Toyota to answer to Ferrari at Imola
Toyota, last winner of the 6 Hours of Imola, will be out to repeat the feat. Above all, they want to beat Ferrari, who dominated the race in Qatar.
The Japanese team has a score to settle. Nearly two months after the disappointment in Qatar and the domination by Ferrari, the reigning world champion team will want to set the record straight. In Imola, Toyota will present itself with a certain status.
The Japanese manufacturer must maintain its standing as the master of endurance it has held for many years. Moreover, the Imola track has been quite successful for the firm, particularly last year. Thanks to tricky and changing conditions, the #7 managed to outperform the 499P, despite them being the favorites.
« We have good memories from Imola last year, where we claimed our only victory with car #7. We had other opportunities to win throughout the season, but at Imola, we managed to make the most of the changing weather conditions. It was easy to make a mistake, but we applied the right strategy and drove well. I think Imola last year truly united us as a team because we came back from a disappointing result in Qatar by strengthening collectively and finding the opportunity to win. This season, we also faced challenges in Qatar, so I hope we can achieve a similar collective performance to Imola, with hopefully more favorable weather this time », announces Kamui Kobayashi, team director and driver of the #7.
The drivers will need to find their comfort on this old-school track whose characteristics change drastically compared to Qatar. In Italy, there are no long straights and significant asphalt runoff areas. Here, it’s gravel and grass at the slightest off-track excursion. With fairly fast corners, but also complex chicanes and a very slow Tosa corner.
