Toyota Gazoo Racing Seek Home Turf Success in the 6 Hours of Fuji
Toyota Gazoo Racing have a date with their home fans in Japan this weekend, competing in the 6 Hours of Fuji in Japan, the fourth round of the 2018-19 FIA World Endurance Championship.
The team have won at Fuji in five out of six appearances at the circuit and are hoping for more success following the disappointment of their exclusion from the results last time out at Silverstone. In spite of the setback in August, the team remain at the top of the championship standings, but just three points clear of their nearest rivals.
Large crowds are expected at the Fuji Speedway, which sits in the foothills of Mount Fuji, just a few miles from the Higashi-Fuji Technical Centre where the Toyota TS050’s hybrid electric powertrain is developed and built.
Sébastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima and Fernando Alonso in the No8 Toyota continue to lead the drivers’ World Championship, but by a reduced margin of just two points from the No3 Rebellion Racing crew. They are looking for their third win of the season to extend that gap.
The No7 Toyota line-up of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and José María López competed very strongly at Silverstone and will challenge for their first victory of the season at Fuji, the scene of Conway and Kobayashi’s most recent win, in October 2016.
Conway said: “I like Fuji a lot and I know all the drivers do as well. Japan is a great country and, of course, next weekend’s event is the home race for Toyota Gazoo Racing so it is something special for all of us. You can feel that there is a special spirit in the team when we come to Fuji, I always look forward to it. Our No7 car won here in 2016; I hope we can be strong again and bring home the winner’s trophy.”
Both Toyotas will use a high downforce set-up for the race, which begins at 11am local time this Sunday.
ENDS
