Showdown In Shanghai For Toyota Gazoo Racing
Toyota Gazoo Racing are prepared for a tough and exciting battle in the 4 Hours of Shanghai this weekend, competing in the third round of the 2019-2020 FIA World Endurance Championship with a maximum success handicap.
The reigning World Champions will contest the race with a 2.74-second handicap per lap, as a result of having won the first two races of the season, at Silverstone and Fuji Speedway.
The two Toyota crews are tied on points at the top of the World Championship standings and will race with identical cars in Shanghai. Victory went to the No8 TS050 Hybrid of Sébastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima and Brendon Hartley at Fuji, ahead of their team-mates and Silverstone winners Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and José María López in the No7 car.
Looking ahead to the race, Conway said: “I hope we can stand on the top step of the podium again this time. It should be a great battle with the sister car, but I’m sure the non-hybrid LMP1 cars will be stronger than ever in China. It will not be an easy race but we’re ready for it and looking forward to the challenge.”
A repeat of those one-two victories is the target in Shanghai, where the team have won four of their seven WEC races so far, although a tough challenge is expected from the non-hybrid LMP1 competitors, Rebellion Racing and Ginetta. This year’s race is the first to run for four rather than six hours. Track activity begins on Friday with three hours of practice, followed by qualifying on Saturday and the race getting under way at midday (local time) on Sunday.
ENDS
