Toyota Speeds to Front Row at WEC Fuji: #7 Takes Pole Position, #8 Secures 4th Place

Qualifying and hyperpole took place at Fuji Speedway in Shizuoka Prefecture on Saturday 14 September to determine the starting grid for Round 7 of the FIA ​​World Endurance Championship (WEC) 6 Hours of Fuji. The two TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (Toyota) GR010 HYBRIDs were aiming for another home win in a thrilling qualifying and hyperpole battle, with the No. 8 car of Ryo Hirakawa, in charge of qualifying for the first time, finishing in 2nd place. The No. 7 car under attack from Kamui Kobayashi finished in 4th place, missing out on pole position for his home race, but both will start from a good position in tomorrow’s final race.

Ryo Hirakawa, who was responsible for the TGR qualifying attack for the first time, drove the No. 8 GR010 HYBRID against Sebastien Buemi and Brendon Hartley and drove a great race in front of enthusiastic fans from his home country of Japan. In the hyperpole he clocked a good time of 1 minute 28.942 seconds. Although he missed the pole position by just 0.041 seconds, he put in a good performance to secure the second place on the front row of the grid.

Kamui Kobayashi, poleman at Fuji for the past two years, missed pole position for the third year in a row by 0.164 seconds. The #7 GR010 HYBRID car that Kobayashi will race alongside Mike Conway and Nick de Vries will start the race from 4th on the grid on the second row.

The team entrusted the qualifying attack to Kobayashi and Hirakawa, who have been racing in Japan for many years and have extensive experience at Fuji, and both lived up to their expectations with a great performance. In tomorrow’s final, 15 (Sunday), drivers, engineers and mechanics will work together to fight the perfect race with effective strategies and optimal pit stops, aiming for victory.

Fuji Speedway was also blessed with good weather on qualifying day, Saturday 14th. Immediately before the third official practice, a circuit safari, a unique and popular Japanese initiative, was held, and hypercars were arranged so that motorsports fans could get a closer look at the cars on the circuit and the driving power of a special was created the opportunity to travel together in a large bus on a circuit run by LMGT3 and LMGT3 vehicles.

Then, during the final hour of qualifying, the team confirmed the various setup changes they had been working on overnight and prepared for qualifying. This will be Hirakawa’s twentieth race at Fuji with Toyota’s WEC team, and he was selected as a qualifying attacker for the first time, and in the early stages of this third qualifying practice, he set an impressive time while driving with the intention of qualifying. The third qualifying session was red-flagged due to kerb damage with around 20 minutes to go, and the session ended without being restarted.

Following a four-hour break after practice, the 12-minute Hypercar class qualifying session began at 3pm, with the sun still shining brightly. In front of many Toyota flag-waving and cheering fans, Kobayashi was aiming for his third consecutive pole at Fuji, while Hirakawa was heading for his first qualifying attack in a WEC hypercar. Fitted with new medium-compound tyres, the two GR010 HYBRIDs were 5th and 8th respectively in their first attack times, and together advanced to hyperpole at their home race.

The two GR010 HYBRIDs showed strong performances during the 10-minute hyperpole, with Kobayashi’s #7 car taking the provisional lead on the first attack lap. However, this time Hirakawa’s #8 car soon took over, leaving TGR in a 1-2 position.

Hirakawa’s time was then bettered by the No. 2 Cadillac at the end of the hyperpole session, with the No. 8 car missing out on pole position by just 0.041 seconds. Kobayashi’s time was also bettered by the No. 15 BMW by 0.006 seconds, leaving the No. 7 car in 4th place. Although the team did not earn any championship points from the pole position, it started from a good position and is aiming to win both the Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ championships in the 6 Hours of Fuji, which starts at 11:00 on the 15th (Sunday). We will fight hard and aim to achieve good results.

Kamui Kobayashi (Team Representative and No. 7 Race Driver)
Being able to start the race from 2nd and 4th on the grid is a pretty good qualifying result for the team. Fuji is our home race and we have run very well every year, but this year we had to work very hard to get this result. Now we need to focus on the final race and do our best to get the best performance from the car. I hope we can have another good race in front of the many fans who have gathered at the circuit. Around 5,000 fans are expected to visit the TGR support stand, so I am looking forward to seeing a lot of TGR flags flying in the grandstand. I believe with the support of all the fans we can have a good race.

Ryo Hirakawa (Driver No. 8)
I am very happy to be in charge of qualifying for the WEC for the first time and to get a place on the front row of the grid. I was a bit nervous just before qualifying, but I am satisfied with my attack lap in the Hyperpole. I think we managed to bring out the maximum performance of the GR010 HYBRID. I managed to get a good position on the grid, so I hope I can exit the TGR corner (first corner) in a good position. The top hypercars were in a very close battle today too, so I don’t think it will be an easy battle in the final, but we will keep pushing. Obviously my goal is to win and I will do my best to get even the smallest advantage in the race for the world championship.

WEC Round 7 Fuji 6 Hours Hyperpole Results

Category: Formula 1 / Toyota / WEC (FIA World Endurance Championship)