Different aerodynamic kits at Toyota in Spa

In Belgium, Toyota will have strength in numbers for the first time against its great rival Porsche. Gazoo Racing will indeed field three TS050 Hybrid LM P1s against the two 919 Hybrids entered by the Weissach firm.

In addition to a numerical advantage, Toyota will try to achieve the double after its inaugural success at Silverstone, with LM P1s not carrying the same aero kit, two versions being authorized by the regulations, with a high downforce version, and a reduced drag version, called “ Le Mans ».

If the starting trios for the year Mike conway, Kamui Kobayashi, Jose Maria Lopez on No. 7 and Sébastien Buemi, Anthony Davidson, Kazuki Nakajima on the No. 8 will evolve, as in Great Britain last month with the high downforce kit, the third TS050 entrusted to Nicolas lapierre – Stéphane Sarrazin – Yuji Kunimoto will be equipped with a low-drag kit, in order to prepare for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Enough to approach the Spa route with two strategies which offers a mixed configuration, between long straight sections in the first and last sectors and central section requiring more support.

“The high downforce TS050 Hybrid performed very well at Silverstone, but Spa is a different circuit, so we worked hard to prepare, comments Toshio Sato, president of the Toyota team.

This year we have three cars for the first time, giving us the opportunity to test our low drag kit in race conditions. We tested it a lot over the winter, so this weekend we start another step in our preparations for Le Mans. »

“I'm really looking forward to racing in the TS050 Hybrid again, especially after seeing the performance at Silverstone, rejoices Stéphane Sarrazin.

It was great to watch and I hope the car will be as strong in its specification with the reduced downforce. As always, I hope to get a good result, but the most important thing for our car this weekend is to prepare properly for Le Mans.

We need to collect a lot of data on the car with the low downforce and refine the teamwork for our first race together. »

Faced with Toyota, Porsche will remain focused on working on the low downforce kit, already seen on the track at Silverstone on the 919 Hybrid.