Toyota Petrol Hybrid LMP1 to Lemans and WEC (Its Official)

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Hmm interesting holes. Looks too big for brake cooling ducts. Haven't got a clue really. The car definitely looks way better than that hideous R18
 
Well, it looks like the front of the TS030 got a major redesign.

Here the original:

03-toyota-ts030.jpg



And here the car that visited Spa this morning, with some holes marked by yours truly :dopey: :

toyotaholes.jpg


Sorry for the poor quality but I zoomed the original picture to better separate every hole. And now that I took a better look I understand that Bram Turismo was probably referring to holes #2, while I was mentioning holes #3




PS - Just out of curiosity, Alexander Wurz was very interested in ground level photography in that photo shoot. I wonder if he was taking pictures of his car or of the Audi :D

577976_356074591115668_256388114417650_1026861_1908136963_n.jpg
 
:lol: Unofficial PR Pictures for Toyota?


Also, it kind of looks like he's been getting his hands (and suit) dirty lately.
 
Highlight nr. 2 in that picture was what I was on about. I do absolutely love those winglets just in front of those holes, though. I think the TS030 looks so much more interesting at the front end than the R18. Too bad Toyota hasn't got a proper livery to back their aero design up. Gotta love the clean livery on the Audi E-tron. I'd wish Toyota used their colours in a more interesting design than just drawing some stripes on the car like they did on all their F1 cars as well
 
Looks like the earlier design was one chucked together quickly to finish the car and get testing with the new engine/hybrid system. This newer design looks a lot more refined, especially the F1-style wing-planes around where Hun has marked (2).
You have to wonder how much more testing time is going to be required just get a decent setup for this car, let alone find out if this aero-redesign works as designed. Seems a little like starting all over again except for the engine/hybrid side which I'd assume has been developed since their earlier testing. Can't say the aero has really carried over so much.

I much prefer the older design though as its cleaner without all the tiny little pieces all over it.
 
TOYOTA has a vacant seat for Le Mans!

Hiroaki Ishiura, the japanese driver that would share the second car with Davidson and Buemi, won't take part of the 24 Hours due to medical advice (back complaint related).

So, this opens up a top slot. If indeed TOYOTA wants to have a japanese driver in each car, then I have no idea who's next on their list (assuming KK is impossible because of his F1 drive). If you guys know who the SuperGT top drivers are it's maybe there that TOYOTA will look for a replacement.

If however they search a replacement in the "western market" I think almost all top Le Mans drivers are already taken. From the old Peugeot regulars I think only Lamy is still available (Montagny was also but he got a drive somwehere now; Gene became recently Audi reserve). The old Highcroft teamates are taken (Brabs and Pagenaud in HPD cars, Marino in the DeltaWing). Panis I think hung up his gloves and his old ORECA-Peugeot teamates are taken too.

Any more ideas? Jacques Villeneuve? Jarno Trulli? Alguersuari?
 
Hun200kmh
TOYOTA has a vacant seat for Le Mans!

Hiroaki Ishiura, the japanese driver that would share the second car with Davidson and Buemi, won't take part of the 24 Hours due to medical advice (back complaint related).

So, this opens up a top slot. If indeed TOYOTA wants to have a japanese driver in each car, then I have no idea who's next on their list (assuming KK is impossible because of his F1 drive). If you guys know who the SuperGT top drivers are it's maybe there that TOYOTA will look for a replacement.

If however they search a replacement in the "western market" I think almost all top Le Mans drivers are already taken. From the old Peugeot regulars I think only Lamy is still available (Montagny was also but he got a drive somwehere now; Gene became recently Audi reserve). The old Highcroft teamates are taken (Brabs and Pagenaud in HPD cars, Marino in the DeltaWing). Panis I think hung up his gloves and his old ORECA-Peugeot teamates are taken too.

Any more ideas? Jacques Villeneuve? Jarno Trulli? Alguersuari?
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I think they may search within Japan. Although I don't think there many good choices over here at the moment.
 
Takuma Sato? I may be wrong, and I'd like a japanese forum member to correct me if indeed I am, but in Japan the high profile drivers are usually faithful to manufacturers and manufacturers are patrons to drivers

Now, search the wikipedia page on Sato. Then do a "Find" using HONDA. You'll get many many results. Then do one using TOYOTA. You'll get 1 result. This is it:

... passing Toyota's Ralf Schumacher ...
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No, I don't think Toyota will call Sato. ;)
 
I'd like to see Trulli called up (surprise surprise from me I know :P) - I'm sure he'd make a great sportscar driver. The team already know him well, he had a great fanbase in Japan and Toyota obviously liked him before. I'd say for me he'd be the number 1 call-up though he lacks the experience in sportscars.

Villenueve would be good fun though. 👍

I would have said K.Nakajima if he wasn't already driving the other car.
 
Is there any information as to how the TS030 compares to the Audi R18 in terms of laptimes?
 
We have nothing. All we have is that Audi's hybrid has Spa under its belt whereas the TS030 has a crash and a rebuild under its belt.

Time will tell, but knowing Toyota I'm not expecting them to just "run along" at Le Mans.
 
Peter.
Is there any information as to how the TS030 compares to the Audi R18 in terms of laptimes?
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No not yet. :(

I have a doubt that Toyota can keep up with their rival Audi next months Le Man's test on the first week of June. To be honest, Toyota's brand new, rebuilt, prototype was currently brand new, with new aerodynamic package and maybe an updated hybrid system + 3.7L engine can surprise all of us during that week and guess what? Audi, you've been warned and yourself being that confident at winning at Le Mans and don't repeat at last years event where you crashed against two GT cars (Ferrari), because of visibility issues within the car. If it happens this year then you've given a chance for the Toyota's to win at Le Mans for the first time ever.

Oh btw, I'm a Toyota Fan!! Go Team Toyota!! Do this for Peugeot, Japan and for France!! 👍
 
I don't really care if they have a chance at winning this year. It's been 13 years since I for the first time saw a Le Mans race including a Toyota, and the GT-One is probably for me personally the icon why I fell in love with motor sports. Been a Toyota fan throughout all their F1 years, and I'm so glad they return to this race once more. Even though their livery is pretty bland, it'll give a special feeling when I see that white-red prototype thundering down the Hunaudieres! 👍
 
Toyota met some reliability problems in their endurance test at Aragon. Better in testing than next month during the race I'd say ...

The report of this is in the ACO's official site but only in the french version. I used the Google Translator to get to this English version of that news piece. I corrected some obvious translation blunders, but I may have missed a few others:

After Magny-Cours, the Toyota team has migrated to Alcaniz (Spain) to submit the TS030 Hybrid to an endurance test for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The test "was not as calm as hoped," according to Pascal Vasselon, CTO of Toyota Motorsport in Cologne.

For three days, the Japanese-Germanic prototype (Japanese engine, German chassis ) has polished the Motorland Aragon's track asphalt. After a first day devoted to the development of the new aerodynamic package, the TS030 Hybrid darted for an endurance test of 30 hours in the hands of Alex Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima, Sebastien Buemi and Anthony Davidson. The latter discovered the car on this occasion.

Pascal Vasselon, CTO of Toyota Motorsport in Cologne: "Through its profile, its asphalt and climatic conditions, Motorland is representative of Le Mans. Thus, we tested several aero and setup options regarding the 24 Hours. In addition, we continued to assess the range of Michelin tires in variable track conditions. The endurance test was not as quiet as expected. We encountered several problems we have however resolved to accomplish a reasonable distance. Gradually, we approach the objective of covering 24 hours. I am pleased that the team and the car took a step forward. Although we would rather be doing mileage, we nevertheless didn't waste these last few weeks "

An ultimate endurance test is planned at the end of May, this time on the Paul Ricard circuit. To attend the first laps of the Toyota TS030 public Hybrid, it will be at Le Mans on June 3, during the test day.
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HERE the report from Toyota. Their "translation" is better than the Google/Hun one. :lol:
 
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Sarrazin to drive for Toyota at Le Mans!!

Yes!! I knew it all along!! Finally Toyota needs to hire all of Peugeots former drivers!! Oh yeah!

link: http://www.toyotahybridracing.com/sarrazin-to-drive-8-for-toyota-racing-at-le-mans/

link: http://www.lemans.org/en/races/24h/update/sarrazin-to-drive-for-toyota-at-le-mans_7144.html

2012-05-26-sarrazin-toyota-ts-030.jpg


Toyota Racing can confirm that Stéphane Sarrazin will drive its #8 TS030 Hybrid at the Le Mans 24 Hours.

The Frenchman, 36, replaces Hiroaki Ishiura, who withdrew from the race earlier this month due to a back complaint. He completes the driver line-up for the #8 car which already includes Anthony Davidson and Sébastien Buemi. Toyota Racing completed its evaluation of Stéphane in testing this week at Paul Ricard and, as expected from a very experienced endurance driver, he showed the speed, consistency and team work required. Stéphane, who has finished on the podium three times at Le Mans, is returning to Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) after 10 years, following his spell as Formula 1 test driver in 2002.

Yoshiaki Kino****a, Team President:“We are very pleased to recruit a driver of Stéphane’s quality and experience to Toyota Racing. He has a great knowledge of Le Mans and a proven track record, including two second-place finishes, so we are confident he will be a strong addition to our driver line-up. Several team members remember Stéphane very well from his previous time at TMG and we are all looking forward to working with him again.”

Stéphane Sarrazin:“I am really happy and proud to get this chance to participate at Le Mans for Toyota Racing. I have good memories of working with TMG; they work very hard and it is a real pleasure to be back. It has been quite intense this week to become familiar with the team and the car, but I have received great support and I feel we have made good progress. It is a steep learning curve with a completely new technology and we will no doubt learn a lot this season. It’s a new and exciting challenge for me.”
Stéphane drove the TS030 Hybrid for the first time this week at Paul Ricard, joining his new team-mates in the #8 car, as well as the #7 line-up of Alex Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima. The four-day session began on Tuesday with an evaluation of performance items and set-ups before the team’s third successful endurance test with the TS030 Hybrid.

Pascal Vasselon, Technical Director:“This test marked the end of our pre-Le Mans programme so our next chance to drive the TS030 Hybrid will be at La Sarthe itself next month. Clearly, due to the accident we had in April, our preparations have not been ideal but the time for regrets is over. We have made the best of the situation we faced. Le Mans is undoubtedly a great challenge for Toyota Racing in its first year but we can be satisfied with our preparations and we are certainly looking forward to the task ahead.”

Toyota Racing’s next appearance comes at the Circuit de la Sarthe on 3 June for the one-day test to prepare for the Le Mans 24 Hours.
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nitrorocks
That's awesome! What happen to his IRC Rally drive with Peugeot? Did hey pull out of he IRC too?
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The 24 hour race that he's currently doing is just temporarily, just to replace the back-pained Japanese driver. Hopefully Toyota uses two cars for the full WEC next year and three or 4 cars at next years Le Mans so Stephanie or Frank Montagny can drive either the 3rd or 4th car.

I'm definitely sure that he'll be back at IRC rally for Peugeot after Le Mans.
 
VspecZR1GT2RS89
I not sure if this video was posted before:scared:. But I like the idea of using a hybrid engine that can turn into a V8 in less than a minute. Toyota can use this to their advantage IMO.
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It has been posted before.

Toyota *could* use it to their advantage, other than Audi has a similar system that has now been tested over a full race distance. So its pretty even...

And it doesnt "Turn into a V8". It uses boost from the electric motor to add power, and only the electric powers it in the pits.
 

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