Another WEC title for Toyota Gazoo Racing: after 64 hours Buemi was world champion

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If you want to watch a WEC race on TV or in the stands, you need one thing above all: endurance. Because that’s exactly what it’s all about: the WEC is the FIA ​​World Endurance Championship, and Endurance means ‘endurance’ in German. In our language area, yes
the term ‘endurance race’ is more common. Depending on the location, the drivers are on the road for between six and 24 hours during a World Cup race. A trio takes turns in the cockpit. The WEC is and remains a stress test for people and cars that have to endure more than three times the race time than in Formula 1.

A stress test that the Toyota Gazoo Racing team has mastered best in recent years. For the fifth time in a row, the Japanese manufacturer has secured the world title in the premier class this season. Six drivers drive for Toyota Gazoo Racing in two different teams.

A New Zealander, a Japanese – and a Swiss

One of these trios shares the driving title. There is also Brendon Hartley (34), the New Zealander who drove for Toro Rosso in Formula 1 in 2018. He is supplemented by the Japanese Ryo Hirakawa (29), who was among the top drivers in the local Super Formula for years before switching to long-distance racing. And also on board is Sébastien Buemi (35) from Vaud, also a former Formula 1 driver and now four-time world champion, three times in the WEC and once in Formula E (interview with Buemi below).

For most observers, the second Toyota Gazoo Racing team with the British Mike Conway (40), the Japanese ex-Sauber driver Kamui Kobayashi (37, he is also team boss) and the Argentinian José Maria Lopez (40) is the stronger. However, they complained of more bad luck in racing throughout the year and therefore came second.

There were eight races in the World Endurance Championship that counted towards the World Championship. It took a total of 64 hours to see who took part in each race from start to finish:

• the 1000 miles from Sebring in the US (race duration almost exactly eight hours)
• the 6 hours from Portimao in Portugal
• the 6 hours from Spa in Belgium
• the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France
• the 6 hours from Monza in Italy
• the 6 hours of Fuji in Japan
• and the Bahrain 8 Hours

Toyota didn’t even have to wait until the final race in Bahrain in early November before the manufacturers’ title was decided. The necessary points were scored at the home match in Fuji, Japan. The 6 Hours of Fuji took place for the tenth time in the current format and Toyota ultimately triumphed for the ninth time. The GR010 Hybrid’s powertrain is produced less than 25 kilometers from the track at the Toyota Higashi-Fuji technical center. That is why many employees attend the World Cup race.

That a race of more than six hours can also offer a lot of drama was evident in Spa in April. From this season, regulations prohibit the use of electric blankets to warm the tires. Hartley promptly maneuvered his car into the tire piles at Eau Rouge during the warm-up lap of qualifying due to cold tires. The eventual world champion trio had to start from the back and still managed to finish second.

The hypercar class is booming

Spa can illustrate how much Toyota Gazoo Racing dominates the WEC. This fifth team title is not the norm, but it is one of the most important. The hypercar class is booming, becoming increasingly important and traditional car brands are stepping up and challenging Toyota. The Japanese have noticeably revised their GR010 Hybrid last season. On the one hand, there was an aerodynamic update that affected, among other things, the different wings. In addition, the new WEC regulations also required the weight of each car to be reduced from 1,100 to 1,040 kilograms, impacting the 520 kWh powertrain.

Ultimately, the title resulted – and with it the opportunity for Brendon Hartley to summarize: “I am very proud to be part of the world champion trio and this Toyota Gazoo Racing team. Thank you everyone for a fantastic season.”

Source : Blick