Both Toyotas Have Been Disqualified From The Latest WEC Round
Ever since Porsche announced it would quit the World Endurance Championship, it was assumed that Toyota would be a shoo-in for victory at every round of the 2018 season. After all, it no longer has any manufacturer entries to beat in the LMP1 class.
And that’s how it’s played out thus far, with Toyota’s Gazoo Racing taking victory by multiple laps at Spa, Le Mans and Silverstone. Except that Silverstone win hasn’t stuck - both of the team’s TS050 racing cars were found to have technical infringements in post-race scrutineering, and have been disqualified.
This hands Sebastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima and Fernando Alonso’s victory over to the Rebellion LMP1 car of Gustavo Menezes, Thomas Laurent and Mathias Beche.
The problem on both Toyotas related to the skid block - a piece fitted to the underside of the cars to impose the mandated ground clearance - with each car failing the ‘deflection test’ to varying degrees.
Toyota will be appealing the decision.
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
Skid block-gate
Suddenly Alonso really really wants to go to Indycar for next year
Isn’t the Rebellion LMP1, the TVR engineered team?
They won?
HOLY SHIT. THATS AMAZING
I think it’s more of a sponsorship tie-up, but yep, cool to see a privateer take the win - depending on the outcome of the appeal!
It’s more “rebellion racing did all the work and TVR put his name on the project before turning it in to the teacher”
Well, Rebellion is probably one of the best independent teams out there in endurance, so it’s not that much surprising, although it’s still cool
Masterpiece lol
The word Dodge and aero shouldn’t be in the same sentence
Two for the shot of one.
Do a dodgy aero part for one and both of them get disqualified for free.
Imagine if the Toyotas were to have problems early at Fuji? We would have a huge battle for the overall lead during the repairs, and, if they rejoin, an insane comeback attempt
Ffs… Endurance racing has more rules than a strip club, what’s next? Don’t fist test the cars?