GR010 HYBRID No. 8 finishes 2nd in the turbulent sebring Ryo Hirakawa wins the podium in the WEC debut match
The final of the 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Opening Round Sebring 1000 Miles Race was held on Friday, March 18th at the Sebring International Raceway in Florida, USA. In this race, which was shortened due to a thunderstorm after a turbulent development, the GR010 HYBRID No. 8 car of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (hereinafter referred to as Toyota) finished second. Car 7 has been retired.
The hypercar GR010 HYBRID, which debuted last year, has boasted a 100% win rate in previous races, but in the opening round of this year, which was the second season, it allowed Alpine to take the lead and the consecutive win record was cut off at 6.
GR010 HYBRID No. 8 driven by Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa survived a difficult race and finished in 2nd place. Won the podium.
On the other hand, car No. 7, driven by defending champions Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Jose Maria Lopez, retired due to an accident that occurred just before the turnaround of the race four hours later. For Toyota, it is the first time since the 2017 Le Mans 24 Hours that the participating cars have not been able to finish the race.
The two GR010 HYBRIDs struggled from qualifying and were forced to start from 4th and 7th positions. Buemi of car No. 8 who was in charge of the start moved up to 3rd place on lap 4, and Kobayashi of car No. 7 also moved up to 4th place, and all four hypercars participating in this tournament fought for the podium. Was done.
The two GR010 HYBRIDs made a pit stop for refueling shortly before the first hour from the start. The two cars evaded Glickenhaus, with Buemi’s car No. 8 in second place and Kobayashi’s car No. 7 in third place, chasing Alpine, who was in the lead.
About three hours after the start, Lopez, who was driving car No. 7, narrowed the gap with car No. 8 of Hartley ahead and passed this on lap 104. However, at this point, the difference with the leader Alpine was wide, and due to severe performance adjustments, he could not participate in the battle for the top.
The race moved a lot ahead of the four hours before the turnaround. Lopez of car 7 came into contact with a GT class car with a lap delay and spun. Car No. 7, which hit the tire barrier, returned to the course while suffering damage to the car body and tried to return to the pit, but went off the course at some corners ahead and crashed into the tire barrier again violently. Lopez was fortunate to be safe, but Car 7 ended the race here.
Due to this accident, the race was suspended for 34 minutes with a red flag, but it was interrupted at an unlucky timing for car No. 8 running in 2nd place. Hartley was forced into an emergency pit stop for refueling during a safety car run just before the restart was cut, and then again pitted for full work including driver changes and tire changes. Hirakawa, who was replaced here, made his first course in the debut match.
Hirakawa, who held the steering wheel of car 8, showed a good run over 2 stints, widened the gap with Glickenhaus in 3rd place, and was replaced by Buemi during the full course yellow due to foreign matter on the course that was issued after that. did.
With about an hour left in the race, the red flag was interrupted due to the approaching danger of a lightning strike. After that, the car was once resumed under the guidance of the safety car and waited for a restart, but the car was stopped because of the danger of a lightning strike, and the race was decided to end at that time. The 2022 season WEC will move to Europe, with a six-hour race at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium on Saturday, May 7th.
Kamui Kobayashi (Team representative and driver of car 7)
Thank you for all your support for the 2022 opening round. As a result, car 8 was 2nd and car 7 was unfortunately retired, but it is fortunate that Jose’s body was safe. Both cars 7 and 8 were able to race with the same performance, and I think that I have exhausted my current strength, but I am thinking about what I should do to build a stronger team with the driver in the future. I think I have to do it. The performance adjustments this time were tough, but I think it was good that we were able to concentrate on bringing out the performance as a team and be in second place. In the future, I will not give up in any situation, and I will do my best to build a stronger team so that I can grasp the limits of the car. Unfortunately, I couldn’t win the first race as a team representative, but as a test, I would like to do my best so that I can learn and become stronger and lead the team, so please continue to support me. please.
Mike Conway (Car 7 driver)
It wasn’t the opening start I was hoping for. I am very disappointed that I expected steady results. It wasn’t a winning pace, but the podium was well positioned and that was my goal. It was an accident just before I was replaced, so I couldn’t run even one lap today. Unfortunately, the safety of the vehicle was high and I was fortunate that Jose was safe. That is the most important thing. Accidents like today are common in endurance racing. We will repair the vehicle for the next round spa and push to fulfill this revenge.
Jose Maria Lopez (Car 7 driver)
It was very good when I was running and I was able to pass the car No. 8 ahead. However, unfortunately, it came into contact with the GT vehicle and damaged the front part of the vehicle. I immediately tried to return to the pits and misunderstood the damage to the vehicle. When I entered Turn 14, the lower front part of the vehicle rubbed against the road surface due to damage, and I plunged straight into the barrier without the steering wheel and brakes working. It was a big crash, but I was safe thanks to the very safe car body. I am grateful to Sebring’s emergency staff and everyone for their immediate response. I think I can compete in the 12-hour race tomorrow Saturday without any problems. However, I’m really sorry for the team and my teammates.
Sebastien Buemi (Car 8 driver)
It was a crazy race and it was a very difficult race for the team, including the accident of car 7. Until that accident, we had two cars in a good race. However, 2nd place was the best result I could have today, and I was able to get important points in the championship race. Even before I came to Sebring, I knew it would be a tough fight. I wanted to win, but I knew it wasn’t possible today, and I’m glad I got the points. Switch your mind to the next race.
Brendon Hartley (Car 8 driver)
It was a very clean race for us car 8. Cebu did a very good run in the first two stints. When he replaced me, he had used some used tires and it was hard to counter Jose, who was under pressure from behind. Unfortunately, Jose was hit by an accident after that. Ryo made a wonderful run with his debut in Car 8. We already have a good relationship as a teammate with us and he showed us the perfect race. We weren’t fast enough to compete for victory, but we’re happy with the second place as a result of racing without mistakes. Taking advantage of this momentum, we will prepare for Le Mans and aim to become a champion.
Ryo Hirakawa (Car 8 driver)
I am happy to be able to decorate the podium with the first race of the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WEC team. It was my first experience to run a real battle with GR010 HYBRID, but I think I was able to do it well. It was very difficult to run while dodging the LMP2 vehicle. However, it was good that I ran my responsibility without any mistakes and got off to a good start on the podium. I am looking forward to the race at the next spa, and I will continue to strive for even better results.
Akio Toyoda (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Team Owner)
The 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) has begun, and the second year of the Hypercar challenge has begun. In the first race in which Kamui became the team representative, car No. 7 crashed and car No. 8 continued to run until the end, but he could not win and it was a trial. What will the whole team improve for the next spa and Le Mans in June? I hope that all drivers, engineers, and mechanics will think and put it into practice. I was afraid of the accident of car 7, but Jose’s body was safe and above all. The crash is not the fault of anyone. I’m sure there is something we can learn from here as well. I hope that drivers will be able to create cars that can be driven with greater peace of mind. I have also heard that strict performance adjustments have been made. If you aim for victory and try to overcome this, the evolution of technology and skills will be born there. Let’s continue to make better cars at the race site. I watched the video of the meeting immediately after the race where everyone gathered around Kamui who became the team representative. I am grateful that Kamui took the initiative in initiating this kind of communication. I can say anything I noticed … Thank you for doing something … It may be obvious, but what I expect is to build such a “family” team. Dual wield with the driver may be difficult, but please continue to play the role of team representative. Fans, this team will continue to evolve. The stronger the team, the stronger and faster the car. Thank you for your warm support this season as well.
WEC Round 1 Sebring 1000 Miles Final Results (Overall Ranking)
Category: Category: F1 / Toyota / WEC (FIA World Endurance Championship)