6 hours of Fuji: Toyota hopes for a home double
The Japanese brand achieved the two best times during the qualifying sessions of the 6 Hours of Fuji. The drivers hope for such a result during the race.
Toyota once again proves that Fuji is their circuit. Since the return of the Japanese track to the calendar in 2012, Toyota has won there eight times out of nine editions. And the manufacturer has taken a big step towards adding another success to their record.
Despite difficult and changing conditions, Kamui Kobayashi, in car number 7, delivered a blow to the competition. With a time of 1:27.794, the Japanese driver was six tenths faster than Brendon Hartley, in the sister car.
Brendon Hartley in more trouble
(I) I wasn’t expecting such a lap time and I was a little shocked when I saw it, admits Kamui Kobayashi. (I) It’s great to achieve such a result on our home circuit. It’s an important weekend for us and showcasing our performance like this is very special. Due to the rain, we had very little dry running, but the team did an excellent job in getting everything ready for qualifying and I managed a pretty good lap on my first attempt. The car was really strong compared to the practice sessions, it improved a lot.
On his side, Brendon Hartley had more difficulties with his Hypercar. The former Toro Rosso driver in F1 believes that the car did not perform as it did during the tests. Despite this, he hopes to compete for the victory. « It’s great to be on the front row, now we need to go for the win. »
A sentiment shared by his garage neighbors. « We are ready, we are going to work hard and I hope that we can finish in the top two positions », hopes Kamui Kobayashi.
