TOYOTA GAZOO Racing took on a tough challenge in the season-opening Qatar 1812 KM and earned valuable FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) points after a determined team effort.
Drivers, engineers and mechanics worked tirelessly through the difficult Prologue test and free practice sessions to optimise the GR010 HYBRIDs in terms of tyres, weight and car balance around the Lusail International Circuit in the search for race performance.
Thanks to that work and a smart race strategy, the #7 GR010 HYBRID of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries maximised the car’s potential and scored significant World Championship points for a hard-earned sixth place.
World Champions Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa, in the #8 GR010 HYBRID, battled equally hard after a tough start and finished 10th in a 19-strong Hypercar field, featuring Alpine, BMW, Cadillac, Ferrari, Isotta Fraschini, Lamborghini, Peugeot and Porsche.
The race started under the midday sun and the action was equally hot on the opening lap. Mike started on the front row but suffered oversteer going into turn one, forcing him wide and dropping the #7 down to seventh. The #8 also lost positions from 11th on the grid and Sébastien ended the first lap in 14th.
With 37 cars in the field, traffic was a factor around the relatively narrow 5.418km Lusail International Circuit. Mike and Sébastien used their experience to stay out of trouble, unlike several rivals, and started to move up the order.
Shortly before the two-hour mark, Mike handed over the #7 to Nyck while Brendon replaced Sébastien. Both cars were fitted with new Michelin tyres on the left side to continue their battle to gain positions, with new right-side rubber coming at the next stop as the team explored different strategies.
A battling performance from Nyck moved the #7 into the top six and he handed over to Kamui after almost four hours. But a difficult stint for Brendon meant Ryo faced a battle to return the #8 to the top 10, and his task got tougher when an issue with the rear left wheel cost time and positions at his next pit stop.
As the race moved into the last five hours, the starting drivers were back behind the wheel, with Mike fighting for sixth place and Sébastien edging closer to the points. With just over two hours remaining, a final driver change saw Nyck and Ryo resume the battle under lights in the Qatari night.
As the clock counted down, the various fuel strategies played out and Nyck was in seventh entering the final lap. That became sixth when he passed the stricken #93 Peugeot in the final metres of the race. Ryo completed the race in 10th to make it a double points finish for the team, despite the challenging circumstances.
After missing out on an overall podium for the first time since Silverstone in 2018, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing is determined to achieve an instant return at the next round of the 2024 season, the 6 Hours of Imola, in Italy on 21 April.
