2023-06-02 07:00:00
The legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans will celebrate its 100th anniversary next weekend (June 10-11). The celebrations include a parade of historic vehicles. 300,000 fans are expected to attend the long-distance classic in France, which is also the highlight of the season in the World Endurance Championship (WEC). 62 starters, including 16 hypercars from legendary sports car brands such as Cadillac, Ferrari, Peugeot and Porsche, compete on the circuit. Last year’s and current long-term winner is Toyota. The brand is aiming for its sixth Le Mans victory in a row.
With three out of three wins this season, Toyota Gazoo Racing made the best possible start to this year’s WEC. With the double points awarded in Le Mans, the team can already take an important step towards defending its title. Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and José María López want to repeat their recent success from Spa-Francorchamps in the GR010 Hybrid with starting number 7 – and after 2021 they want to achieve their second Le Mans victory together. Last year’s winners and current championship leaders Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa are aiming for another triumph in the second #8 Toyota. With four victories at the Sarthe, Buemi is the team’s most successful driver, while Kobayashi, having set five poles, contributed to the team’s record of six pole positions in a row.
Toyota competes in Le Mans for the 25th time, for the twelfth time with hybrid drive. This year, the Toyota GR010 Hybrid will run exclusively on 100 percent renewable biofuel. In order to reduce weight and increase reliability, the hybrid combination of a 3.5-liter engine with 707 hp (520 kW) and a 200 kW (272 hp) electric motor has been further refined. Aerodynamic adjustments and other details are designed to optimize drivability and airflow.
The actual race week starts on Wednesday (June 7) with two practice sessions before and after the first qualifying session, in which the eight fastest cars from each class move into the half-hour hyperpole shootout on Thursday at 8 p.m. Two more training runs round off the events on Thursday. The final vote and preparation will take place on Friday. The race then starts on Saturday at 4 p.m.
To mark the 100th anniversary of the legendary race in France, Toyota is focusing on sustainability at a variety of public demonstrations and exhibitions. One example is internal combustion engines powered by hydrogen – a technology already used in the ORC Rookie GR Corolla H2 Concept. On June 10 at 12:20 p.m. the vehicle will do a demonstration lap around the 16.6-kilometer Le Mans circuit. The heart of the vehicle, with which Toyota is taking part in the Super Taikyu endurance championship in Japan via the Rookie Racing Team, is a gaseous hydrogen-powered internal combustion engine. It produces sounds and impressions like a conventional racing car, but produces almost no tailpipe emissions.
Toyota’s five Le Mans winning cars from 2018 to 2022 are on display at the local museum as part of the centenary celebrations organized by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO). The three TS050 Hybrids and two GR010 Hybrids are in their original condition after the end of each race and have never been exhibited together. An exhibition organized jointly with the Japanese Tourism Association and Mazda is also intended to promote tourism in Japan. In addition, the winning cars from 2018 and 2022, with both former Le Mans winners Alex Wurz and Kazuki Nakajima at the wheel, along with other historic vehicles, will take part in an anniversary parade at the Circuit de la Sarthe. It takes place on June 10 before the start of the race. Also included is the Mazda 787 B, the first and only Wankel vehicle to ever win the race.
Toyota has set up a dedicated Le Mans section on the official website www.toyotagazooracing.com for all motorsport fans. Live video from the onboard cameras of the two GR010 Hybrids will be broadcast throughout the race. You can also see new pictures of the cars as well as souvenir photos of the five previous winning cars. (awm)
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