WEC News: Toyota Locks Out Front Row in Sao Paulo
Toyota Gazoo Racing scored a lockout of the front row for this weekend’s 6 Hours of Sao Paulo as Kamui Kobayashi set the fastest lap in Saturday afternoon’s Hyperpole shootout aboard the No. 7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid.
Kobayashi set what proved to be an unassailable benchmark of 1:23.140 on his first representative lap in chilly conditions at the Interlagos circuit, giving Toyota a first pole of the FIA World Endurance Championship season.
Sebastien Buemi proved Kobayashi’s nearest challenger in the sister No. 8 Toyota but fell 0.122 seconds shy of the top spot.
HYPERCAR HIGHLIGHTS
- Kamui Kobayashi No.7 Toyota Gazoo Racing takes pole position after setting a sensational 1m23.140s lap
- Kobayashi heads stablemate Sebastien Buemi in No.8 Toyota Gazoo Racing GR010 Hypercar by 0.122s
- Japanese driver claims the first pole position of the season for Toyota
- Matt Campbell aboard the No.5 Porsche Penske Motorsport is highest placed Porsche on a best of 1m23.331. Australian has a brief off on his warm up lap but still qualifies on second row of the grid
- Cadillac Racing Hypercar driven by Alex Lynn places fourth on a 1m23.396s lap to get in among the Toyota and Porsches
- No.6 Porsche Penske Motorsport of Kevin Estre is fifth ahead of recent Le Mans winner Antonio Fuoco in the No.50 Ferrari AF Corse
- The rest of the top 10 Hyperpole positions is filled out by” 7th No.12 Hertz Team Jota Porsche; 8th No.38 Hertz Team JOTA Porsche; 9th No.51 Ferrari AF Corse and 10th No.20 BMW M Team WRT
LMGT3 HIGHLIGHTS
- Iron Dames Lamborghini Huracan driven by Sarah Bovy takes pole with a lap of 1m34.413s and secure second pole of the season for the all-female crew
- That time beats the No.92 Manthey PureRxcing Porsche 911 RSR LMGT3 car with Aliaksandr Malykhin aboard by 0.391s
- No.95 United Autosports McLaren LMGT3 machine is third driven by Joshua Caygill who heads the second McLaren driven by James Cottingham
- Fifth is the No.91 Manthey EMA Porsche driven by Yasser Shahin
- Completing the top six is the No.31 Team WRT BMW M4 LMGT3 car driven by Darren Leung
- The rest of the Top 10 Hypercar positions is filled out by: 7th No.55 Vista AF Corse Ferrari; 8th No.81 TF Sport Corvette; 9th No.27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin and 10th No.54 Vista AF Corse Ferrari
- Thomas Flohr in the No.54 Vista AF Corse Ferrari brings out early session red flag after spinning off at Turn 4
