June 23, 2022
3 mins read

Toyota celebrates historic fifth successive 24 Hours of Le Mans victory

The contest continued for 16 hours, with the two cars running just a few seconds apart for most of this time…reports Asian Lite News

GAZOO Racing stormed to victory recently in the 90th Le Mans 24 Hours to extend its winning run to five in a row at the legendary Circuit de la Sarthe. Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Ryo Hirakawa drove a brilliant race in the No. 8 GR010 Hybrid Electric Hypercar, completing 380 laps to take the chequered flag in front of a passionate crowd.

The team’s fourth one-two finish at the iconic event was completed by last year’s winners, Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, and José María López in the No. 7 GR010 Hybrid Electric Hypercar, which crossed the line just 2 minutes and 1.222 seconds behind in second place. Buemi’s fourth win sets a new victory record for Swiss drivers, while Hartley’s third triumph makes him New Zealand’s most successful Le Mans driver.

The two GR010 Hybrid Electric Hypercars outclassed the field throughout and engaged in a close battle at the front, with the lead changing hands several times as the race ebbed and flowed with traffic, slow zones, and track evolution all coming into play. The contest continued for 16 hours, with the two cars running just a few seconds apart for most of this time.

The complexion of the race changed decisively during lap 256 when Buemi gained the upper hand in the No. 8 GR010 Hybrid Electric Hypercar following an extended pit stop from José María López in the No. 7 GR010 Hybrid Electric Hypercar. Brendon Hartley had the honor of taking the chequered flag to win the 90th Le Mans 24 Hours, with López following soon after to complete a grueling 5,177km of racing. The result earned double points towards the 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship, placing GAZOO Racing on top of the manufacturers’ standings after three races.

Akio Toyoda, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation, commented: “Congratulations to car No. 8, and thank you to car No. 7 for being part of this 1-2 finish! This year, Le Mans was a 1-2 race from the beginning to the end. From the start for 16 hours they were competing, racing within a few seconds with each other. I would like to thank our six drivers. In addition, Kamui also took on the role of Team Principal at Le Mans for the first time. I really appreciate him taking such important roles.”

Toyoda continued: “Car building and team building are endless battles, please continue to encourage a team feeling. GAZOO Racing was able to win Le Mans five times in a row. Thank you to our many, many fans and partners who continue to fight together. I really appreciate all your continuous support.”

Over the years, Toyota has been participating in many different forms of motorsports, ‎including Formula One, the World Endurance Championship (WEC), and the Nürburgring 24 ‎Hours endurance race. Toyota’s participation in these events was overseen by separate ‎entities within the company until April 2015, when Toyota established GR ‎to consolidate all of its motorsports activities under one in-house brand. Representing ‎Toyota’s belief that ‘the roads build the people, and the people build the cars,’ GR highlights the role of motorsports as a fundamental pillar of Toyota’s commitment to ‎making ‘ever-better’ cars. Harnessing years of experience gained under the extreme ‎conditions of motorsports events, GR aims to forge new ‎technologies and solutions that bring the freedom, adventure, and joy of driving to everyone.

The World Endurance Championship returns with the 6 Hours of Monza in Italy on 10 July.

ALSO READ-AWS to develop next-gen F1 race car

Previous Story

Tough times ahead for Indian steel industry

Next Story

Indian delegation in crisis-hit Lanka

Latest from Business

China Curbs Hit India’s Electronics Boom

The ICEA noted this results in delays, inefficiencies, and higher costs — alternatives from Japan or Korea cost up to four times more than Chinese machinery. India’s transformation into a global electronics

India Maps 8.52 MT Rare Earth Reserves

The Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD) and the Geological Survey of India (GSI) are actively exploring and augmenting rare earth resources, while the GSI alone has added 482.6 million

‘India’s Digital Hub Ascends’

The event also featured discussions on the Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience, reiterating commitments made during the July 1 Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting India’s growing role as a key digital

India’s Job Market Surges

With hiring levels on the rise, compensation is expected to increase by 12-15% in metro cities and by 18-22% in emerging cities India’s festive season this year is poised to create more
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Toyota’s all- new Yaris once again strikes power-style balance

With its striking interior and exterior design, multi-feature passenger compartment,

Toyota to use AI-based car design in future

The company said that designers can leverage publicly available text-to-image