Toyota Gazoo Racing New Zealand have confirmed that they will share their FT60 race cars with W Series in the upcoming season. The junior formula categories will work together in getting 18 Toyota Racing Series cars to two of W Series’ FIA Formula 1 World Championshp supported Grand Prix weekends.
They will do this across two continents at the Circuit de Barcelona in Spain and the Suzuka Cicuit in Japan, to support the championship’s aim of sustainable racing.
During the Spanish and Japanese Grand Prix weekends, W Series will swap its F3 T318 chassis for FT60 cars, allowing more of W Series’ freight to be transported via sea during the 2022 season.
Toyota Gazoo Racing and W Series use the same Tatuus chassis, however the female single-seater championship uses an Autotecnica Motori engine whereas the New Zealand cars are powered by a Toyota engine. The 17 confirmed W Series racers will drive with the Toyota engine in Spain and Japan.
The FT60s will then be returned in November to be used for the open seater Castrol Toyota Racing season in 2023.
“We actually started talking about our collaboration in early 2020,” said Nicolas Caillol, TRS Category & Operations Manager.
“With the pandemic cancelling W Series’ 2020 season and reducing the scale of the 2021 season, the arrangement was put on hold until now.
“The main factors were freight logistics and costs for W Series and, with our cars not being used at that point of the year, it became apparent we would be able to help. We are currently in the process of having our 8AR Engine homologated by the FIA to enable our cars to compete in W Series.”
“We hope very much that it is a win-win for both championships. We are all in it together as junior formula series around the world and we are delighted to be able to help. Of course, we’d love to see some of the drivers racing in W Series this year carry on their association with the FT60s and head down to NZ to compete in 2023!”.
