WEC Toyota Hypercar Discussion - Page 17

chernaudi · 4 Nov 2021, 14:39 (Ref:4081478)

I think Toyota are having the same problem that Audi Sport had in the R10 days prior to '08 (when they did both LMS and ALMS): too many drivers, not enough seats to put them in with only the two WEC entries.

Plus, is it my understanding that Kaz may've gotten burned out on the traveling he's done in the Covid era?

S griffin · 4 Nov 2021, 14:44 (Ref:4081479)

Toyota is of course the hot ticket in WEC. Like Audi, their lack of competition means many will want to go there, although that may change. If we had more competitive cars challenging for victory, they wouldn't have this problem. As it is, they are a bit spoiled for choice

I think Kazuki is leaving at the right time. He has done well to get this far and probably feels it's gotten too much for him now

**Adam43** · 4 Nov 2021, 22:13 (Ref:4081541)

Quote:

Originally Posted by TF110

I will miss Nakajima.

There are people in the team sad to see him go.

He’s been around for a long time and been successful with it.

Hope he has a good last race and a fun party.

broadrun96 · 4 Nov 2021, 22:21 (Ref:4081544)

Hopefully they let him finish the race in the car

chernaudi · 9 Nov 2021, 15:03 (Ref:4082405)

Is it me or does the tub on the Toyota appear narrower than what the bodywork would indicate?

Pandamasque · 9 Nov 2021, 20:15 (Ref:4082469)

More like lower. Around the top corners the tub seems to be roughly as wide as the painted bodywork, but tapers towards the bottom. What is unusual, I think, is that the bodywork that meets the windshield appears to be not structural! Normally it IS the tub.

chernaudi · 10 Nov 2021, 16:13 (Ref:4082630)

I have that question too. Is that bodywork above the tub (on top of and behind the front suspension) structural or detachable?

chernaudi · 6 Dec 2021, 06:29 (Ref:4087120)

Role changes at TMG:

Kaz Nakajima is now Vice Chairman of TGR-E

Kamui Kobayashi is now team manager while remaining one of the #7's drivers

Ryo Hirakawa replaces Kaz as #8 driver

Simmi · 6 Dec 2021, 07:45 (Ref:4087130)

Quote:

Originally Posted by chernaudi

Role changes at TMG:

Kaz Nakajima is now Vice Chairman of TGR-E

Kamui Kobayashi is now team manager while remaining one of the #7's drivers

Ryo Hirakawa replaces Kaz as #8 driver

Team manager AND driver is kind of nuts for such a big operation.

Toyota have had success this year on the rallying side, promoting Jari-Matti Latvala to team manager a year after he hung up his helmet. So seems to be a young, driver-led focus to their operations.

**bella** · 6 Dec 2021, 08:54 (Ref:4087141)

has to be entirely ceremonial. drivers are great figureheads whilst the actual work is done by anonymous people they can swap in and out as required.

would be wrong to make sweeping statements about managerial qualities of racing drivers but people spend years learning the back of house day to day tasks that need to happen that drivers think the magic pixies are responsible for.

**Aysedasi** · 7 Dec 2021, 13:43 (Ref:4087492)

Quote:

Originally Posted by bella

would be wrong to make sweeping statements about managerial qualities of racing drivers but people spend years learning the back of house day to day tasks that need to happen that drivers think the magic pixies are responsible for.

Love that!

kvenom · 16 Feb 2022, 16:34 (Ref:4098965)

https://www.motorsport.com/wec/news/...2-wec/8227457/

Toyota is changing its tire sizes and might be updating the rear wing endplates.

**Adam43** · 17 Feb 2022, 01:55 (Ref:4099030)

A response to the change to BoP and delivery of power through the front wheels.

S griffin · 17 Feb 2022, 07:02 (Ref:4099036)

Toyota never stand still. They need to be on the lookout with other manufacturers possibly coming in this season

TF110 · 17 Feb 2022, 22:39 (Ref:4099179)

There's pictures floating around on the twitters of the updates. The changed rear wing endplates are easy ro spot. Apparently the rear diffuser has changed and the fin looks like the Porsche with a cutout right behind the cockpit.

canaglia · 17 Feb 2022, 22:51 (Ref:4099187)

Quote:

Originally Posted by TF110

There's pictures floating around on the twitters of the updates. The changed rear wing endplates are easy ro spot. Apparently the rear diffuser has changed and the fin looks like the Porsche with a cutout right behind the cockpit.

Fuel pump, different tires (implying different suspensions geometries), rear wing endplates, changes of diffuser, different fin...
lot of changes for supposed frozen specs....

kvenom · 18 Feb 2022, 00:29 (Ref:4099193)

TF110 · 18 Feb 2022, 06:49 (Ref:4099213)

Motorsport.com article says there's 5 joker upgrades for the hypercars. So maybe Toyota is using one or two for the updated car?

**joeb** · 7 Mar 2022, 14:16 (Ref:4101499)

DSC has an update on the changes for this season. Seems that the changes in tire size made the bodywork changes necessary to fit within the aerodynamic window of the rules.

They have much smaller front tires this season, which has to reduce performance, but the interesting part to me is they chose the small tire option on the front and actually have larger rear tires now.

canaglia · 7 Mar 2022, 16:07 (Ref:4101508)

Tires size change makes sense, with LMH specs hybrid boost is shorter and not so powerful compared to how it used to be in old lmp1-h specs... at this point I just think toyota doesn't need front tires that wide anymore.

Toyota tires now should be exactly the same used by 007 right?
Wonder if there will be big differences on wear rate.

TF110 · 9 Mar 2022, 04:47 (Ref:4101706)

With the latest bop increasing the speed which hybrids can deploy, the bigger rear tires and smaller fronts seem like a good idea. Toyota says it's for tire wear reasons in their PR. Maybe both.

S griffin · 9 Mar 2022, 10:23 (Ref:4101737)

Toyota are certainly coming up with ingenious ways to get round the latest BOP. Obviously if the new tyre sizes gives them extra PR that helps too

carbsmith · 9 Mar 2022, 10:28 (Ref:4101740)

It actually has basically nothing to do with that. In this kind of race car tire size is more tied to weight distribution than drive type. There was after all an entire generation of 2WD cars with the same size wheels on the front.

As part of the LMH/LMDh union, the 31/31 tire option is being removed for any cars homologated after the end of this year and any subsequent 4WD cars will have to use the 29/34 spec tire that will be shared with LMDh. I'm pretty sure both Toyota and Peugeot looked at that change and decided they didn't want to be hung out on an underdeveloped tire option and reworked their cars (especially as the latter couldn't actually guarantee their car will be homologated in time), which is likely why Peugeot is missing Le Mans even.

canaglia · 9 Mar 2022, 14:08 (Ref:4101786)

If I am not mistaken, 2023 homologated LMH no matter if hybrid or not were mandated to use 29/34 tires, so it was however a matter of time...
toyota and other hybrid lmp1 of recent past needed wider front tires because during hybrid boost front tires needed to have more grip out of slow corners. Now that toyota can activate ERS at >190km/h, 31/31 size is not a big deal anymore.

Mike E · 14 Mar 2022, 10:40 (Ref:4102417)

Interesting update on the changes to the Toyota.

https://sportscar365.com/lemans/wec/...ybrid-updates/

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
[WEC] Ferrari Hypercar Discussion	Mike E	ACO Regulated Series	425	20 Apr 2024 14:58
[WEC] LMP Future Regulations (was Le Mans EVO rules - now hypercar rules)	CTD	ACO Regulated Series	8120	9 Nov 2023 22:19
Veloqx Fangio Hypercar discussion	Gingers4Justice	ACO Regulated Series	16	16 Feb 2022 10:27
[WEC] Aston Martin Hypercar Discussion	deggis	ACO Regulated Series	175	23 Feb 2020 03:37
[WEC] SCG 007: Glickenhaus Le Mans LMP1 Hypercar	Bentley03	ACO Regulated Series	26	16 Nov 2018 02:35