Still fresh from their win back in Fuji Speedway, the TOYOTA Racing team re-lives the glory days of their endurance racing years by again capturing the checkered flag for the Six Hours of Shanghai held recently at the Shanghai International Circuit.
The race, which was also the final round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, saw the combination of Alex Wurz and Nicolas Lapierre piloting the #7 TS030 Hybrid already in the top form of racing after taking the pole position for the third time in the season. With already a great start, the duo defended the position from the start all the way to the checkered flag, grabbing the third victory in the six races they entered.
“It was a good race for us and a 100-percent perfect race weekend; from Friday onwards every step we have taken has been correct. That was the absolute maximum and it was good enough to win”, said Alex Wurz.
“At the beginning we had a new car, new engine, new hybrid system and new team from all over the world. It could have been difficult but it has been a great team effort and we have had a superb second half of the season. The pace we have shown is very encouraging for next year but we will have to work very hard this winter because Audi will try to respond, that is for sure”, quoted Lapierre.
This win also gave them the maximum points in the drivers’ world championship, jumping them all the way to the third place despite contesting in only six out of the eight rounds. The Shanghai Circuit gave the TS030 Hybrid a great deal of advantage as there are four designated hybrid recovery zones, enabling the racer to charge its hybrid system using super capacitor energy storage technology for a 300-horsepower boost.
