TOYOTA GAZOO Racing made a triumphant return to the top step of the podium with a hard-fought victory in a thrilling 6 Hours of Imola, the second round of the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship. Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries piloted the #7 GR010 HYBRID to glory in challenging conditions, thanks to flawless driving and astute strategy from the team.
The win at Imola closed the gap to championship leaders Porsche to just nine points heading into the next round at Spa-Francorchamps. The #7 crew of Conway, Kobayashi and de Vries now sit second in the drivers’ standings, only 16 points adrift.
“It was a very tough race and to win here is absolutely phenomenal,” said Kamui Kobayashi, who also serves as Team Principal. “Our car was not the fastest this week but the team performed so well. Mike and Nyck both did a fantastic job to bring the car into contention before I took over.“
Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa delivered a strong fifth place finish in the sister #8 GR010 HYBRID after battling their way up the order on the narrow Italian circuit.
Changeable weather conditions threw the race wide open in the fourth hour. Nyck de Vries seized the lead with an opportunistic move just before a safety car period as rain intensified. A perfectly-timed switch to wet tires proved decisive, allowing the GR010 HYBRIDs to lap significantly quicker than their hypercar rivals.
Kobayashi took over the #7 machine with a 20-second lead and just 90 minutes remaining. The final stint became a tense fuel-saving exercise, with Kobayashi fending off intense pressure from the chasing Porsches. In a nail-biting finish, the Japanese ace held on to take the checkered flag and secure back-to-back Imola victories for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing.
“Kamui did a great job at the end to stay ahead whilst saving energy,” said Mike Conway. “As always the pressure doesn’t affect him; I think my heart rate in the garage was higher than his in the car.”
The #8 crew’s valiant effort to claim fourth fell just short, with Hartley being overtaken by the #50 Ferrari on the final lap. Nevertheless, the strong points haul from both cars puts TOYOTA GAZOO Racing firmly in contention for the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship as the series heads to Spa-Francorchamps on May 11.
6 Hours of Imola – Race Result
1st #7 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing / 205 laps
2nd #6 Porsche Penske (Estre/Lotterer/Vanthoor) / +7.081secs
3rd #5 Porsche Penske (Campbell/Christensen/Makowiecki) / +25.626secs
4th #50 Ferrari AF Corse (Fuoco/Molina/Nielsen) / +31.469secs
5th #8 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing / +33.777secs
6th #20 BMW M Team WRT (Van der Linde/Frijns/Rast) / +1 lap