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TOYOTA GAZOO Racing heads to Great Britain this week for the eagerly anticipated opening round of the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship, the 6 Hours of Silverstone on Sunday 17 April.
Starting its fifth season in the WEC, Toyota will compete with its new TS050 HYBRID race car for the first time, taking on LMP1-Hybrid rivals Porsche and Audi as a nine-round battle for World Championship honours begins.
The TS050 HYBRID features a new 2.4-litre direct-injection V6 turbo engine combined with an 8MJ hybrid system to meet the challenge of WEC regulations, which limit fuel flow and total fuel energy.
The team will use the high-downforce specification TS050 HYBRID to meet the particular demands of Silverstone’s high-speed, sweeping corners.
Both Toyotas have a home driver in the cockpit, with 2014 World Champion Anthony Davidson leading the #5 car alongside Sebastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima. Mike Conway flies the British flag next to Stephane Sarrazin and Kamui Kobayashi in the #6 car.
Kamui is making his race debut for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing after spending 2015 as test and reserve driver. However, he is no stranger to Silverstone having raced four times in the British Grand Prix, finishing sixth in 2010.
With its mix of high-speed corners, Silverstone represents a unique challenge for drivers and engineers while the British weather is traditionally unpredictable, as witnessed in 2014 when a heavy downpour ended the race early.
In bright sunshine last year at Silverstone the lead TS040 HYBRID completed 201 laps, or 1186km, at an average of 197km/h (including time lost for seven scheduled pit stops) during the six hours on its way to third place.
TOYOTA has had a car on the podium at every Silverstone WEC race it has entered and expects to continue that run this weekend, demonstrating significantly improved competitiveness compared with the 2015 season.
About TOYOTA GAZOO Racing in the World Endurance Championship:
Toyota first competed in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 1983, marking the start of a long period of participation in endurance racing.
Since 1985, Toyota cars have raced in 17 Le Mans 24 Hours races, achieving a best result of second place on four occasions (1992, 1994, 1999 and 2013).
Toyota entered the revived WEC in 2012, combining the expertise from Toyota Higashi-Fuji Technical Centre, where the hybrid powertrain is developed, with Toyota Motorsport GmbH’s support and facilities for chassis development.
The multinational team is based in Cologne, Germany, and includes engineers from Toyota’s motorsport and hybrid department who deliver technology and know-how back into road car development.
Since 2012 Toyota has earned nine pole positions and won eight races, finishing on the podium a total of 23 times.
In 2014 the team won the drivers’ and manufacturers’ World Championships with the TS040 HYBRID while a year later Toyota celebrated 30 years since its first Le Mans entry.
Toyota Motorsport GmbH combines its role in the WEC project with its other activities, such as the supply of a World Rally Championship engine for Toyota’s return to the category in 2017, as well as its engineering services business and customer motorsport activities.