24H of Le Mans
Toyota “in a difficult situation” after Le Mans Test Day
A first day far from perfect for Toyota at Le Mans © Frédéric Le Floc'h / DPPI
Is the champion already shaking? At the end of the Test Day 24 Hours of Le Mans organized on Sunday, it would be a lie to say that Toyota made a strong impression. If the Japanese team – handicapped by a new unexpected but above all restrictive BoP (+37 kilograms) – signed the 3rd fastest time, the Japanese team was not satisfied with the progress of this first day of testing.
A day disrupted by a car accident Mike conway at the end of the morning, at the Esses de la Forêt before Tertre-Rouge. The Briton lost control of his No. 7 Toyota, damaging the nose of the Japanese Hypercar. Aesthetic damage but which cost the team a little time and energy Kamui Kobayashi.
“We had an incident at the end of the first practice and the day didn't go as well as we hoped, confided the main director and pilot of the No. 8. Mike [Conway] is fine, which is the most important thing, and the mechanics worked very hard to repair the damage quickly. This minimized the impact on our program and allowed us to continue working on the setup and balance of the car. In terms of performance we are in a difficult situation, but we have to continue working. »
Toyota, confidence damaged?
Toyota finished the day 3 tenths behind the best time achieved by the Ferrari n°51, having completed 132 laps in total (68 for n°7, 64 for n°8). An honest assessment, but not at the level of expectations for the reigning champion team at Le Mans which admits to being worried about the performances of its rivals. However, optimism is not affected and the drivers emphasize the great room for improvement of the GR010 Hybrid.
“This is our first day of riding here this year and it went pretty well, despite some difficulties. We tried to understand the car and worked on a comparison program, explained Mike Conway, despite his accident. Over the course of the sessions, we progressed and the balance improved. There are still a few laps to go, as always at this stage. But it has been productive so far and we will try to continue like this. »
However, let's remain cautious about the poker-liar games of each team after this Test Day. Everyone should hide their game until Saturday, June 10, 16 p.m.…
ALSO READ > VIDEO – A tour of Le Mans aboard the Peugeot 9X8
Dorian Grangier
A young journalist nostalgic for the motorsport of yesteryear. Raised on the exploits of Sébastien Loeb and Fernando Alonso.
Continue reading on these topics:
Read also
Comments
*The space reserved for logged in users. Please connect to be able to respond or post a comment!
2 Comment (s)
To write a comment
05/06/2023 at 05:00 a.m.
Let's be careful after this Test Day because the Japanese aren't hiding their game a little?
DANIEL MEYERS
05/06/2023 at 02:51 a.m.
If necessary, I can provide a box of tissues!!