Toyota: 2022 Le Mans 24 Hours Preview[F1-Gate .com]

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (hereinfollowing referred to as Toyota) will challenge the team’s fifth straight victory in the 90th Le Mans 24-hour race, a traditional endurance race held from June 11th (Sat) to 12th (Sun).

Since winning its first victory in the Le Mans 24-hour race in 2018, Toyota has continued to record undefeated records such as the fastest lap time during the final race and the course record in qualifying, and last year it was a hyper with GR010 HYBRID. He won his first victory in the car generation.

For GR010 HYBRID No. 7 driven by Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway and Jose Maria Lopez, who achieved a dramatic first victory at Le Mans last year, it is a defense battle and the goal is to win consecutive championships. .. Car 7 will head to France with the momentum of winning its first victory of the season at Spa-Francorchamps 6 hours in the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) held a month ago.

GR010 HYBRID Car No. 8 Sebastien Buemi is the driver who has won three times at Le Mans, Brendon Hartley twice, and Ryo Hirakawa has joined these two people in Car No. 8 in 2022. Challenge with a lineup. Hirakawa has participated in Le Mans twice in the LMP2 class in the past, but this is the first time he has competed in Le Mans in the top category.

In addition, this year will be Kazuki Nakajima’s first Le Mans to assume the new role of Vice Chairman of Toyota Europe. Kazuki Nakajima, who won Le Mans three times and is also the WEC series champion for the 2018-2019 season, played an important role in team management on and off the course, with Akio Toyoda’s thoughts on the team owner. Work to create a professional and more family-like team atmosphere and strengthen operations.

Le Mans, the third round of the 2022 WEC season, will be a race where you can earn twice as many points as regular races in series points. For Toyota, in the Hypercar class, which is in a fierce battle with its powerful rivals Alpine and Glickenhaus, both the Manufacturers and Drivers’ rankings will be a chance to rise to the top at once.

This year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans marks a major milestone for the team, marking the 10th year since 2012 when it debuted on the TS030 HYBRID, the first LMP1 hybrid vehicle. In the last 10 years, the team has fought 72 WEC races, winning 4 times each for Manufacturers and Drivers, 8 times in total, and winning 36 wins and 31 pole positions.

Toyota’s history at Le Mans dates back to its first entry in 1985. At this year’s Le Mans, Toyota’s first Group C car, Toyota Tom’s 85C, will be driven by Toyota Europe’s vice chairman Kazuki Nakajima on the starting grid before the race. Appear in the winning trophy return ceremony. This Toyota Tom’s 85C is the vehicle itself that Kazuki Nakajima’s father, Satoru Nakajima, participated as a member of the driver 37 years ago and finished in 12th place.

Before this illustrious ceremony, the team goes into a week-long thorough preparation. The 13.626km Sarthe Circuit, which is the setting for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, is a unique course that combines a part of the public road and the permanent circuit, and on Sunday, June 5th, one week before the final. , The only official test of the season to run the full course of the Sarthe Circuit will be held.

After finishing the test day, the team will immediately reassemble, maintain and readjust the vehicle, and three days later, on the 8th (Wednesday), there will be a 5-hour practice run and a 1-hour qualifying session. Then, following completing a 5-hour practice run on the following day (Thursday), the final will start at 8:00 pm local time (3 am on Friday, 10th Japan time) under the still bright sky in France at this time. A 30-minute hyper pole session will be held to determine the starting grid of the race, and Toyota will challenge to win the pole position for the sixth consecutive year.

The memorable 90th 24 Hours of Le Mans final started on Saturday, 11th at 4pm local time (11pm Japanese time), with a total of 62 vehicles and 186 drivers. However, in the biggest event of the endurance race, the fierce battle was cut off.

Kamui Kobayashi (Team representative and driver of car 7)
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the team’s biggest goal and we have focused and prepared for this challenge. We have won for the past four years in a row, but it has never been an easy journey and we have faced many challenges. We had some troubles in last year’s race, but thanks to the efforts of the team and the drivers, we quickly found a solution, and Car 7 was finally able to win our first victory. It was a long-awaited moment for Mike, Jose, me, and the team crew of Car 7, and it was truly exceptional. Car No. 8 also continued in 2nd place, and it was great to be able to finish 1-2. The tough battle continues this season, and car 8 at the previous race spa ended in a disappointing result, but the engineer is investigating the details of that trouble, and the same thing will never happen once more. I’m sure. I’m ready for Le Mans and I’m confident that I’m heading to the site. It will be an exciting race for fans as well.

Mike Conway (Car 7 driver)
I will never forget the moment when I won my first victory at Le Mans last year. Kamui, Jose and I have been working hard for this big race. For that reason, I will never forget the excitement of standing in the center of the podium for the first time, and once I taste it, I hope it will happen once more. This year’s Hypercar class continues to be a very close battle, and this time Le Mans will be a tougher battle than ever before. However, I know the strength of my team and I am sure that I will be able to compete for the championship this year as well.

Jose Maria Lopez (Car 7 driver)
The team has made a lot of preparations for this year’s Le Mans since the moment they received the checkered flag at Le Mans last year. Thanks to all the crew members who continue to work hard in Cologne, Germany and Higashifuji, Japan, we are ready to fight for victory. I can’t swear to win because I don’t know what will happen at Le Mans, but I just do my job without making mistakes and aim for the checkered flag in a clean race. The battle with Alpine and Glickenhaus will be exciting and will definitely be a great race for our fans.

Sebastien Buemi (Car 8 driver)
Le Mans is a highlight of the season and I’m always looking forward to it. We have spent a year preparing for this race. I myself have been able to win Le Mans three times so far, but my passion for victory remains the same and I go to Le Mans every year with my determination to win. It is a very challenging race with many factors that cannot be helped by the driver’s power, such as the weather, safety car, full course yellow and lap delay. However, if the entire team concentrates and fights without mistakes, I think there will be a chance to win the championship.

Brendon Hartley (Car 8 driver)
Le Mans is a special race with a long history and a unique atmosphere. I’ve really loved this race since I first entered Le Mans in 2012, and I’ve had many unforgettable memories ever since. It’s also a really tough race for the team, and the 24-hour race, which fights following long and difficult days, is a unique challenge. It is a medal for all teams and drivers just to finish the race in such a tough race, but of course we are aiming for more. The goal of all of us is to break the record of consecutive victories at TGR’s Le Mans.

Ryo Hirakawa (Car 8 driver)
I’m really looking forward to participating in the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time as a member of TGR. I first raced at Le Mans in 2016 and was impressed by the atmosphere and the overwhelming number of fans. It’s a really special event and it’s an honor to be part of it. The spa was a tough race for us car No. 8, and I had the disappointing result that I mightn’t run even one lap in the final race. The team worked together to thoroughly investigate the troubles that occurred in the previous race, so I think we are ready for Le Mans, and I think we can definitely compete for the top position in the race where close combat is expected. I am.