Toyota "behind target" after snowed-off hypercar test
Toyota has admitted it is “behind target” with test mileage for its new Le Mans Hypercar after a planned test this week was called off due to snow.
The Japanese manufacturer officially revealed the GR010 Hybrid that will contest the 2021 FIA World Endurance Championship season in full livery on Friday, having released the first proper shots of the car earlier in the week.
Its unveil was supposed to follow immediately after a three-day test for the new contender this week at the Aragon circuit in Spain, but this had to be abandoned due to the heavy snow that has hit the country in recent days.
Toyota first ran the GR010 in a shakedown at Paul Ricard in October last year, before moving on to Portimao for the car’s second and most recent test in late December.
Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe technical director Pascal Vasselon revealed that the car has completed more than 6000km so far in those two outings, but added that the cancellation of the Aragon test has put the Cologne-based outfit “behind target”.
Team director Rob Leupen said that the team will conduct more running at its next planned test at Aragon in February to make up for this week’s cancellation.
“We’re going to extend our next test, which will be in February also here in Aragon,” clarified Leupen. “The biggest issue is we are missing mileage.
“Every test is important to get mileage on the car, and on the team in the sense of the mechanics and the engineers understanding the car better and better. That’s why we are looking for additional time.
“It will get very tight to catch up everything we have missed. But this normally we should be able to do, and we are falling back on a lot of experience from the LMP1 era.”
Toyota GR010 Hybrid
Photo by: Toyota Racing
The cancellation of this week’s Aragon test means that two of Toyota’s six drivers for the 2021 WEC season have still not yet driven the GR010.
Both Kamui Kobayashi and Kazuki Nakajima were unable to attend either of last year’s tests due to their Super Formula commitments, with the Paul Ricard shakedown and Portimao test overlapping with the Japanese series’ Sugo and Fuji rounds respectively.
Mike Conway did not make the trip to Aragon this week because of the worsening COVID-19 situation in the UK.
Related video
Previous article
Doubts grow over viability of WEC's Sebring opener
Next article
Realteam steps up to WEC, signs Duval and Nato
About this article
| Series | WEC |
| Teams | Toyota Gazoo Racing WEC |
| Author | Jamie Klein |
Daniel Serra at Ferrari Finali Mondiali
James Calado at Finali Mondiali
AF Corse 488 GTE Livery
Ferrari enters LMH from 2023
Peugeot in sportscars
How 'Brilliant' Bob Wollek lived up to his nickname
Sportscar racing lost one of it's greatest talents 20 years ago today when Bob Wollek was knocked from his bicycle prior to the Sebring 12 Hours. The enigmatic Frenchman never won the Le Mans 24 Hours, but many still remember today why 'Brilliant Bob' became a legend
How Ferrari's Hypercar project could bolster Leclerc's legacy
Ferrari's planned return to the top category at the Le Mans 24 Hours has further heightened anticipation for the 2023 race. Few concrete details are currently known, but already it has a high-profile superstar angling for involvement, which would make a refreshing change
Why Ferrari is ending its 50-year top-flight sportscar racing exile
Making a return to top-flight sportscar racing after 50 years away, Ferrari will enter the Le Mans Hypercar ranks in 2023. The Italian marque denies the link with Formula 1's new cost cap that frees up resources, but it's certainly no coincidence...
The GTE dilemma that IMSA has created for the WEC
The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s decision to scrap its GT Le Mans class for 2022 raises the question of whether the FIA World Endurance Championship should phase out GTE cars. But it's a much harder decision than it appears on the surface.
The ground-up refresh behind Toyota's new Le Mans challenger
Toyota's new GR010 contender for the World Endurance Championship's Hypercar era has little in common with the LMP1 TS050 that preceded it. But within the confines of the scaled back new rules, its latest challenger will be no less formidable a prospect
The tiny increments that decided the final LMP1-era WEC
The system of success handicaps devised by the FIA World Endurance Championship to level the LMP1 playing field in the category's swansong season ended up having a counterproductive effect, as COVID cancellations also played in the champions' favour.
Why Audi’s shock return promises a new age for sportscars
OPINION: The news that Audi will return to Le Mans means we'll at last get to see the fight promised in 2012 against Peugeot and Toyota. It also gives LMDh a tangible form, which could open the floodgates for more like-minded marques to follow suit…
The eternal debate revived after the 2019/20 WEC season
It may have been missed amid the clamour over Lewis Hamilton's seventh F1 title, but Britain had another world champion crowned last weekend. Mike Conway's WEC crown raises an old conundrum - does title glory make up for the pain of Le Mans defeat?
