TOYOTA RACING SIGN OFF WITH BAHRAIN VICTORY AND SIGN UP CONWAY
Toyota Racing secured their second win of the 2013 season with victory in the final round of the FIA World Endurance Championship. Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi and Stéphane Sarrazin put in a commanding performance in the number 8 TS030 Hybrid at the Bahrain International Circuit on Sunday, taking the chequered flag more than a minute clear of their nearest challengers.
The end result was succeeded by an impressive qualifying performance, in which the number 7 Toyota of Nicolas Lapierre, Kazuki Nakajima and Alex Wurz claimed pole position. Lapierre held the lead until being delayed by traffic just after an hour, allowing Buemi to come through.
The number 8 TS030 then made a run to the finish, with Davidson contributing a double stint from just over half distance. The number 7 Toyota held second until being sidelined by a technical issue after two hours and 64 laps.
The result took Toyota Racing’s season tally to an impressive 152.5 points, placing the team second in the manufacturers championship, with two wins, six podiums and three pole positions.
Mike Conway joins Toyota Racing
Mike Conway, one of Britain’s most accomplished international racers, has been signed as a test and reserve driver for Toyota Racing’s 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship campaign.
Conway, 30, from Kent, will support the existing team line-up of Alex Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre, Kazuki Nakajima, Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi and Stéphane Sarrazin, all of whom have been confirmed as race drivers for next season.
His role will include helping the development programme for the team’s new LMP1 car, with testing due to start in January. He already has WEC experience, having been a front-runner in the LMP2 class this year and put in an impressive performance in the Le Mans 24 Hours. His single-seater pedigree includes three seasons in GP2 and five in IndyCar, where he will be competing again in 2014.
