TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRC makes a promising start
July 25 2016 - 04:46AM
JCN Newswire (English)
With the overarching goal of making ever-better cars through
motorsport in mind, the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRC team has been
working on the development of the Yaris WRC for the past nine
months. After a great deal of team effort had been put in, the
Yaris WRC enjoyed its first outing this spring on the fast gravel
roads of Finland, before heading for southern Europe. This
intensive test program has confirmed that the Yaris WRC, which will
be competing in the World Rally Championship next season, is a
well-designed car.
Ten test sessions covering some 5,000 kilometers
Bound by utmost secrecy but yet filled with great excitement, the
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRC team undertook the very first shakedown of
the Yaris WRC in May this year in Puuppola, Finland, which is not
far from the team's workshops. This first, highly promising session
has since been followed-up with many others. Although the Yaris has
now completed over 5,000 kilometres of road testing, it is still in
the early stages of its development.
"We have worked hard to be on time" admitted Tommi Makinen, Team
Principal, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRC. "We have completed a lot of
test sessions since May, and we have stuck to our schedule. The
addition of a second car helped us to up the pace and diversify the
development testing. We want to test the vehicle in all conditions
and on all surfaces so that we are ready for 2017."
Two Yaris WRCs for greater efficiency
With the view to fully optimise the development program, a second
Yaris WRC was quickly added to the test schedule.
"The reason we are working with two cars is that, we wanted to
split development into two parts. The first team works only in
Finland, concentrating on the reliability and endurance of the car,
with a test program focused on the engine and gearbox. The second
test team is focused on the suspension, and is working at the other
European bases, such as in Spain and Portugal," explained Tom
Fowler, WRC Chief Engineer. "We haven't started testing on tarmac
as of yet, but we can already tell that the performance levels of
the car are really high. We have been able to work without any
major issues so far, and that's very encouraging."
A strong test driver line-up
Before advanced and refined testing program conducted by the
respective drivers can proceed, Tommi Makinen, Juho Hanninen and
then Jarkko Nikara all had turn in testing the same vehicle
individually.
"I just couldn't resist, so I was the first to size up the car!,"
admitted Tommi Makinen. "The feeling was great and it was fun to
drive as well. We are also lucky to be able to call upon the
experience of Juho Haninnen and Jarkko Nikara. Other drivers are
expected to join the development team very shortly," he
mentioned.
"The first time I drove the Yaris WRC, I was very impressed!"
explained Juho Hanninen, the main test driver for the TOYOTA GAZOO
Racing WRC team. "The handling and balance of the car were perfect;
the work done on the design is exceptional. We have wasted no time
in racking up the miles because the car has been very reliable from
the word go and we've not been held up by any major technical
issues. In the initial tests outside of Finland, we have tackled a
wide variety of conditions and the performance of the Yaris WRC has
been very consistent."
A passionate team!
Each week, new members join the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRC team based
in Puuppola, Finland. It's a genuine melting pot of car lovers,
featuring no fewer than seven different nationalities, all focused
on achieving the same goal.
"I'm very fond of the family-like atmosphere that we have always
had at our Puuppola workshops. I have been pleasantly surprised to
see that, that even though our facilities have grown and we are now
employing more and more people, this working atmosphere remains
largely unchanged. There are no language barriers here. The team is
very united and everyone does their best without compromise. I
think that is one of the essential ingredients in a successful team
and I'm pleased to see everybody has adopted the same approach and
is pulling towards the same direction," commented a delighted Tommi
Makinen.
About Toyota
Supported by people around the world, Toyota Motor Corporation
(TSE:7203; NYSE:TM), has endeavored since its establishment in 1937
to serve society by creating better products. As of the end of
December 2013, Toyota conducts its business worldwide with 52
overseas manufacturing companies in 27 countries and regions.
Toyota's vehicles are sold in more than 170 countries and regions.
For more information, please visit www.toyota-global.com.
Source: Toyota
Contact:
Toyota Motor Corporation
Public Affairs Division
Global Communications Department
Tel: +81-3-3817-9926
Copyright 2016 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved.
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