Toyota Gazoo Racing earns double podium finish at 6 Hours of Monza

MANILA: Toyota Gazoo Racing capped off the 6 Hours of Monza with a double podium win.

Both Toyota GR010 Hybrids showcased strong performances in the incident-filled race at the Temple of Speed, but also experienced challenges in the heat of the competition.

The #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid driven by Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Ryo Hirakawa encountered an early technical issue, causing them to finish second, only 2.762 seconds behind the winning car.

Meanwhile, the #7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid driven by last year’s Monza winners Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, and Jose Maria Lopez finished third.

Toyota Gazoo Racing leads the manufacturers’ ranking, and the #8 team ranks second in the drivers’ standings. 

At the beginning, Buemi drove impressively to keep the second spot, while Lopez was close behind in fourth.

On the next pitstop, Conway took over the #7 GR010 Hybrid and competed for the second place, while Hartley took over the #8 GR010 Hybrid.

An accident from a GT competitor after 2.5 hours required a safety car and closed up the field.  All Hypercars pitted and Conway overhauled the Glickenhaus for the lead.

When the race resumed at half distance, Hartley got the second place when Glickenhaus served a drive-through penalty. He maintained the spot until the next pit stops amid the constant struggle from the Alpine.

The three leading Hypercars were separated by only a few seconds going into the final two hours. Toyota Gazoo Racing and Alpine changed tires at different intervals, making the positions alternate at each pit stop.

Before the fifth hour ended, Kobayashi led a GR010 Hybrid one-two, but Hirakawa dropped to third on lap 153. Kobayashi was able to maintain the lead on the start-finish straight when the #7 and the Alpine made contact.

Although Kobayashi had to return to the pits due to a right rear puncture and a damage to its bodywork, the #7 GR010 Hybrid lost only one lap due to a full course yellow and was able to return in third. When the race resumed, Hirakawa took the second spot, putting pressure on the leading car.

To keep the pressure on, Hirakawa showcased impressive speed, closing to within three seconds at the finish line. Kobayashi, who served a 90-second penalty due to the incident with the Alpine, took the #7 GR010 Hybrid in the third spot.

“We tried our best to get the win but it was not enough today and we missed the opportunity,” Kobayashi stated. “Two cars on the podium is the best we could manage. In my stint, I struggled a bit in terms of pace. I tried to retain our position and we took a strategic choice not to change tyres at my pit stop. That gave us track position but I started to lose pace. Then I had contact with the Alpine so we had damage, lost a lap and then had the penalty. At the end of the day I don’t think it really changed our final position. We weren’t quite good enough today so we need more for the next race. We want to win both World Championships so we need to win at Fuji. There is a lot of competition in Hypercar now so it will be very challenging, but this is great for the fans and we enjoy it. We still have a chance with both cars and we will not give up.”

Toyota Gazoo Racing is now gearing up for the 6 Hours of Fuji, aiming to dominate in its home race. The team has won seven out of eight races at Fuji Speedway and targets another victory on September 11 in the last round of the 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship.

Photos from Toyota Gazoo Racing

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