WEC
Toyota unveils the 050 TS2017
Toyota Gazoo Racing presented its new TS050 which will compete in the 2017 season of WEC on the eve of the start of the Prologue contested in Monza (Italy). The Japanese manufacturer will enter two LMP1 cars this year with Mike conway, Kamui Kobayashi and José-Maria Lopez on No. 7 and Sébastien Buemi, Anthony Davidson and Kazuki Nakajima on No. 8. A 3rd model will be engaged in 24 Hours of Le Mans for Nicolas lapierre, Yuji Kunimoto and Stéphane Sarrazin.
The Japanese LMP1 will be powered by a 6l turbo V2.4 combined with a category 8MJ hybrid system. This new engine will optimize thermal efficiency by increasing the compression ratio through the development of the combustion chamber, the displacement and the cylinder heads. The hybrid system has also been optimized with the reduced MGU and a reworked lithium-ion battery. The aero and suspension geometry have also been revised. The front splitter has gained 15mm while the rear diffuser has been shortened.
“The whole team is determined for this season, promised Toshio Sato, the president of the team. We want to win, no doubt about it, but we know that the fight with Porsche will be difficult. The team in Higashi-Fuji and Cologne have worked very hard to improve the TS050 Hybrid and the early indications are encouraging. »
“We will have one more chance to win at Le Mans with a 3rd car, recalled Toshio Sato. We know from our painful experience that Le Mans is a very hard race to win, but that is our goal. »
« The TS050 Hybrid is a major evolution, only the monocoque has not changed, underlined Pascal Vasselon, the technical director of Toyota Gazoo Racing. We showed our potential during several races with good performances... What happened at Le Mans last year was very hard for us and we placed even greater importance on the quality of the whole . Zero risk does not exist but we have sought to reduce it as much as possible. The pre-season tests went well, both in terms of performance and reliability. »
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