Toyota team principal and driver of the #7 car in the FIA World Endurance Championship, Kamui Kobayashi, told Motorsport Week that he believes they have the best overall car.
“We have the best car. The best package,” Kobayashi told Motorsport Week when asked whether Toyota would be able to get a top 10 result at Spa-Francorchamps in tomorrow’s 6 hour race.
When we probed further and asked why the manufacturer wasn’t able to win if it has the best package, the Japanese driver and team principal replied, grinning, “You know.”
As per the regulations, the teams and manufacturers are not allowed to speak about WEC’s ‘balance of performance’ which dictates each car’s power and weight, as well as useable energy per stint.
Toyota’s GR010 Hybrid has the highest weight, at 1069kg this weekend at Spa, and the lowest power, at 480kW. This is by far the lowest power-to-weight ratio of any car in the Hypercar class, and is what Kobayashi is likely referring to with his cryptic ‘you know’ comment.
Post-250kph power Toyota’s ‘saving grace’
Motorsport Week also spoke to Mike Conway, Kobayashi’s co-driver in the #7 Toyota.
“The weight we carry, 1069kg, definitely hurts a bit around here. The tyre wear, tyre energy, that obviously goes way up. And then obviously with the power at 480kW, you suffer getting out of the corners.
“I think our saving grace probably here is we’ve got decent power at high speed, so that helps with the long straight. At that point we get some [power] back, so that’s okay.
WEC employs a two-stage balance of performance, whereby the cars will gain or lose power after they reach the 250kph threshold. But Conway thinks this won’t help Toyota much, although he seemed cautiously optimistic about being better in the race compared to qualifying, where neither Toyota made it through to the top 10 Hyperpole.
“I think we’re not looking too too bad. Maybe not on one lap pace, but maybe the long runs.
“Hopefully we can can hang in there and have decent tyre wear, but I think it’s still gonna be hard to pass for anyone really. Even if you’re a second lap quicker, you’re not going to get by so easy.
“I haven’t passed anything [in practice],” he continued.
“I haven’t been near another half car though either. I’m not really gonna know I guess till the race now.
“The GTs that dive up the inside into braking, they’re quite good on the braking. So for us to outdive a Hypercar, it’s tricky. But let’s see, with tyre wear and things like that and see what we can do,” he concluded.
