Toyota, a revenge to be taken at Imola

We were so used to seeing Toyota gain in WEC that Qatar's poor performance had a particular resonance at the start of the season. The Japanese team was not able to fight for victory at Losail, especially against the Porsche. Lacking pace in the race, the GR010 suffered in its first performance on the Qatari track. Promoted to 5th and 8th place in the Hypercar category after the Cadillac's disqualification, the two crews are ready to take their revenge this weekend, for the 6 Hours of Imola.

Like Losail, Imola is a brand new circuit for the WEC calendar, meaning Toyota has never run in official competition at this circuit. However, the experience acquired by the Japanese firm since its arrival in the premier category in 2012, through multiple circuits could play to its advantage.

“It will be a challenge to win this weekend on a new circuit for our car, but we are working hard as a team to achieve the best possible result, says Kamui Kobayashi, team principal and driver of car #7. As always, the key will be to get a good start in practice and quickly find a good set-up direction for our car, then run a clean race, using our experience and team spirit. »

Toyota faces the challenge of Imola

Toyota will also be able to rely on the pace on a timed lap of its GR010. In Qatar, Nyck de Vries had managed to secure the front row aboard the No. 7. The exercise will be all the more important at Imola, a cramped track where the first corner could already cause damage among the Hypercars. “In Qatar we saw how close the battle is in Hypercar and it will be again. No one can afford to make the slightest mistake in qualifying or in the race because, with such close competition, you can lose a lot of places, highlights Brendon Hartley. We all need to be at the top of our game to fight at the forefront. »

Traffic could also be a key element for the Japanese clan. “It will be fun to drive the GR010 on this circuit in front of all the Italian fans, but I also expect a certain challenge, especially regarding traffic management during the race, entrusts Sébastien Buemi. We struggled with our car in Qatar, so we are all hoping for a better performance in Imola. » Although Toyota has no experience on the transalpine circuit, two of its drivers have already driven on the 4,909 kilometer track aboard a Formula 1 : Sébastien Buemi, around ten years ago, and Ryo Hirakawa aboard a McLaren last March.

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