24h Le Mans
Toyota will enter two TS050 HYBRIDs in the 2017 World Endurance Championship (WEC) as well as a third car at the WEC Spa-Francorchamps round, and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (June 17th and 18th) in hopes of finally securing victory this year.
In terms of the driver line-ups, there are few changes. The first car (#8) will be driven by 2014 World Champions Sébastien Buemi and Anthony Davidson. They will be joined once again by Kazuki Nakajima, the only Japanese driver to have scored the pole at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In the second car (#7), Mike Conway and Kamui Kobayashi are set to continue their collaboration with Toyota. They will be joined by three-time WTCC Champion (World Touring Car Championship) and former GP2 Series driver José María López (33 years old). Both trios will race in the full 2017 season.
A third TS050 HYBRID (#9) will compete in the second round of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) at WEC Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium on May 6th and the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 17th and 18th. The Japanese manufacturer is doing everything it can to secure the victory at Le Mans it has been chasing for years. Stéphane Sarrazin, a team member since 2012, will be one of the three drivers in this car. The two others will be announced in the near future.
Toyota Gazoo Racing will present its team and the 2017 TS050 HYBRID on March 31st in Monza, Italy before the two-day FIA WEC Prologue official testing.
Team President Toshio Sato: "I believe this is an exciting time for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing in endurance racing. Entering three cars for Spa and Le Mans represents a new challenge for our team. We are working hard to be prepared and we are inspired to win. I would like to welcome José María to our team; I am confident he will fit in well as he is quick, intelligent and a strong team player. Our existing drivers have already proven their abilities in endurance racing; all are race winners and we are very happy to work together again."
José María López: "It’s great to be part of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing. This is a dream come true for me and I can't wait to get to the first race. Mike and Kamui are both great team-mates; I will learn plenty from them I am sure. Driving an LM P1 car is very different compared to WTCC cars but I am enjoying this challenge. The power and grip of the TS050 HYBRID is incredible and TOYOTA’s hybrid technology is impressive. I am looking forward to my first experience of WEC and particularly Le Mans which is a very special race."
Quotations from team press release.
