Toyota Racing is preparing to go out in style in Bahrain for the final round of the FIA World Endurance Championship.
The eighth round of the season will see two Toyota TS030 Hybrids take to the track once again, with Kazuki Nakajima, Alex Wurz and Nicolas Lapierre in the #7 car, while Anthony Davidson, Sebastien Buemi and Stephane Sarrazin will share the cockpit of the #8 car.
“It’s been a rollercoaster year in many ways, with some disappointments and also plenty to be proud of,” said Davidson. “From a personal point of view I’ve really enjoyed being at every WEC race in 2013 and I have seen the team grow and develop during that time. It’s been a long journey from Silverstone to Bahrain; our last event in Shanghai was particularly frustrating because we were on course for the win. I hope we can bring it home this time as a reward for all the team’s hard work.”
Bahrain will be the last race for the TS030 Hybrid, which has taken victory on four occasions and visited the podium ten times since its debut at the 2012 Le Mans 24 Hours. The lastest of the podium results came at the previous race in China, which was a disappointing result having led for long periods of the race.
Toyota will look to build on the promise of Shanghai and hope that the the seven hybrid recovery points in Bahrain, three more than in Shanghai, will allow the TS030 to take full advantage of the 300hp acceleration boost from the Toyota Hybrid system.
“It seems a long time since the season started in April and we have experienced many different emotions along the way,” said Team President Yoshiaki Kinoshita. “The important point for me is that we have shown constant improvement throughout the season, both in terms of car and team performance. I am proud of how we have fought to overcome several challenges and I hope we can end the season on a high note in Bahrain, particularly after we came so close to winning in Shanghai. Last year the TS030 HYBRID was particularly strong in Bahrain, on a circuit which allows us to use our hybrid system very effectively, so I am looking forward to a competitive weekend.”
