TOYOTA Racing has completed a successful first full test of the new TS030 HYBRID car which will compete in the LMP1 category in selected races of the FIA World Endurance Championship.

The team spent three days at the Paul Ricard circuit in southern France for the first full test of the TS030 HYBRID, following a three-day roll-out at the same circuit earlier this month.

Using the a configuration of the track which includes the complete Mistral Straight, all three race drivers - Alex Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima - had the opportunity to test the new car, which features the THS-R (TOYOTA HYBRID System - Racing) power-train.

The test programme built on the positive work already achieved during the TS030 HYBRID’s roll-out, when systems checks and basic set-up analysis was carried out.

This week the team had many areas to study, including the THS-R power-train, particularly during longer stints, while taking the first steps towards optimising aerodynamic and mechanical set-up. In addition, Michelin tyre compounds on the TS030 HYBRID were evaluated for the first time.

In total, the TS030 HYBRID completed over 2,000km and demonstrated a satisfying level of performance and reliability. TOYOTA Racing’s next test is planned for mid-February.

Yoshiaki Kinoshita, Team President said that the team “can be pleased with the outcome of this test. It has gone smoothly and delivered a lot of very useful data which will help us to prepare for our first season back in endurance racing. Of course, there are many challenges when introducing an innovative technology such as a hybrid power-train in motorsport but I have been very impressed with how the team has approached this test and the results are very encouraging.”

Pascal Vasselon, Team Technical Director admitted that the team was still a little behind schedule. “we have made very good use of our track time” he said.
“It’s important at this stage to give a first indication to our tyre partner Michelin about the development direction needed for the TOYOTA TS030 HYBRID and this has been done together with other performance developments. At the same time the pace is increasing as our drivers explore closer to the boundaries of the performance envelope of our package. We see clearly an acceleration of our development rate based on their indications. This gives a lot of push and dynamic to our track operation; it’s an exciting time to be a TOYOTA Racing engineer.”

Three drivers were used in the test Alex Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre, and Japanese driver Kazuki Nakajima who was thrilled to get behind the wheel of the new car “It was exciting to jump into the TOYOTA TS030 HYBRID for the first time and finally drive it for real after a few sessions in virtual reality on the TMG simulator. The car has a lot of potential and gives the driver confidence, which is impressive considering the early stage of development. The hybrid system is very interesting; it feels quite natural and certainly gives a nice boost when it kicks in. We have made a good start to our testing programme but there is still plenty of work to do so I am looking forward to spending even more time in the car in the future.”
The Toyota TS030 will make its race debut at the Spa Six Hours in May before a two car attack on the Le Mans 24 in June.

Source: Toyota Motorsport