[WEC] Toyota LMP1 Discussion

[chernaudi]

From what little has been seen, the 2017 TS050 did take some Audi R18 bits and adapted them to the TS050. Too bad we probably won't get to see the completed car until late March, the best part to two months away. I hope to be impressed.

[Simmi]

Originally Posted by roderick

PS:the video is not from 2017 car so it's just for the show.

I'd assumed this was the case. Thanks for confirming.

[Hiro]

Originally Posted by roderick

PS:the video is not from 2017 car so it's just for the show.

But the aero is clearly different from the 2016 car

[TF110]

Originally Posted by Hiro

But the aero is clearly different from the 2016 car

The rear aero is different, but the rest looks the same. Maybe the nose is reshaped, but it's hard to tell with the blurry video.

[kvenom]

The Toyota WEC twitter has confirmed that video is showing the 2017 spec car testing.

[TF110]

Caught this shot in the video

[Damian Baldi]

Hmm the black part used to be straight and now it looks round. At the rear, the fenders ends with a narrow air exit. It is difficult to say because the images looks distorted

[TF110]

As long as it's faster and more reliable than last year's car (and wins Le Mans) I don't care what it looks like! Even the Audi was somewhat ok after seeing it race.

[Damian Baldi]

a very interesting interview with Jose Maria Lopez made yesterday (in spanish), where he talks about the tests he did to be selected beside Magnussen, Sutil and a japanese driver. He was doing different tests at Aragon since january 2016 with white clothes and black helmet without sponsors. He said there were three different tests with four drivers each time, but he can't say which drivers were at every test.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xLejqwqgng

[DistortedSmile]

Originally Posted by Damian Baldi

a very interesting interview with Jose Maria Lopez made yesterday (in spanish), where he talks about the tests he did to be selected beside Magnussen, Sutil and a japanese driver. He was doing different tests at Aragon since january 2016 with white clothes and black helmet without sponsors. He said there were three different tests with four drivers each time, but he can't say which drivers were at every test.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xLejqwqgng

Interesting, he also basically confirms Yuji Kunimoto is going to be one of the drivers.

[hondafan37]

Originally Posted by Damian Baldi

a very interesting interview with Jose Maria Lopez made yesterday (in spanish), where he talks about the tests he did to be selected beside Magnussen, Sutil and a japanese driver. He was doing different tests at Aragon since january 2016 with white clothes and black helmet without sponsors. He said there were three different tests with four drivers each time, but he can't say which drivers were at every test.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xLejqwqgng

Very good interview!! Thank you!!
He says he felt very comfortable with the car from the beginning.

[bentley speed 8]

Originally Posted by TF110

As long as it's faster and more reliable than last year's car (and wins Le Mans) I don't care what it looks like! Even the Audi was somewhat ok after seeing it race.

I have to disagree here. I hope the new car looks better, or at the very least not much worse than last year's car. I'm not sure what Porsche will do, but their HD car from Nurburgring onwards definitely didn't strike me as pretty.

5 ugly LMP1s might be a bit too much for me, what with a spec Oreca LMP2 grid.

[TF110]

None of them look that great thanks to the regs where you have to open the bodywork in the front to take advantage of the wing/diffuser. That's on top of the raised height of the roof and the fin. But the Toyota still has the long f1-shaped nosecone.

[tyronnezx]

Originally Posted by Damian Baldi

a very interesting interview with Jose Maria Lopez made yesterday (in spanish), where he talks about the tests he did to be selected beside Magnussen, Sutil and a japanese driver. He was doing different tests at Aragon since january 2016 with white clothes and black helmet without sponsors. He said there were three different tests with four drivers each time, but he can't say which drivers were at every test.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xLejqwqgng

Magnussen in a Toyota?? Can you confirm this?

[Damian Baldi]

Originally Posted by tyronnezx

Magnussen in a Toyota?? Can you confirm this?

Yes, check the video, he mention Magnussen twice, but finally he wasn't selected. There were lot of secret about the drivers, there were twelve drivers, and finally just two were selected. Everything started in late 2015, by that date it was known that Sarrazin was leaving the team. Lopez was doing lot of testing on the car for Le Mans 2016

[TF110]

The captioning translation is horrible. But he mentions Sutil and Magnussen, plus Japanese drivers. If he's in a full time seat, I take it that means he was the best choice or the others (like Magnussen) had another offer. It's good to know he has been testing the Toyota(s) for nearly a year.

In other news, there's supposed to be something on the WEC program at the Osaka Auto Messe http://toyotagazooracing.com/jp/even...sakaautomesse/. I think Kobayashi and Nakajima will be present for a WEC talk show, but will they be taking questions or what?

[CTD]

I wonder which Magnussen he's talking about.
I don't see Jan going anywhere than Corvette and Kevin got a seat in F1, which is what he wanted, so I don't see Magnussen necessarily being turned down.

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by CTD

I wonder which Magnussen he's talking about.
I don't see Jan going anywhere than Corvette and Kevin got a seat in F1, which is what he wanted, so I don't see Magnussen necessarily being turned down.

It was probably Kevin, the announcement that he'd be dropped by Renault came quite early in the autumn and it took a while for him to be confirmed at Haas for 2017. So it's entirely possible that he was chasing any drives he could before grabbing the Haas deal.

[CTD]

Originally Posted by Victor_RO

It was probably Kevin, the announcement that he'd be dropped by Renault came quite early in the autumn and it took a while for him to be confirmed at Haas for 2017. So it's entirely possible that he was chasing any drives he could before grabbing the Haas deal.

Not quite right there Victor, Renault actually offered Kevin a 2017 contract, but only for one year, which he turned down.

But the rumours and Renault looking that aggressively after other drivers most likely gave Kevin reason to look for alternatives.

Have anyone else both tested the Porsche and Toyota LMPs?

[Victor_RO]

Originally Posted by CTD

Have anyone else both tested the Porsche and Toyota LMPs?

Yannick Dalmas?

[TF110]

Found this on endurance-info forums

[chernaudi]

Too bad reveal is still pretty much a month in a half away.

[chernaudi]

Can anyone tell if the Toyota has those IMO goofy changes that the ACO envisioned for the factory LMP1s (taller lip in the front diffuser, lower rear diffuser exit)?

[Japanese Samurai]

According to Autosport web,
Kenta Yamashita participates in the Motegi Super GT test with team Bandoh wear. He might be an alternative for Yuji Kunimoto.
Judging from this, Kunimoto might participate in WEC by Toyota 3rd car.
http://www.as-web.jp/supergt/92451/2

[chernaudi]

The WEC Monza Prologue weekend can't get here soon enough.