TOYOTA RACING aims to strengthen its FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) title challenge with victory on home ground in the 6 Hours of Fuji on 27 September.
The team is ready to respond following a cruel finish to the last race in Austin earlier this month, when a technical issue snatched victory from its grasp with just 11 minutes remaining. Despite that, TOYOTA RACING extended its advantage in the manufacturers’ World Championship to nine points going into the sixth race of the season.
“We are expecting a lot of Japanese fans supporting us and we are very much looking forward to coming home,” said Kamui Kobayashi (Team Principal and driver, car #7). “It’s an important race, not only for the World Championship, but because it’s our home race and the second most important of the season, after Le Mans.”
Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries, who came so close to victory in Austin in their #7 TR010 HYBRID, are tied on points at the top of the drivers’ standings. Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryō Hirakawa recovered from misfortunes in Austin to finish a battling sixth in their #8 TR010 HYBRID and close the gap to just 11 points with three races remaining.
“Fuji is a unique race for us,” commented Brendon Hartley (Driver, car #8). “It’s a week that I really enjoy and cherish. We have the home crowd and our colleagues there, so we feel the pride of Japan behind us.
“It’s a great motivation to perform well. I also enjoy the track. It’s quite quirky with a nice high-speed section at the start, then the last sector with connecting long corners.”
Victory at Fuji Speedway to complement its Le Mans win in June is the target for the team’s home event, at a venue with particular significance. The Higashi-Fuji Technical Center – where the TR010 HYBRID’s powertrain is designed, developed and built – is just a short drive from the circuit.
Every year, many team members from Higashi-Fuji, as well as TOYOTA colleagues and team partners, visit Fuji Speedway to show their strong support. Since the start of its hybrid WEC project in 2012, the team has rewarded its home fans with results to celebrate, with nine wins from 12 races – including six one-twos.
Fuji Speedway is also a demanding circuit for car and driver. The 1.475km start-finish straight – on which cars exceed 315km/h – contrasts with the tight third sector, which requires aerodynamic and mechanical grip, as well as strong traction out of the corners. To optimise set-ups, engineers and drivers have worked intensively on the driving simulator at the team’s base in Cologne, Germany.
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