Category: Toyota

While compiling this gallery of images and general tale of woe from Toyota, we kept wondering just what could have been. Perhaps, with a limited development program, expectations of a strong finish for Toyota were always optmistic. Yet, with all four Audis stumbling off track at some stage during the race, it would have spiced things up nicely to have had a TS030 Hybrid in there at the end throwing a few punches.

Nevertheless we know with more experience and test data behind them the Toyotas should have what it takes to further ruffle Audi’s feathers in 2013.

We leave the final word for Toyota’s 2012 Le Mans assualt to Team President, Yoshiaki Kinoshita: “Right now our emotion is one of sadness. Our best wishes are with Anthony, who is a fantastic colleague and a positive force in our team. We strongly hope he recovers very soon and we’re sorry we could not provide a result to cheer him up from the #7 car, which suffered firstly an alternator problem and then an engine failure.

“After all the hard work to get to this point, it really hurts to see both cars retire early. But in the next days we will look back on the first six hours of the race and feel great pride that we could lead Le Mans in our very first race.

“That is a remarkable achievement with such pioneering technology and this motivates us to push harder than ever to bring home some trophies in the remainder of the season.”

Toyota driver Anthony Davidson can consider himself very lucky to have walked away from this sickening crash, which ended a promising debut for the TS030 Hybrid at the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The crash happened after the #81 Ferrari F458 Italia (GTE Am) driven by Piergiuseppe Perrazini clipped the back of Davidson’s #8 Toyota (LMP1) near the end of the high speed Mulsanne straight.

Davidson’s Toyota was sent into the air where it flipped before crashing heavily into the tyre barrier. Perrazini’s Ferrari also impacted heavily with the barrier and ended on its roof.

Thankfully, it has been reported that Perrazini is okay. Meanwhile, Davidson, initially thought to be fine, is now in hospital where he has been found to have a broken back, suffering fractures to his  T11 and T12 vertebrae.

Davidson is alert and has tweeted, “Well that was a big one! Lying in a French hospital with a broken back wasn’t what I had in mind at this stage in the race…”

Footage of the accident can be seen after the break. Both drivers are very lucky men. We must pause to acknowledge the safety regulations placed on cars and thank the track officials who assisted the drivers.

In Hour 11, the second Toyota TS030 Hybrid retired with engine problems.

[Source: Autosport]

In their first serious hit out Toyota should be applauded for qualifying in P3 and P5 for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Of course, with the way the LMP1 cars are structured, the drivers in the TS030 Hybrid had every right to expect a top six qualifying result. Although, to split the Audis as they have, is no mean feat.

So we now know Toyota has the outright pace to mix it with the more experienced and probably better resourced Audi crews, but do they have the reliability? That was a thought in Anthony Davidson’s mind after he qualified just over one second away from pole position.

“After this qualifying session, I feel that we almost got everything possible from the car. I did a good lap and I think we can be happy with what we achieved,” Davidson said. “I am still very new at the wheel of the TS030 HYBRID and I am going faster and faster; the car is nicely balanced and I feel comfortable with it. I am really looking forward to the race, to see what we can do; I hope we will have a reliable car.

“I think we surprised some people as we are so close to pole position and I actually still think that we have a stronger race car than a qualifying car. Le Mans is very a tough race but if we have no problems, if all is going well, we can be on the podium.”

There’s more from Toyota Racing after the break.

Toyota has big hopes for its TS030 Hybrid at Le Mans this weekend. But 20 years ago it was all about the V10 powered TS010, a car that went on to finish second in the 1992 24 Hours of Le Mans.

We thank Sydney Motorsport Park for bringing our attention to this footage of the TS010 being tested at Eastern Creek early in 1992. A normally aspirated V10; that’s what a sportscar engine should sound like!

The public return of Toyota to Le Mans began in January when the TS030 hybrid was officially announced. Since then the Japanese giant has been on a steady development program that will bare itself to the world in the toughest arena when the 24 Hours of Le Mans takes place.

For the good of the event much rests on the shoulders of Toyota. Following the withdrawal of Peugeot from sports car racing in January, Toyota’s resurgence is all that stands between Audi and the chequered flag.

To take up the fight Toyota has taken a different path to the German team by using a petrol-electric combination for their hybrid drivetrain. Conventional power is supplied by a 3.4 litre V8, complemented by an electric motor placed at each axle.

Toyota will field two cars this year, with Alex Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima in the #7 car, and Stéphane Sarrazin, Anthony Davidson and Sébastien Buemi at the wheel of the #8 machine.

It’s a strong driver line up with solid experience to draw upon. A crash during testing back in April set the team back and forced them to withdraw from the 6 Hours of Spa. Since then, however, Davidson has been happy with the way the team is progressing and is looking forward to building on their good showing in last weekend’s test day at Le Mans, where they ran reliably and within two seconds of the more credentialed Audis.

“To succeed here you need to be on top form, it’s as simple as that,” Davidson said. “The test day gave us plenty of encouragement and we have to continue in this direction in order to be well prepared for the race.

“I am a positive and realistic guy; I hope we will have the car to fight at the front but I also know that 2012 is our first year so we have many things to learn.”

Toyota’s full preview can be read after the break. You can keep up todate with the team’s fortunes this weekend via the Toyota Hybrid racing website as well as twitter and Facebook.

Toyota is getting in early on the Le Mans documentary scene by releasing a preview to their entry into the 2012 running of the 24 hour epic. Toyota will be the main rival to Audi this year when the Japaense giant debuts its TS030 hybrid LMP1 racecars.

Titled Toyota’s road to Le Mans, the film is due to premiere on the US channel Speed on the eve of this year’s race. We assume the program will run on Foxtel’s Speed TV Australia channel at some stage and if we can get some confirmation from them we’ll let you know.

For now there’s a short 30 second teaser after the break.