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The World Champions endured a difficult start to the season at Sebring last month, with second place for the #8 car, driven by Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa, bringing an unbroken winning streak for the GR010 HYBRID Hypercar to an end.
That was the only GR010 HYBRID to reach the chequered flag following a heavy accident for the #7 car of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Jose Maria Lopez. The reigning drivers' World Champions will have a completely new car for the Spa race.
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing therefore travels 120km from the team's Cologne headquarters to the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit determined to deliver an improved result in the final race before the highlight of the WEC season, the Le Mans 24 Hours.
As well as being one of the home races for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing in WEC, Spa is also a happy hunting ground for the team. Since its first WEC race there in 2013, the team has won six times and is aiming for a sixth consecutive victory in Belgium this weekend.
After an impressive debut race at Sebring, on his first visit to that circuit, Ryo returns to a track on which he has already tasted success. During his European Le Mans Series career, Ryo finished third at Spa in 2016 and second a year later.
WEC will be the first major series to race at Spa since parts of the 7.004km circuit were modified to enhance safety. One of the most prominent changes comes at the fearsome Eau Rouge and Raidillon combination, which has been resurfaced and now features bigger run-off areas.
The drivers will experience the updated circuit for the first time on Thursday, with a 90-minute practice session in the late afternoon. A busy Friday sees two further practice sessions prior to an evening qualifying, which decides the grid for Saturday's race, beginning at 1pm local time.
Kamui Kobayashi (Team Principal and driver, car #7):
"Since Sebring, which was a disappointing result for us, the whole team has pushed hard to improve by working together with the drivers, particularly at our test in Portimao earlier this month. It went well, despite the wet weather at the start, and we did a lot of laps in the endurance test, which is an important part of our Le Mans preparation. We worked on some things for Spa as well, which should suit our car better than Sebring, where the bumps had a big impact on car balance and performance. So we expect to be fighting at the front and everyone is fully committed to get our first win of the season. We have waited since Le Mans last year to meet our fans in Europe again so it will be a special week. The fans in Spa are always very enthusiastic and give us a lot of support; thank you in advance for cheering us on," Mike Conway (Driver, car #7):
"Spa is a fantastic circuit and one of my favourites, so it's always exciting to go there. Compared to a year ago, when we were racing the GR010 HYBRID for the first time, we have learned a lot about our car so we are in a better position in terms of our understanding. But the balance of performance has changed since then, so we are not entirely sure where will be next week. We will work hard to get the maximum out of our package and hopefully that's enough to be at the front."
Jose Maria Lopez (Driver, car #7):
"Sebring was a really disappointing result and I am still frustrated by what happened, so I am determined to make it up to Mike, Kamui and the whole team with a strong race in Spa. This is always an important race because it is the last one before Le Mans so we have to get all our preparation right and put ourselves in the best place for the big race. I hope we will be more competitive than we were in Sebring and be in a position to fight for the win."
Sebastien Buemi (Driver, car #8):
"I always enjoy going to Spa as it is probably my favourite circuit. It's a pleasure to drive a race car at this track, and I have been fortunate enough to have won five times at Spa so it's a good track for me in that respect too. Our podium in Sebring wasn't a bad way to start the season but the gap to the front was too big. I hope the balance of performance will be kinder to us in Spa, which is more like a typical WEC circuit and I hope it will suit our GR010 HYBRID better."
Brendon Hartley (Driver, car #8):
"It's always exciting to race at Spa so I can't wait to be back there with our GR010 HYBRID. We made a solid start to the season on the #8 car with a podium in Sebring but we're looking to be closer to the front next week. It's been a few weeks since the start of the season and we've used that time productively to get ready for Spa, with a test at Portimao and plenty of work back at the factory. So we're ready; now we just need to see what the famous Spa weather has in store for us."
Ryo Hirakawa (Driver, car #8):
"I am looking forward to racing again at Spa, which is a fantastic circuit. Sebring went well for me and it was satisfying to start my WEC career with a podium. Sebring was a new track for me so there was a lot to learn. But I know Spa pretty well so that should be an advantage compared to the last race, and I had some positive results there in the past which gives me confidence. It will be exciting to drive the GR010 HYBRID there for the first time; I cannot wait to get started."
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