TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Achieves Triumphant Victory at 6 Hours of Monza
29 Jul 2023
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) has pulled off another outstanding first-place finish at the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship’s (WEC) 6 Hours of Monza. Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and José María López, in the No. 7 GR010 Hybrid Electric Hypercar, saw off an intense challenge from staunch competitors to attain top podium position for the third time this season in front of a 65,000-person crowd. This win, TGR’s fourth of the season, also extends the team’s World Championship lead to 26 points.
Conway led the 36-car field into an intense opening lap from pole position. He consistently fought for first place amidst strong opposition, exerting pressure on the leaders as the first round of pit stops approached at the one-hour mark to eventually regain his lead.
López joined the battle, pushing past competitors and setting new fastest laps twice in the process. His efforts in the fourth hour paid off, and he handed over the No. 7 GR010 Hybrid Electric Hypercar to Kobayashi with a significant advantage.
Kobayashi's skills were put to the test during the thrilling final 90 minutes of the race when a safety car eliminated the 45-second gap between him and the contending vehicle. Following a remarkable pit stop by the mechanics that allowed him to rejoin the track ahead of his rival and set the fastest lap, Kobayashi finally pulled clear to secure victory with a 16.520-second lead.
Koji Sato, President of Toyota Motor Corporation and Chairman of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Europe, commented: “In the 2023 WEC season’s fifth round, the 6 Hours of Monza, the No. 7 GR010 Hybrid Electric Hypercar secured victory from pole position. The Monza fans cheered us on throughout the race and we were able to compete in an electrifying atmosphere. The last four weeks, in which we all worked together as one to move forward and showcase our true performance capabilities, were very important to us. Thanks to these efforts, we were able to compete as a cohesive team at Monza. Mike, Kamui, and Jose kept calm and steady throughout the race, and I am proud of all the team members at the track who worked hard for this win. In the next round at Fuji, we will continue do our best under the leadership of Kamui. My heartfelt gratitude goes out to everyone who supported us.”
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 TGR, 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,’ TGR 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 various motorsports events, TGR aims to forge new technologies and solutions that bring the freedom, adventure, and joy of driving to everyone.
The penultimate round of the 2023 FIA WEC season takes place on 10 September in Japan with the 6 Hours of Fuji. TOYOTA GAZOO Racing has won eight of its last nine races at Fuji Speedway and is poised to contend for another victory in their home race.
Race Notes:
- No. 7 GR010 Hybrid Electric Hypercar (Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and José María López)
- Position: 1st
- No. of Laps: 200
- Best Lap: 1:36.696