TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) has scored a superb victory and double podium finish at 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps following a spectacular third round of the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in Belgium. Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and José María López won first place in the No. 7 GR010 Hybrid Electric Hypercar to earn a Hypercar hat-trick for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing from the opening three races of 2023, following the team’s victories in Sebring and Portimão.
A remarkable fightback from a back-row start saw the No. 8 GR010 Hybrid Electric Hypercar’s Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa earn an unexpected second place. They now lead the drivers’ World Championship by five points over the TGR team’s No. 7 hypercar. Its seventh consecutive Spa victory means TOYOTA GAZOO Racing takes an impressive 30-point World Championship lead into the centenary edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours.
The race was marked by especially staunch competition, two safety car periods, and changing weather conditions. Despite these challenges, the two GR010 Hybrid Electric Hypercars managed to maintain their leads throughout what is considered one of Europe’s most challenging circuits.
With 45 minutes remaining, they made their final pit stops and Kamui resumed just behind Brendon but closing fast after setting the fastest lap of the race. A thrilling overtake at Raidillon put the No. 7 back in front and Kamui stretched his lead, taking the chequered flag after 148 laps to earn the No. 7 GR010 Hybrid Electric Hypercar’s second win of the season, by 16.637secs from Brendon.
Kei Fujita, Chief Representative, Middle East and Central Asia Representative Office, Toyota Motor Corporation, commented: “Congratulations to both teams for yet another awe-inspiring victory in Belgium. The GR010 Hybrid Electric Hypercars continue to exceed all expectations and perform across even the most challenging of racetracks. Our ongoing motorsports participation allows us to shape a more sustainable future fueled by our passion for developing ‘ever-better cars’ to ensure that no one is left behind. My most sincere thanks go to our teams who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make this most recent win a reality, as well as every Toyota fan whose support is crucial for our ongoing achievements.”
Over the years, Toyota has been participating in many different forms of motorsports, including Formula One, the World Endurance Championship (WEC), and the Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance race. Toyota’s participation in these events was overseen by separate entities within the company until April 2015, when Toyota established TGR, to consolidate all of its motorsport’s activities under one in-house brand. Representing Toyota’s belief that ‘the roads build the people, and the people build the cars,’ TGR highlights the role of motorsports as a fundamental pillar of Toyota’s commitment to making ‘ever-better’ cars. Harnessing years of experience gained under the extreme conditions of various motorsports events, TGR aims to forge new technologies and solutions that bring the freedom, adventure, and joy of driving to everyone.
The TGR team will be competing for a sixth consecutive victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours, the highlight of the WEC season set to take place from 10-11 June.
Motor 283 is the biggest automotive website created by a team of automotive enthusiats and this author page is used to show the readers the press releases and news posted on Motor 283 website.
The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) is the premier sanctioning body for drag racing, overseeing hundreds of events annually across the United States. With its high-speed excitement, precision-tuned machines, and dedicated drivers, NHRA drag racing has grown into a major motorsport, captivating fans of speed and power. The competition is divided into various categories, each with distinct rules, vehicle types, and levels of performance. These categories range from grassroots classes that allow amateur racers to compete, all the way up to the elite professional ranks. Here’s a closer look at the different categories of NHRA drag racing.
The Mercedes-AMG ONE (energy consumption combined weighted: 17.7 kWh/100 km plus 9.9 l/100 km | fuel consumption combined discharged battery: 14.6 l/100 km | CO₂ emissions combined weighted: 224 g/km | CO₂ class combined weighted: G | CO₂ class discharged battery: G) has been the fastest production car on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife since October 2022 and has been unrivalled ever since. The only rival is the ONE itself. Now Mercedes AMG brand ambassador and DTM driver Maro Engel has once again significantly improved the lap time he set. With an officially measured and notarised time of 6:29.090 minutes for the 20.832-kilometre track, the hypercar with Formula 1™ technology beat its own record for production vehicles by over five seconds. This makes the Mercedes AMG ONE the first road car to beat the magic mark of 6:30 minutes. It is also the only series hybrid hypercar to date to have taken on the world's most demanding racetrack and is the undisputed leader in the super-sports-car class.
“We’ve held the record for road vehicles for almost two years now. But at AMG, we always want to push the boundaries of what is possible to the maximum or even push them a little further. That’s why we have once again demonstrated what is possible with the unique AMG ONE. The entire team has been rewarded for its efforts and commitment. I’m proud of this determined team effort and of this fantastic record time. Once again, we’ve impressively demonstrated the spirit and expertise of AMG.”
Michael Schiebe, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes AMG GmbH and
Head of the Mercedes Benz G Class & Mercedes Maybach divisions
“Two years ago, the conditions were not ideal, and some sections of the track were still a little damp. We knew we could do more, and we wanted to show that. Today we were able to demonstrate the maximum potential of the AMG ONE. Many thanks to the whole team from Affalterbach for the trust they’ve placed in me. It was a great pleasure and honour to be able to drive this record lap with such a unique car.”
Maro Engel, Mercedes AMG brand ambassador
In order to achieve the lofty goals they had set for themselves, meticulous preparation was necessary. In addition, the track conditions had to be ideal in order to beat the 6:30 minute target. On September 23, 2024, at 6:56 p.m., on his third timed lap, Maro Engel achieved the new record. With temperatures of 15 degrees Celsius (air) and 20 degrees Celsius (asphalt), the legendary Nordschleife was dry throughout and offered perfect grip.
Like Lewis Hamilton and George Russell on their Formula 1™ race weekends, Maro Engel also had to make the best possible use of the hybrid drive's electrical energy. This is particularly challenging, especially with a track length of more than 20 kilometres. Therefore, it is immensely important to use the right sections of the track to recuperate during braking phases and thus store energy in the batteries again.
To do this, Maro Engel utilised the AMG ONE's four-stage Energy Flow Control (EFC) system and in some cases deliberately took his foot off the accelerator a little earlier than he normally would. In technical jargon, this is known as “lift and coast”. Preliminary tests in the driving simulator in Affalterbach and on the Nordschleife itself provided the necessary insights, which the team and driver were able to optimally implement for the record lap. In accordance with the specifications of Nürburgring 1927 GmbH & Co KG, the vehicle was tested and documented by TÜV Rheinland to ensure that it was in standard condition. A notary confirmed that the record drive had been carried out correctly.
Amidst a competitive and enthusiastic atmosphere, the first round of the 2024 Saudi Toyota Karting Championship concluded at the Dirab Karting Circuit in Riyadh. The one-day event saw the participation of 8 drivers and was organized and overseen by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation. It was sponsored by the official partner Jameel Motorsports and the strategic partner the Saudi Investment Bank, in collaboration with the Ministry of Sports.
SHARE.jpeg){kind=small}
