TOYOTA Racing has unveiled its new TS040 Hybrid, the car the team hopes will take them into the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and a new era of hybrid-powered motorsport. The new car represents the most advanced hybrid technology in modern racing, its makers say, and will make its competition debut at the season-opening Six Hours of Silverstone race on Sunday.
Toyota will be taking on rival manufacturers with a car that benefits from 480PS of all-wheel drive hybrid boost in addition to the 520PS produced by its 3.7-litre V8 petrol engine, taking maximum power to 1,000PS. The new powertrain has been developed in line with revised WEC technical regulations, which put an emphasis on fuel economy. The number seven car will be driven by Alex Wurz, Stéphane Sarrazin and Kazuki Nakajima while Anthony Davidson, Nicolas Lapierre and Sébastien Buemi share the number eight car. Race Ace Buemi, who has family living in Bahrain, is especially excited about the race. He said: “This is my second full season of endurance racing and I have learnt a lot in the last 12 months. I feel better prepared for 2014 and I can see the team is also in good shape. That’s no guarantee of a successful season but it gives us confidence and we go to Silverstone with high expectations. “I am sure it will be a tough fight but we have some amazing hybrid technology and I’m sure this will impress people when they see it in action. It always helps to get a good result to start the season and that is my target this weekend.” The new technology allows many benefits.Under deceleration, motor-generators on the front and rear axles apply braking force in combination with traditional mechanical brakes to harvest energy, which is stored in a super-capacitor. During acceleration, the motor/generator reverses its function, acting as a motor to deliver a power boost. Unlike previous seasons, the TS040 Hybrid is permitted to recover and release energy at any point on the circuit, allowing the team to strategically employ the technology for efficiency or performance. Meanwhile, Nobuyuki Negishi, chief representative, Middle East and North Africa Representative Office, Toyota Motor Corporation, said the company’s participation at the WEC is important as it strengthens the brand’s status as ‘the world’s pioneering manufacturer of hybrid technology’. He said: “Such a link between motorsport technology and future road cars is fundamental to Toyota, with the TS040 Hybrid, like its predecessor, acting as a real-life test bench for our latest hybrid concepts and strengthening our core technology focus of developing next-generation vehicles.” Toyota Racing ended its first full FIA World Endurance Championship season in 2013 with victory in the Six Hours of Bahrain race, which was the final round of the 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship. After the final race of the season, Toyota Racing’s 2013 total reads 152.5 points for second in the Manufacturers’ Championship, two wins, six podiums and three pole positions. The win marked the 14th and final race for the TS030 Hybrid since its debut at Le Mans in 2012. Since then it has achieved five pole positions and 10 podiums, including five wins. The 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship – 6 Hours of Bahrain will be held on November 15 at the Bahrain International Circuit.
