Kazuki Nakajima: “The 24 2016 Hours of Le Mans made me stronger”

A page from the history of Toyota en Endurance will take place on the evening of the 8 Hours of Bahrain, the last round of the 2021 season. Kazuki Nakajima, three-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the Japanese brand, will no longer be a TGR driver, nor even in WEC. "It's a bit sad to be honest, admitted the Japanese driver in the paddock. Mbut I look towards the future even if I haven't decided anything yet. » The 36-year-old driver should be able to say more in a few weeks about what he will do next.

If he flew in Formula 1 in Williams (between 2007 and 2009), Nakajima is best known for his performances in Endurance. 2018-2019 World Champion, he won the 24 2018 Hours of Le Mans with Fernando Alonso et Sébastien Buemi on the Toyota TS050 Hybrid, two years later saw his dream crumble when his machine stopped at the start of the last lap. Two dates that stand out when we ask him what his best memory with the Aichi brand is: “2018, of course. At the same time, 2016 was a difficult moment, but I believe it prepared us for our first victory. It was a difficult time to go through, but it made us stronger. My first victory at Le Mans is probably above everything else. »

“A dream to be a member of the Toyota project”

As a symbol, the future ex-Toyota driver also comes from Aichi prefecture. Obviously, riding for the brand from his region was a dream for him. “After Formula 1, I wanted to come back to Japan and to domestic races (in Super Formula in particular. Editor’s note), but I also wanted to continue racing in Europe and Le Mans was the best place for that. It was a dream to be part of this project from the moment it started and to experience this challenge of winning the 24 Hours. Although it took a while to achieve that (laughs).” The first victory then led to two more, as Nakajima also won the 2019 and 2020 editions of the Le Mans classic. For his last race in the WEC, he obviously dreams of winning the world title a second and final time, even if, with 15 points behind Mike conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Jose Maria López, he knows full well that it is no longer in his hands: “We will do everything to win the race (the 8 Hours of Bahrain. Editor’s note), and we will see if it will work out in our favor. »

Also read > Bahrain 8H – Last race with Toyota for Kazuki Nakajima