FIA WEC: Toyota Gazoo Racing announces driver line-ups with Fernando Alonso

Toyota Gazoo racing announced its driver line-up for the 2018/2019 FIA WEC Super Season, confirming Fernando Alonso as one of their drivers in the #8 TS050 Hybrid.

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Toyota Gazoo Racing has officially submitted its entry to the Automobile Club de l’Ouest and will participate in all eight rounds of the 2018-19 season with two hybrid-powered race cars as it targets victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours and the WEC World Championships. As last season, the team will again utilise its 1,000hp TS050 hybdrid car, which won five of nine races in 2017. Development of hybrid technology remains an integral element of Toyota's participation in endurance racing as part of the company’s commitment to making ever-better road cars.

The driver line-ups for the two TS050 hybrid's are now confirmed, with the #7 car competing with an unchanged line-up of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and José María López.The #8 TS050 hybrid features a revised driver line-up, with Sébastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima joined by two-time Formula 1 World Champion Fernando Alonso.

Fernando Alonso, 36, will make his LMP1 race debut at Spa-Francorchamps in May and will compete in all rounds of the 2018-19 season which do not conflict with his existing Formula 1 obligations. Alonso has already tested the Toyota TS050 Hybrid at Bahrain last season and made his sportscar debut last weekend in the Daytona 24 Hours with a United Autosports Ligier.

McLaren, Alonso's employer in Formula 1 has now allowed him to race in the FIA WEC after reaching agreement with Alonso and Toyota Gazoo Racing. Both McLaren and Fernando are in full agreement that Formula 1 remains their shared top priority. As such, Fernando will compete in every round of the 2018 FIA Formula 1 World Championship, and will dovetail his sports car commitments around grands prix. As a result, he will not contest WEC’s Japanese round, at the Fuji Speedway on October 21, due to it clashing with the US Grand Prix, held at the Circuit of the Americas, in Austin, Texas.

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Anthony Davidson, who won five races in 2017 alongside Sébastien and Kazuki, will remain an important member of the team, bringing his World Championship-winning experience to a new role as Reserve and Development Driver.  Two-time Le Mans winner Alex Wurz will continue as Team Advisor and Ambassador having made a significant contribution since taking the position in 2016.

Akio Toyoda, President, Toyota Motor Corporation: "To Fernando Alonso, I say thank you so much for choosing Toyota as a partner for making your Le Mans dream come true. I am extremely thrilled that Fernando, who has battled it out in numerous races and seen things that nobody on our team has ever experienced, will be driving for Toyota Gazoo Racing.I believe that having Fernando get behind the wheel for our team will only make our cars better."

"I am looking forward to seeing how much Toyota Gazoo Racing will grow when our drivers and all team members take what they have learned thus far in endurance racing and add to it what they will gain from Fernando’s experience. The entire team is excited about this opportunity for growth. Through the challenge of WEC endurance races and, among those, on the grueling roads of the Le Mans 24 Hours, Toyota Gazoo Racing will do its best, together with Fernando, to outdrive the competition."

"And, toward our ultimate aim of providing our customers with ever-better cars, I hope we will be able to race with shared aspirations at heart. We welcome Fernando and, together with Sebastien, Kazuki, Mike, Kamui and José for a total of six drivers, Toyota Gazoo Racing will go all out toward achieving all of our goals. I look forward to everyone’s support of Toyota Gazoo Racing this season as well."

Hisatake Murata, Team President: “This WEC season is unique because it features two editions of the Le Mans 24 Hours so we are all looking forward to it. I believe we have an extremely strong driver line-up with real strength in depth. Fernando is a rookie in WEC but he brings speed and experience gained from many years at the top of his sport. We are all excited to work with him but endurance racing is a team effort and we know all of our drivers are performing to a very high level. I would like to thank Anthony for his professional approach in difficult circumstances; he remains a strong part of our driving line-up and he will be busy this season.”

Fernando Alonso: “I am very excited to participate in the Le Mans 24 Hours for the first time. It is a race which I have followed closely for a long time and it has always been an ambition of mine to participate. Endurance racing is a different discipline compared to single-seaters and it will be an interesting challenge. I am looking forward to working together with, and learning from, Sébastien and Kazuki, who are both very experienced endurance drivers. It will be a learning curve for me but I am ready for this challenge and I can’t wait to get started.”

“I’ve never been shy about my aim of winning motorsport’s ‘Triple Crown’ – the Monaco Grand Prix, the Indy 500, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. We tried for Indy last year, came close, but just missed out. This year, I have the chance thanks to McLaren to race for the win at Le Mans. It is a big challenge – much can go wrong – but I am ready, prepared and looking forward to the fight. My deal to race in WEC was only made possible through the good understanding and strong relationship I have with McLaren, and I’m very happy that they listened and understood what this means to me."

Zak Brown, Executive Director, McLaren Technology Group:
“It’s no secret that Fernando has wanted to contest the Le Mans 24 Hours. And I think everybody within our organisation appreciates that a motivated, hungry and happy world-class driver such as Fernando is a formidable asset for any team in F1. Last year, we came to the joint decision to go racing with Fernando at the Indy 500 rather than at the Monaco Grand Prix. But we’ve always said that we would consider each opportunity on a case-by-case basis, and we both know that, in 2018, our core priority is success in Formula 1".

“Like Fernando, at McLaren we’re racers at heart, and our team is built on a brave heritage of competing and succeeding in different forms of the sport. Equally important is the confidence that nothing detracts from our number one goal of Formula 1. After proper evaluation, we are satisfied that this campaign does not do that, and that McLaren’s best interests prevail.”

Kristof Vermeulen

Le Mans 2017: Toyota Gazoo Racing announces driver line-up adjustment

This morning, Toyota Gazoo Racing confirmed a modified driver line-up to optimise its competitive level in next month’s Le Mans 24 Hours, the third round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).

Mike Conway and Kamui Kobayashi will now share the #7 TS050 Hybrid with Stéphane Sarrazin for Le Mans, recreating the line-up which finished second last year at La Sarthe on its way to third in the drivers’ World Championship.

José María López has been able to complete only a handful of racing laps in WEC following his accident at Silverstone and resulting injury, which prevented him driving at Spa. He will now team up with Nicolas Lapierre and Yuji Kunimoto in the #9 car.

The line-up of the #8 TS050 Hybrid remains unchanged, with Sébastien Buemi, Anthony Davidson and Kazuki Nakajima competing together at Le Mans for the third successive year.

After Le Mans, the team reverts to a two-car entry and José María will return to the cockpit of the #7 car, alongside Mike and Kamui, for the remainder of the season.

Toshio Sato, Team President: “Our circumstances have changed over the last few weeks as a result of the injury to José María. He is in the unfortunate position of having completed very few racing laps this year in WEC, so we all felt it was appropriate to adjust the driver line-up. I am very confident that Stéphane will fit well into a #7 line-up which can fight for the win. José María, like Yuji, will learn a lot at Le Mans this year, familiarising himself with the track and the event in general, and this is an important step for the future as well.”

FIA WEC 2017 - 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps: Jose Maria Lopez to miss Spa race

Toyota Gazoo racing just confirmed that José María López will not be able to compete in the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, the second round of the 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship.

López suffered minor damage to two vertebrae during an accident at Silverstone on 16 April. Both team and driver hoped that a period of rest would complete the natural healing process before this week’s event.

However, after consultation with FIA Medical Delegate Dr Jacques Tropenat and the team’s own doctor, it has been decided José María should not compete at Spa in order to ensure he returns fully fit at Le Mans.

José María will return to the TS050 Hybrid cockpit for a test session towards the end of the month prior to participating in the official Le Mans test on 4 June.

Mike Conway and Kamui Kobayashi will therefore be the only drivers in the #7 TS050 HYBRID this weekend.

José María López: “I’m extremely disappointed to miss this weekend’s race as I was really looking forward to driving the TS050 HYBRID at Spa. I feel basically fine but we all agree that we should take no chances; the priority is to be absolutely fit for Le Mans. Probably I could race if we were at a different track but a driver’s body experiences extreme forces through Eau Rouge so, after discussions with the FIA Medical Delegate and our team doctor, we decided I should not drive this weekend.”

Kristof Vermeulen.

Toyota Gazoo Racing unveils the 2017 TS050 Hybrid at Monza

Toyota Gazoo Racing presented its TS050 Hybrid this morning, ahead of the FIA WEC Prologue in Monza over the weekend. 

Following the dramatic outcome of last years Le Mans race, Toyota now has a clear target to earn its first Le Mans victory. That requires a combined effort at its technical centres in Higashi-Fuji and Cologne, with upgrades in every area of the TS050 HYBRID.

The 2017 car features a 2.4litre V6 turbo-charged petrol engine combined with an 8 MJ hybrid system. A new, further developed engine and an optimised hybrid system now give the car an estimated maximum power of 735 kW/1000 hp. 

New regulations for 2017 target a reduction in aerodynamic efficiency for safety reasons and to increase the Le Mans laptimes. This is achieved by rasing the front splitter by 15 mm and a rear diffuser that's been narrowed down. On the Toyota, the major differences on the body work are a raised nose and sharp undercut to the sidepods. The most noticeable modifications on the body work are a raised nose and sharp undercut to the sidepods. As from this season, only 2 aero configurations are allowed. The one that will be used at Monza is the low downforce configuration for Le Mans. Toyota has also worked closely with Michelin in developing new tyre compounds and constructions for the new season, as tyre usage also has been restricted from now on. 

Earlier this week, the Japenese team confirmed its full driver line-up for the 2017 season, with Yuji Kunimoto and Nicolas Lapierre joining Stéphane Sarrazin in a third car at Francorchamps and Le Mans.  For Lapierre its a return to the team he left in 2015 after scoring its first victories in the FIA WEC. Since then, Lapierre has been one of the leading LMP2 drivers, twice winning the class at Le Mans, the FIA WEC championship and several races in ELMS. Yuji Kumimoto has been racing in the Japenese Super GT championship for eight seasons and won the Super Formula championship last year.  

The crews of the 2 cars which will compete in the full FIA WEC season were already confirmed in February. José Maria Lopez is a new face in the #7 car which he will share with regulars Mike Conway and Kamui Kobayashi. The driver line-up of the #8 car is unchanged with Sébastien Buemi, Anthony Davidson and Kazuki Nakajima. 

Quotes: 

Toshio Sato, Team President

"The whole team is motivated and determined for this season. We want to win, there is no doubt about that, but we know it will be a tough fight with Porsche. The team in Higashi-Fuji and Cologne has worked incredibly hard to update the TS050 HYBRID and the first indications are encouraging. Having a third car is an additional opportunity and we will do our best to again deliver a great spectacle for the fans at Le Mans. We know from painful experience that Le Mans is a very difficult race to win, but that is our target. Everything - the car, the team and the drivers - has to work perfectly to achieve our goal. We will see in June if we have done enough."

Histake Murata, Racing Hybrid Project Leader

"Although the TS050 HYBRID shares the same name as the 2016 car, its performance has been greatly improved by reviewing the powertrain and enhancing efficiency in all areas. TOYOTA GAZOO Racing's biggest goal for this year, as always, is winning Le Mans. The team in Higashi-Fuji has worked ceaselessly since Le Mans last year to develop a powertrain which will deliver performance over one lap and over a full race distance, enabling us to compete at the front. This has resulted in a new engine, plus modifications to the motor generator units and battery. The first results are very encouraging but we will continue to fine-tune so we are ready."

Pascal Vasselon, Technical Director

"Our 2017 TS050 HYBRID represents a significant update; the only item which is not changed is the monocoque. At several races last year we showed the potential of our car with strong performances. But to achieve our targets we need more, so as well as big aerodynamic changes, we have optimised each area for performance and weight. What happened at Le Mans last year was painful so we gave extra attention to quality management. Zero risk doesn't exist so we operate according to a given level of risk, which this year we have reduced. Pre-season testing has gone well in terms of performance and reliability so we feel positive but we also know we face a tough competitor."

Kristof Vermeulen. 

FIA WEC 2017: Kubica, Derani and new numbers for Toyota

ByKolles signs Robert Kubica and Oliver Webb for the 2017 World Endurance Championship. 

ByKOLLES Racing will start the 2017 World Endurance Championship season with ex-Formula One driver Robert Kubica driving the CLM P1/01 Nismo together with Brit Oliver Webb. The third driver for the FIA WEC races, including the Le Mans 24 Hours 2017, will be announced at a later stage. Oliver Webb is known to the private LMP1 team ByKOLLES Racing from his commitments during last season. After many good results in Formula One and several years in Rally, Robert Kubica will return to circuit racing and make his debut in Le Mans in June.

„After my time in Rally I’ve been looking for something as close to F1 as possible. This is exactly what I’ve found in LMP1“, says Robert Kubica. „At the end of last year’s WEC-Season, I was able to do my first laps behind the wheel of the CLM P1/01. I felt comfortable in the car very quickly and was able to increase my pace accordingly. With even more experience I’m sure I will be able to extract more performance. I’m already very much looking forward to the Prologue in Monza and the season start in Silverstone. The professional team of ByKOLLES Racing will continue to make important improvements to the car during the season. I’m happy to be a part of it. The FIA WEC is racing on circuits that I know well from my time in F1, with the exception of Le Mans. I’ve heard so many good things about the event at the Sarthe. I’m very excited about my first start at this 24-Hour race.”

"I’m very happy that I will be once again competing in the FIA WEC in LMP1, together with the ByKOLLES crew and F1 legend Robert Kubica“, explains Oliver Webb. „It’s great that we have the Nismo engine in our car from now on. For 2018 it looks like it will be a good and intense competition in the LMP1 category. This year, the field of LMP1 privateers will be very modest but we will use the season to optimise our car to the new engine and improve numerous other things. To be competing at Le Mans once again, with Robert along-side us is going to be fantastic – it’s a dream come true!“

New season, new numbers for Toyota Gazoo Racing. 

Toyota Gazoo Racing’s TS050 Hybrids will wear some familiar numbers in the 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship. Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and José María López will race the #7 TS050 Hybrid. That number, which recalls memories of legendary Toyota 7 sportscar, was on the TS030 Hybrid when it won the team’s first WEC race in 2012.

Sébastien Buemi, Anthony Davidson and Kazuki Nakajima will compete with the #8 car. Sébastien and Anthony have a strong association with that number, having won the 2014 drivers’ World Championship at the wheel of the #8 TS040 Hybrid. The numbers seven and eight are traditionally associated with Toyota at Le Mans. Toyota cars have featured those numbers, often as #37 and #38, in 13 of the manufacturers’ 18 years of Le Mans competition.

At Spa-Francorchamps and Le Mans, a third car, led by Stéphane Sarrazin, will wear #9. A number Toyota has never races at Le Mans, although in 1998 Thierry Boutsen, Ralf Kelleners & Geoff Lees drove the #29 TS020.

Pipo Derani joins Ford GT programme

After last years win in the LMGTE-Pro class, Ford returns with 4 GT's to Le Mans in June.  The Ford Chip Ganassi Racing team’s 2016 victory came 50 years after an historic 1-2-3 finish for Ford at the 1966 Le Mans 24 Hours. Ford also won the race in 1967 when Dan Gurney (US) and A. J. Foyt (US) piloted the Ford GT40 to victory, giving the team another target to hit this time around.

The Ford Chip Ganassi Racing team will again field a strong team of drivers to defend its 2016 LM GTE Pro class win.  New to the team for 2017 is young Brazilian, Luis Felipe "Pipo" Derani, who will join Andy Priaulx (GB) and Harry Tincknell (GB) in the #67 Ford GT for the FIA World Endurance Championship races at Silverstone, Spa and Le Mans. The 23 year-old came to Ford’s attention in 2016 when he won the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the Sebring 12 Hours on his debut, marking himself as one to watch.

“I am delighted and proud to have been chosen to represent such a successful and respected manufacturer like Ford. To compete for a team like Ford Chip Ganassi Racing has been one of my aims since starting in racing and to be recognised and selected by them is a big deal for me. I especially want to thank George-Howard Chappell for his trust and belief in order to give me this opportunity", said Derani. “The way that the Ford GT has performed in endurance racing over the last 12 months has been exceptional and I am very much looking forward to working with the team to try and bring more success in the FIA World Endurance Championship and to defend the Le Mans LM GTE Pro title.”

The other driver line-ups will remain unchanged. Olivier Pla and Stefan Mücke will race the #66 and joined by Billy Johnson in Silverstone, Spa and Le Mans. The #68 Le Mans winning car will be driven again by Seb Bourdais, Joey Hand and Dirk Muller. Richard Westbrook, Scott Dixon and Ryan Briscoe will be at the wheel of the #69.

Kristof Vermeulen. 

Toyota Gazoo Racing confirms third car for Spa and Le Mans

Toyota Gazoo Racing has confirmed an expanded driver line-up for the 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) as part of its three-car entry in selected races.

To demonstrate its commitment to endurance racing, and to enhance its chances of victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours, Toyota will enter three TS050 Hybrids in the races at Spa-Francorchamps and Le Mans.

José María López joins for 2017 and will compete alongside WEC race winners Mike Conway and Kamui Kobayashi. José María, 33, competed in GP2 before moving to the World Touring Car Championship where he won the last three titles. The 2014 drivers’ World Champions Sébastien Buemi and Anthony Davidson will again team up with Kazuki Nakajima in the second car.

Stéphane Sarrazin, part of the TOYOTA WEC team from the start of the project in 2012, retains a significant role and will bring the benefit of his experience to the team’s third car entry as lead driver. The team is still assessing its options for his two team-mates, with a decision expected soon. The cars and team will be presented at Monza on March 31st, prior to the two-day official test for all WEC participants at the Italian circuit.

Toshio Sato, Team President: “I believe this is an exciting time for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing in endurance racing. Entering three cars for Spa and Le Mans represents a new challenge for our team. We are working hard to be prepared and we are inspired to win. I would like to welcome José María to our team; I am confident he will fit in well as he is quick, intelligent and a strong team player. Our existing drivers have already proven their abilities in endurance racing; all are race winners and we are very happy to work together again.”

José María López: “It’s great to be part of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing. This is a dream come true for me and I can’t wait to get to the first race. Mike and Kamui are both great team-mates; I will learn plenty from them I am sure. Driving an LMP1 car is very different compared to WTCC cars but I am enjoying this challenge. The power and grip of the TS050 HYBRID is incredible and TOYOTA’s hybrid technology is impressive. I am looking forward to my first experience of WEC and particularly Le Mans which is a very special race.”

Nakajima in hospital after accident with #8 Audi

Kazuki Nakajima was moved from the circuit's medical centre to hospital after an accident between his Toyota and the #8 Audi driven by Oliver Jarvis. It happened on a wet track in free practice at the end of The Kemmel Straight approaching Les Combes. It seems that Nakajima was on his out lap and an LMP2 car moved away from from behind the Audi to let him through but Nakajimi drove into the back of the Audi. Toyota tell us that the #1 car has not suffered any major damage but Audi informed us that the damage to the #8 car is more serious. Toyota reckon that Nakajima is probably OK but he was moved to hospital as a precaution because of back pains.