, who’re each are within the struggle for the drivers’ and producers’ crowns. Alpine, BMW, Cadillac and Peugeot confirmed velocity at Fuji Speedway and are anticipated to hitch an thrilling battle for honours.
The 5.412km Bahrain Worldwide Circuit is the normal venue for WEC’s season finale, having hosted the final race in eight of the 11 seasons since WEC’s return in 2012. Its 15-turn lay-out options a mixture of high-speed and slower corners and is famend for being abrasive with excessive grip ranges, creating a specific problem when it comes to tyre administration.
Apply for the Saturday race begins on Thursday with two 90-minute periods, one in daylight and the opposite below lights, and concludes on Friday. The grid shall be determined in the course of the qualifying and Hyperpole periods, beginning at 4.40pm native time (2.40pm CET) on Friday, whereas the 8 Hours of Bahrain begins at 2pm (noon CET) on Saturday.
The monitor motion continues on Sunday with the normal rookie take a look at, when Esteban Masson will drive a GR010 HYBRID for the primary time as a part of the staff’s dedication to giving alternatives to younger, upcoming drivers. The 20-year-old Frenchman has impressed this season driving the #87 Lexus RC F LMGT3 entered by the AKKODIS ASP Crew in WEC’s LMGT3 class. If TOYOTA GAZOO Racing wins the producers’ title, 21-year-old European Le Mans Collection racer Reshad de Gerus may also take a look at a GR010 HYBRID because the WEC-nominated rookie.
Kamui Kobayashi (Crew Principal and driver, automotive #7):
“It’s the tip of an thrilling and difficult season. As a staff now we have loved some nice moments as effectively additionally some troublesome ones, just like the final race at Fuji Speedway. The competitors has been extremely robust all season however due to the massive effort from everybody, we go into the final race with the future of the producers’ World Championship nonetheless in our management. We all know {that a} win will give us the title so that’s our goal, and everybody will give their most to attain it. We’d like an ideal weekend and we’re prepared for the problem.”
Mike Conway (Driver, automotive #7):
“I get pleasure from racing in Bahrain. It’s a enjoyable monitor to drive and a spot which has given me some nice reminiscences; I gained my first race with Toyota again in 2014 in addition to my two drivers’ titles there. As a staff we even have a profitable file in Bahrain and we need to maintain that going this yr, regardless that we count on one other shut struggle as a result of Porsche and Ferrari shall be robust once more. We’ll should be on the high of our recreation, however we’ve ready effectively and we’re wanting ahead to it.”
Nyck de Vries (Driver, automotive #7):
“It’s the ultimate race of my first season as a TOYOTA GAZOO Racing race driver and we nonetheless have the producers’ World Championship to struggle for therefore I can’t look ahead to Bahrain. I do know the monitor effectively from different sequence and I examined a TS050 HYBRID there all the way in which again in 2019 in the course of the rookie take a look at, which form of began my story with the staff. So, it’s good to be going again there as a Toyota race driver. Fuji was robust for us, but it surely was one other robust staff effort and we’re able to go once more.”
Sébastien Buemi (Driver, automotive #8):
“I all the time get pleasure from going to Bahrain. It’s an awesome circuit, with good amenities and good climate, plus a few of my household dwell there so it nearly looks like a house race. The circuit is enjoyable, significantly the high-speed part from flip 5, as a result of it’s quick and flowing earlier than the hairpin, the place there’s an opportunity to overhaul. It’s an uncommon race as a result of it runs into the evening, so the temperature modifications fairly a bit. That makes it tougher to search out the precise set-up so we are going to work carefully on that in follow.”
Brendon Hartley (Driver, automotive #8):
“Bahrain is the final race of an thrilling season, and we go there combating for the producers’ World Championship, which is among the staff’s massive targets yearly. Traditionally now we have gone effectively in Bahrain and the circuit all the time appeared to go well with our automotive, so hopefully that’s a constructive signal for the approaching week. It’s an extended race than regular so it’s extra vital than ever to execute a clear race and get our methods proper. I do know the entire staff has labored exhausting to arrange and we will’t wait to get began.”
Ryo Hirakawa (Driver, automotive #8):
“Our goal in Bahrain is to win the race and subsequently the World Championship but it surely won’t be straightforward. Our opponents have been robust at Fuji, and we count on one other difficult race, however we’re combating as exhausting as potential, and we won’t quit. Now we have to be absolutely concentrated all weekend to get the utmost efficiency from our automotive. If we do this, now we have an opportunity, so we are going to maintain pushing to finish the season on a excessive and provides our all supporters and companions a consequence to cheer.”
About Toyota
Toyota strives to be a robust company citizen, partaking with and incomes the belief of its stakeholders, and to contribute to the creation of a affluent society by means of all its enterprise operations.
Our company rules type the premise of our initiatives, mirror values that allow motion, and drive our mindset.
For the newest Toyota-related information and data:
https://tinyurl.com/ToyotaPressRelease
newsroom@world.toyota
Subject: Press launch abstract
Supply: Toyota Motor Company
Sectors: Automotive
http://www.acnnewswire.com
From the Asia Company Information Community
Copyright © 2024 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. A division of Asia Company Information Community.
