REVISED DRIVER LINE-UP FOR NEW ERA AT TOYOTA GAZOO RACING
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing today revealed the driver line-up which will lead it into a new era of World Endurance Championship competition.
A completely new TS050 HYBRID car has been developed for this season, with significant changes to all areas, including monocoque, engine and hybrid system to meet the team’s ambitious performance targets.
On the driver front, 2014 World Champions Anthony Davidson and Sébastien Buemi are again joined by Kazuki Nakajima for a second consecutive season together.
In the other car, former TOYOTA Formula 1 racer Kamui Kobayashi steps up from test and reserve driver to a race seat for 2016, replacing the retired Alex Wurz. He will race alongside Stéphane Sarrazin and Mike Conway.
Race numbers for the 2016 season will be revealed on 5 February by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, organisers of the WEC and the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Kamui’s elevation to a race seat leaves a vacancy as test and reserve driver, which will be announced, along with full technical details of the TS050 HYBRID, at a launch event on 24 March at the Paul Ricard circuit in France.
The new driver line-up was announced earlier today at a TOYOTA GAZOO Racing press conference in Tokyo, Japan, at which the team’s new TOYOTA GAZOO Racing identity was also revealed.
As well as an updated logo, a 2015 show car displayed the new black, white and red livery which will be modified for the TS050 HYBRID. This revised colour scheme follows the team’s adoption of the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing name in May last year, signifying the increasing importance of motorsport to TOYOTA.
Toshio Sato, Team President: “Once again, for the 2016 season we will have a very strong driver line-up. Kamui showed his speed and commitment in testing, so it was a relatively easy decision to select him to replace Alex. We know he is capable of doing a good job alongside Stéphane and Mike. I believe we have two strong driver line-ups who will be able to get the best out of the TS050 HYBRID. With this all-new car, 2016 is a big season for us; I believe we have the drivers and the car to succeed.”
Anthony Davidson: “I can’t wait for the new season, especially with a completely new car which we hope will bring us back to the top in WEC. It’s positive to have a stable driver line-up in our car. I have a great working relationship with Sébastien and Kazuki so I expect to be fighting for wins together this year.”
Sébastien Buemi: “I’m happy and proud to be a TOYOTA GAZOO Racing driver in WEC for a fifth season and I’m looking forward to the challenge. Endurance racing is all about team work and I think myself, Anthony and Kazuki make a really strong combination. I like working with them and I’m ready to go racing again.”
Kazuki Nakajima: “It’s great to be part of this team again, alongside Anthony and Sébastien. We learnt a lot together during a difficult 2015 so I believe we will come back stronger this season. We are all motivated to have success with the TS050 HYBRID and everyone is working flat-out to achieve this.”
Stéphane Sarrazin: “I am really proud to be part of the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing in WEC; we have a great spirit and we never stop pushing. I’m happy to be driving with Mike and Kamui. I worked very well with Mike last year and I am sure it will be the same with Kamui. He’s a quick driver and we all share the same determination to win.”
Mike Conway: “Last season was my first time in an LMP1 at many of the tracks so I was getting stronger at each race. Now I can’t wait for the new season when I have the benefit of that experience. I’d like to welcome Kamui to our car; I’m happy to have him on board and looking forward to working with him.”
Kamui Kobayashi: “I’m really excited to be an LMP1 race driver and I would like to thank TOYOTA for this opportunity. I tested the TS040 HYBRID a few times and it was a seriously impressive car; the power of the hybrid system in particular was amazing. Now I can’t wait to see what the new car feels like; I am sure it will be a big step forward and put us back in the fight at the front. Racing in LMP1 will be a new experience for me and I am looking forward to it a lot. There will be plenty to learn but I know my team-mates will support me and I am sure I can be competitive right from the start. Now my focus is on preparing properly for the new season and being absolutely ready for Silverstone.”
Anthony Davidson
Born 18 April 1979, Hemel Hempstead, Great Britain
Le Mans debut 2003
Le Mans starts 8
Le Mans best result 2nd (2013)
WEC starts 25
WEC wins 5
WEC best season 1st (2014)
Sébastien Buemi
Born 31 October 1988, Aigle, Switzerland
Le Mans debut 2012
Le Mans starts 4
Le Mans best result 2nd (2013)
WEC starts 25
WEC wins 5
WEC best season 1st (2014)
Kazuki Nakajima
Born 11 January 1985, Okazaki, Japan
Le Mans debut 2012
Le Mans starts 4
Le Mans best result 4th (2013)
WEC starts 23
WEC wins 2
WEC best season 7th (2015)
Stéphane Sarrazin
Born 2 November 1975, Alès, France
Le Mans debut 2001
Le Mans starts 14
Le Mans best result 2nd (2007, 2009 & 2013)
WEC starts 32
WEC wins 2 (plus 2 LMP2 class wins)
WEC best season 3rd (2013)
Mike Conway
Born 19 August 1983, Sevenoaks, Great Britain
Le Mans debut 2013
Le Mans starts 2
Le Mans best result 6th (2015)
WEC starts 19
WEC wins 1 (plus 4 LMP2 class wins)
WEC best season 6th (2015)
Kamui Kobayashi
Born 13 September 1986, Hyogo, Japan
Le Mans debut 2013
Le Mans starts 1
Le Mans best result 20th (2013)
WEC starts 8
WEC wins 0
WEC best season 7th in World Endurance Cup for GT Drivers (2013)
High-resolution copyright-free photos are available for editorial use at www.toyotahybridracing.com/media.
About TOYOTA GAZOO Racing in the World Endurance Championship:
TOYOTA first competed in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 1983, marking the start of a long period of participation in endurance racing. Since 1985, TOYOTA cars have raced in 17 Le Mans 24 Hours races, achieving a best result of second place on four occasions (1992, 1994, 1999 and 2013). TOYOTA entered the revived WEC in 2012 with its first hybrid LMP1 car, the TS030 HYBRID, which won five of the 14 races it entered over two seasons. It was succeeded in 2014 by the four-wheel-drive TS040 HYBRID, which won its debut race and subsequently the 2014 drivers' and manufacturers' World Championships. The TS040 HYBRID competed in 16 races, winning five. Like its predecessors, the new TS050 HYBRID features a hybrid powertrain developed by TOYOTA Motor Corporation specialists at Higashi-Fuji Technical Centre. The car’s chassis is designed and built by TOYOTA Motorsport GmbH in Cologne, Germany, where the race team is based.
www.toyota-motorsport.com/motorsport | www.facebook.com/toyotamotorsport | @Toyota_Hybrid