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Hartley: Toyota put extra emphasis on qualifying for Bahrain WEC showdown
Brendon Hartley’s pole position in the #8 GR010 HYBRID alongside Sebastien Buemi and Ryo Hirakawa means they only need to finish third to secure the title, even if the sister car driven by Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway, and Jose Maria Lopez wins the race. If Kobayashi had claimed the extra point for pole or another manufacturer had taken pole, they could have won the title on count-back with a 1st and 3rd place finish. The team focused heavily on securing pole position and chose to use the medium compound tire, which is faster in qualifying, unlike other teams. Toyota also changed its strategy and conducted their qualifying simulation in the second free practice session rather than the usual third session. However, the aggressive strategy may have negative consequences for the race, as the set of medium tires used in qualifying will have to be used during the race, and it remains to be seen how they will perform with the abrasive track surface and high temperatures. Toyota Gazoo Racing is not overly concerned about using the medium tires towards the end of the race when the temperatures drop. The Bahrain 8 Hours race starts at 14:00 local time, with dusk expected just after 17:00.
Forrás: motorsport
