TOYOTA GAZOO Racing overcame difficult conditions during the suspension of practice on the first day of the title-deciding Bahrain 8 Hours, the final round of the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).
The Bahrain International Circuit, where the destination of the Drivers’ World Championship will be determined at the end of Saturday’s race, was red flagged due to strong winds and heavy rain, but TOYOTA GAZOO Racing controlled the pace on the first day.
The team has already been confirmed as Manufacturers’ World Champions for a fifth consecutive season and is in a good position to win the Drivers’ title in the seventh and final race of the year, at a track where it has won eight of the 11 WEC races. be. .
The No. 8 GR010 HYBRID of reigning champion Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa takes the win in Bahrain with a 15-point lead over teammates Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and No. 7 Jose María López. Scored a possible 39 points. Both Ferraris are also still being tracked.
Kamui’s best lap of 1 minute 46.851 seconds recorded in the second practice was the fastest time of the day and showed the #7 crew’s determination to challenge for the title. Brendon set the No. 8 car’s best time in the same dry night session and was second overall.
The first practice began during the lunch break, but was red-flagged after just nine minutes due to unusually bad weather, including strong winds. The race resumed after a 45-minute delay, but heavy rain created new challenges and both GR010 HYBRIDs completed the remainder of the extra session on wet tyres.
Although there was no opportunity to improve their lap times due to track conditions, the #7 GR010 HYBRID team finished the session at the top of the timesheets thanks to Kamui’s fast flying lap. The team achieved a one-two thanks to the efforts of Sebastian in car No. 8.
As the weather cleared and floodlights illuminated the 5.412km circuit for the second practice held after sunset, teams finally had an extended opportunity to evaluate the medium and hard Michelin dry tire compounds available this weekend. Obtained.
A program of aerodynamic and mechanical set-up analysis, started in first practice but marred by wet surfaces, also helped drivers and engineers find the best compromise around the circuit, which is known for high tire deterioration. It continued with intensive work.
These preparations were halted by a red flag an hour after the incident involving the GT car. The session resumed with 18 minutes remaining and both cars completed a productive night, completing a total of 159 laps and 860km.
Preparations will continue on Friday, with final practice taking place at noon before qualifying, which will take place just as the sun sets at 5:05 pm local time (3:05 pm CET). Saturday’s race will start at 2pm local time (4pm CET).
Kamui Kobayashi (team representative and driver, car No. 7): “So far everything is going well and our performance looks quite competitive even under different conditions. The second practice will be very important in evaluating the tires. Yes, I am starting to gain a better understanding of this course. I have completed many laps around this course with the GR010 HYBRID, but this season there are no tire warmers, so I will be learning about tires almost from scratch. However, today I have a positive outlook. It’s been a day and we’ll work hard to keep this momentum going.”
Mike Conway (No. 7 car driver): “We looked competitive in all conditions. We were fast in the wet and dry. It was nice to run wet, which is very unusual here. We did a few laps in the first practice After that, the sky suddenly became very dark, and then it started to rain in earnest. At least we are now prepared for any eventuality. With our car, we will be able to contribute to the championship. I’m aiming for pole position tomorrow and I hope I can achieve that, but my focus is all on preparing for the race.”
Jose María López (driver, car No. 7): “It was an interesting and productive day for us. Mike and Kamui did a great job and I’m happy to finish the day as the fastest car. On slick and wet tires. I did a few laps. It felt like my time behind the wheel was very short, but I’m happy with the result. I’m looking forward to doing more laps tomorrow. As always, the two cars We know it will be difficult to win the championship because the distance is tight, but anything can happen so we will keep fighting.”
Sebastien Buemi (driver, car No. 8): “We had an eventful day, doing a lot of laps as well as qualifying simulations in preparation for tomorrow. Obviously the competition is very tough so we have to do everything right. The gradation is quite advanced. It is very important to find the best possible set-up and choose the right tire specifications. Preparation work will be divided between cars No. 7 and No. 8 to maximize time. , I hope it leads to good conditions.”
Brendon Hartley (driver, car 8): “It was my first time driving in the rain in Bahrain, so after years of racing here I experienced something new. It was especially interesting to see where there was standing water. It was a relatively calm day apart from the weather. We look very strong at the moment, but we don’t know what our competitors are doing. Different setups and different tire compounds. There’s a lot of degradation on this course, so this will be a big topic in the race.”
Ryo Hirakawa (No. 8 driver): “I was really surprised to see that it was raining earlier in the day. I have never seen weather like that here. I hope this situation doesn’t arise. We were able to do a lot of laps so we could understand the behavior of the car and the tires. There is a lot of tire degradation, so we will try to improve that for the race. We’ll have to work hard to manage. Overall, we look like we’re off to a strong start, so we’ll keep pushing.”
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