Toyota maintains its commitment to Le Mans
After another disappointing finish to the 2017 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Toyota intends to return next year to finally claim its first victory in the Sarthe.
It was supposed to be the one: after the heartbreak of the last-lap withdrawal in 2016, 2017 was meant to be the year of victory for Toyota. The Japanese manufacturer had stacked the odds in their favor by entering a third car for the first time.
Everything started well with a new absolute track record set during qualifications. For about ten hours, number 7 was in the lead while number 8 was battling with Porsche No. 1 for second place. But the night proved fatal to the Japanese team’s hopes, with retirements for numbers 7 and 9 and a technical issue for number 8.
However, Toyota does not intend to give up on its quest for its Holy Grail and has already announced that it is indeed planning to be present next year, as confirmed by Toshio Sato, the team president: « For Toyota, we once again have to leave Le Mans without the winner’s trophy, despite the incredible support from the fans. We will analyze what went wrong because we cannot accept a double retirement during the night. We will come back stronger and more determined than ever. Our challenge at Le Mans will continue. »
For the first time, Toyota’s president, Akio Toyoda, was also on site to show the company’s full support for its team. While this racing enthusiast could only be disappointed by the sporting result, he nonetheless maintains that the WEC and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in particular, are a fabulous laboratory for the development of hybrid technology, which the manufacturer invented: “The power of electric is absolutely necessary to bring even more emotions to cars. Le Mans is a valuable laboratory where we can continue to tackle the challenges related to the technologies used and place these technologies in an extreme environment. We will further develop our technologies and pass the benefits on to our customers to make them smile. We, Toyota, will continue to make every effort to keep making ever better cars.”
It now remains to be seen whether Porsche will also continue its commitment as the effects of Dieselgate do not fade on the finances of the Volkswagen group.
With the participation of www.racingbusiness.fr
