Toyota’s Mike Conway told reporters that the Japanese-German manufacturer needs to improve their tyre warm up, as other teams have figured out something which Toyota has not in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
“It’s an area we can improve, for sure. We’re trying things and it’s just something we’ve not quite figured out yet, to be better,” said the Briton, in the team’s hospitality unit at the 6 Hours of Imola.
Kamui Kobayashi qualified the #7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid in sixth position, 0.944 off polesitter Antonio Fuoco. Teammate Brendon Hartley, meanwhile, was eighth fastest in the sister #8 Toyota.
Conway continued, “Even here [Porsche Penske] are quick at switching on the tyres, and Ferrari. It’s something they’ve figured out, for sure. Ferrari were good anyway, in the first year at switching on the tyres, but now they seem to be another step, I would say.”
The WEC tyre rules also come into play here, as Conway explained.
“Plus, we’re all kind of on similar tyres, versus typically we might have gone for a softer tyre or something and maybe looked a bit better on warm up.
“But now you’ve only got the two tyres you can choose from, and typically everyone’s sticking to one. We’ve not even tried the hard because it’s not going to be an option, unless it gets really hot, which I doubt,” he concluded.
