Toyota is still the queen of the world endurance championship, champion among manufacturers and among drivers with Brendon Hartley, Ryo Hirakawa and Sebastien Buemi. Not a surprise given the conditions for the 2023 championship, populated by new opponents who could not count on the decades of experience of the Japanese in the premier class. Yet, considering the performances expressed by the competition during the year, Toyota’s conquest of both titles does not appear to be such an obvious result. The world champions have reaped the benefits of a important improvement work on the GR010whose progress is not attributable to the BoP alone, just as the defeat in the Le Mans Centenary is not.
The controversies for the BoP
Toyota took credit for stretch the championship in the first three races at Sebring, Portimao and Spa, during a still exploratory phase for the opponents dealing with new cars. However, the 6 hours of Spa and especially the 24 hours of Le Mans highlighted Ferrari’s excellent race pace. The 499P exhibited low aerodynamic drag, perhaps even lower than that measured in the wind tunnel due to the inevitable discrepancies between the simulations and the real world.
The analysis of the race times in Belgium and France returned the image of an apparently more competitive Ferrari. The high-speed tracks of Spa and Le Mans however obscured the downforce deficiencies of the 499P, area where Toyota still remains superior. For the last three races of the year the FIA and ACO thus launched a new, excessively severe Balance of Performance for Ferrari, whose competitiveness in previous events had been distorted by the favorable nature of the circuits.
It is difficult to predict how the World Championship would have evolved if the Balance of Performance had not been modified so heavily. It is realistic to think that Ferrari could have played its cards at Monza, but given the pace shown, Toyota would probably have won at Fuji even with a more penalizing BoP. It is difficult to establish whether a closer fight could lead to a different outcome in the race for the championship, an unlikely but not impossible scenario. The Balance of Performance alone however it was no guarantee of performance that Toyota was able to express in the second part of the season. In fact, 2023 provided examples of other manufacturers who, despite having a decidedly more benign BoP, still struggled at the rear.
The leap from 2022
Comparing qualifying times in 2022 and 2023 shows how Toyota was able to improve its performance net of BoP. The influences of the different Balance of Performance in the two seasons were based on the references generally known in the environment: 10 kg more on the minimum weight is equivalent to an increase of approximately 0.15% in the lap time – 1 or 2 tenths – while 10 kW less corresponds to an approximate increase of 0.30%.
COMPARISON OF TOYOTA QUALIFICATIONS 2022 -2023 |
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SEBRING | SPA | THE MANS | MONZA | FUJI |
BAHRAIN |
|
WHICH 2023 vs 2022 | -3.7 s | -2.3 s | 0.0 s | -1.0 s | -1.4 s | -0.2 s |
BoP EFFECT | -0.3 s | -0.7 s | -0.1 s | +0.3 s | +0.4 s | +0.6 s |
NET PROFIT | -3.4 s | -1.6 s | +0.1 s | -1.3 s | -1.8 s | -0.8 s |
The references obtained are largely approximate. In addition to the generic estimate of the effect of the BoP, numerous variables are unknown, including the influence of the track conditions, the compounds used and the difference in grip between the 2022 and 2023 Michelin tires. The results should therefore be taken not as absolute values, but rather as generic indications. The resulting picture is, however, that of a Toyota that from 2022 to 2023 was capable almost everywhere to find valuable lap timewithout which she would hardly have become world champion.
Areas for improvement
An important contribution came from the changes made to the GR010 Hybrid in winter. It stands out above all the lightening of the mechanics, in particular the engine and gearbox. Toyota thus managed to reach the minimum weight, something the Japanese company failed to do in 2022, without specifying, however, whether the 1030 kg of the regulation or the 1070 kg of the BoP were not reached. The lightening of the GR010 also allowed the weights to be redistributed, shifting the balance slightly towards the front and helping to protect the tyres. The optimization of the brake air intakes also allowed the disc braking system to be better maintained at temperature during the race. This allowed braking for longer with the electric motor, recharging the battery better and extending the stints at the same pace.
Another area for improvement is that of tuning, managing to center the optimal operating window. The improvements on the set-up do not only concern the mechanics, but also the electronics. In fact, on Hypercars the management of the combined thermal and electric power makes it possible to minimize skidding when traction, maximize grip when braking and optimize cornering dynamics. With an all-round effort, Toyota ensured a reduction in lap times. The drivers were thus able to count on a decent margin to strategically raise their foot in the race, saving fuel and managing tire degradation.
The mole of Le Mans
In 2023, Toyota improved its times on all tracks on the calendar compared to the previous year. The exceptions are Portimao, which has no reference to 2022, and Le Mans. In France the Japanese Hypercars lapped with 16 kg more than the Ferraris, over which however they enjoyed a power advantage of 3 kW. However, if you consider the 2022 and 2023 BoPs, Toyota has enjoyed metrics slightly more favorable than the previous year, which should have resulted in just 1 or 2 tenths less on the clock. In qualifying, however, the GR010s did not show the same leap in performance seen elsewhere, nor in the fastest lap in the race, faster by just 2 tenths. However, it should be remembered that the 2023 Le Mans qualification was conditioned by the red flag.
Le Mans 2022 |
Le Mans 2023 |
Difference ’23 – ’22 |
|
Minimum weight | 1070kg | 1080kg | +10kg |
Maximum power | 506 kW | 512 kW | +6 kW |
Qualifying time | 3’24”408” | 3’24”451”’ | +0.043 s |
Best lap in the race | 3’27”749” | 3’27”549”’ | -0.200 s |
At Le Mans Toyota did not find an impeccable set-up and the times of the Japanese Hypercars were in line with those of the previous edition. Ferrari didn’t have to be asked and took advantage of it, thanks to an impregnable 499P on the straights of Hunaudiéres, thus countering the supremacy of the GR010 on the Porsche curves. The 24 hours of Le Mans confirms the thesis of how Toyota’s previous experience was not a guarantee of success in 2023, with its opponents, Ferrari above all, immediately reaching a very high level in the first year. The world champions were forced to improve from 2022 to maintain their superiority and when this did not happen at Le Mans Toyota immediately paid the consequences. The challenge is renewed to 2024, when there is reason to believe that the level will rise further.
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