Cadillac «back in the mix» after «big step» in Fuji WEC qualifying
Lynn got down to a time aboard the #2 Cadillac V-Series.R that left him only three tenths behind the second-placed #8 Toyota GR010 HYBRID qualified by Brendon Hartley during the 15-minute Hypercar qualifying period on Saturday afternoon. That represented a major step forward on the Caddy’s performance during free practice, where it could do no […]
Ferrari’s Fuji qualifying struggles «a surprise», says Calado
Calado could only manage sixth in the best of the two Ferrari 499P LMH cars in qualifying for the penultimate round of the season, 1.2 seconds down on the #7 Toyota that took pole with Kamui Kobayashi at the wheel. Nicklas Nielsen in the sister #50 Ferrari was another tenth behind in seventh, as Ferrari […]
Isotta Fraschini plans two-car WEC Hypercar entry for 2024
The British squad has revealed an intention to file entries for two Isotta Fraschini Tipo 6 Competizione Le Mans Hypercars for the 2024 WEC. Vector team principal Gary Holland told Motorsport.com: “We will be making two entries before the closing date in November and we hope and are hopeful that we will be granted them. […]
Toyota locks out front row, Ferrari struggles
Kobayashi took the top spot with a best time of 1m27.794s around halfway through the 15-minute Hypercar qualifying session on Saturday afternoon, scoring a crucial bonus point for himself and his team-mates Jose Maria Lopez and Mike Conway. Brendon Hartley was 0.624 seconds adrift of Kobayashi in the #8 Toyota, ahead of the two factory […]
Vanwall reliability «much better» after early WEC season dramas
The ByKolles-run squad returned to the WEC this year with the non-hybrid Vandervell 680 LMH, the successor to the troubled CLM P1/01 LMP1 car that failed to finish Le Mans 24 Hours in six successive attempts. Vanwall’s season so far has been plagued by a number of reliability issues, most notably a brake explosion at […]
Toyota leads Peugeot in final practice
Practice began on a wet track following a brief shower earlier on Saturday morning, but conditions improved sufficiently for slick tyres to be fitted just 15 minutes into the session. Ferrari was one of the first teams to make the move away from wets, with Alessandro Pier Guidi immediately improving by over two seconds to […]
«Underestimated» Peugeot will be in the mix in Fuji WEC, say rivals
Peugeot notched up its first podium finish with the 9X8 in the last round at Monza, with Jean-Eric Vergne, Paul di Resta and Mikkel Jensen finishing third in the #93 car behind the winning Toyota and the second-placed Ferrari. The breakthrough result came exactly a year after Peugeot made its WEC Hypercar debut at the […]
Porsche’s best WEC podium chance is at Fuji, says Makowiecki
Porsche has struggled to challenge Toyota and Ferrari on its return to the top echelon of sportscar racing this year, with April’s Portimao round the only time its 963 LMDh car finished on the podium. At the most recent round in Monza, Porsche was only the fourth-fastest manufacturer in the Hypercar class, as Peugeot made […]
Toyota flexes its muscles in second practice
The Toyota GR010 HYBRID Le Mans Hypercars ended up 1-2 in the times during Friday afternoon’s Free Practice 2, Sebastien Buemi in the #8 car ending up over a second clear of the Japanese manufacturer’s closest challenger. Buemi and Kamui Kobayashi in the sister car each set two lap times faster than the Antonio Felix […]