Austin spherical follows summer time break
Toyota Gazoo Racing will return to FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) motion this weekend on the Lone Star Le Mans in Austin, Texas, in search of to reverse a troublesome season and safe its first-ever win on the Circuit of the Americas (COTA).
The Japanese producer enters the sixth spherical of the 2024 calendar beneath stress, with solely two occasions remaining to salvage a podium end.
COTA, internet hosting the WEC for the eighth time, has confirmed a difficult venue for Toyota. Alongside Qatar’s Lusail Worldwide Circuit, it stays one in all simply two present tracks the place the group has but to safe victory. Toyota’s winless run in Texas continues regardless of its dominance in earlier WEC seasons, and group officers say that technical challenges on the anti-clockwise 5.513km circuit have hampered success previously.
The Austin spherical follows an eight-week summer time break for the reason that final occasion in Brazil. At Interlagos, Toyota struggled with tempo and setup, falling behind front-runners Porsche, Ferrari, and Cadillac. Each the #7 and #8 GR010 HYBRIDs completed exterior podium competition, intensifying inner evaluations and resulting in important changes forward of Sunday’s race.
Line-up shake-up
The group’s preparations have been disrupted by an damage to driver Mike Conway, who suffered a collarbone fracture in a coaching accident final week. His place within the #7 automotive will likely be taken by José María López, a former Toyota manufacturing unit driver now racing within the LMGT3 class. López was initially set to compete in a Lexus RC F LMGT3 with AKKODIS ASP however has been launched by the group to assist Toyota’s Hypercar marketing campaign.
López will rejoin Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries within the #7 GR010 HYBRID. Kobayashi, who additionally serves as Group Principal, referred to as the return to COTA “an opportunity to bounce again” following a disappointing Brazil outing. “We’ve got had time to analyse the info and be taught from our errors. This is a crucial weekend for us,” he mentioned throughout pre-race media availability.
The sister #8 automotive sees the return of Sébastien Buemi, who missed the earlier spherical, becoming a member of Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa. Buemi admitted it was “unusual watching from the surface” throughout the Brazil race however mentioned he was “absolutely targeted” on delivering ends in Texas.
Toyota enters the occasion as the one top-tier Hypercar group but to complete on the rostrum this season. The 2024 marketing campaign has been dominated to date by Porsche, which leads the producers’ standings with 110 factors, adopted by Ferrari with 96. Toyota sits fourth with 75 factors, in keeping with FIA figures.
Technical calls for
The Circuit of the Americas presents a spread of challenges for the 18-car Hypercar discipline. The steep climb into flip one, quick esses within the first sector, and slow-speed corners within the last sector require a extremely adaptable automotive setup. Specifically, flip 12 options one of many harshest braking zones on the WEC calendar, forcing drivers to decelerate from over 300km/h to beneath 60km/h.
Groups will start preparations with two 90-minute observe classes on Friday. A last hour-long observe on Saturday will likely be adopted by Hypercar qualifying at 3:40 pm native time (10:40 pm CEST). The six-hour race is scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday (8:00 p.m. CEST).
Toyota engineers are understood to have targeted on enhancing low-speed traction and braking stability throughout the summer time break, two key areas recognized as weaknesses in Brazil and on the Le Mans race. Aerodynamic tweaks and powertrain calibration have additionally been launched for the Texas spherical.
Regional outlook
Whereas Toyota’s operations are primarily based in Japan and Europe, its efficiency in international endurance racing has lengthy held significance within the Gulf area, the place the model enjoys a excessive market share. The WEC’s presence within the Center East, significantly on the season opener in Qatar and the finale in Bahrain, has boosted regional engagement with the sequence.
The absence of a Toyota win in Texas additionally holds broader industrial implications, given the US’ rising curiosity in endurance motorsport and its function in international automotive markets. COTA represents a big alternative for Toyota to ascertain its presence on North American soil forward of the Bahrain finale in November.
A podium end in Austin wouldn’t solely finish a troublesome run for the group but in addition reinvigorate its championship prospects, with solely two rounds remaining within the 2024 WEC season.
The Lone Star Le Mans will likely be watched intently throughout motorsport circles as Toyota seeks redemption in a marketing campaign that has to date fallen in need of expectations.
Picture: Toyota enters the Lone Star Le Mans in Austin, Texas, as the one top-tier Hypercar group but to complete on the rostrum this season. Credit score: TGR