Toyota Racing is celebrating taking a thrilling pole position for Sunday’s Fuji 6 Hours, the 5th round of the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship.
The #8 Toyota TS 040 Hybrid, driven by Anthony Davidson and Sebastien Buemi, sealed a last-minute pole with Buemi setting a final lap time that ensured he just beat the #20 Porsche 919 Hybrid. The Swiss ace’s final lap ensured an average time of 1m26.886s, which was 0.043s better than the Porsche.
Mark Webber looked to have confirmed pole for Porsche but, when the Australian pitted with a few minutes of the 25 minute session remaining, Buemi had his opportunity to send the local fans in to raptures.
It is the 10th pole position for Toyota since the inception of the FIA World Endurance Championship and the fourth time this season that the manufacturer has topped the qualifying times.
Porsche will start second and third, as the #14 Porsche Team's 919 Hybrid heads the second row, just ahead of local favourite Kazuki Nakajima, who along with team mates Alex Wurz and Stephane Sarrazin had to settle for fourth fastest.
The Audi Sport Team Joest pair of Audi R18 e-tron quattros start the race from the third row of the grid, with the #2 crewed car of Treluyer, Lotterer and Fassler ahead of their #1 sister machine.
The LM1-L class will see the #12 Rebellion Racing R-One Toyota start the 6 Hours from pole position despite a brief technical problem that stopped them briefly on the track, triggering a short red flag period.
G-Drive led the way in the LMP2 class with its third pole of the 2014 season*. Olivier Pla and his team mate Roman Rusinov again set the fastest time and, together with Julien Canal, they ensured the best possible platform was achieved for the race tomorrow.
An impressive second place in LMP2 was the OAK Racing Morgan-Judd, with Alex Brundle and Gustavo Yacaman confirming the class front row position. Local heroine, Keiko Ihara, is also part of the driving squad for the French team and is confident for a strong race on home ground. However, following post qualifying scrutineering the No.35 was found to have an excessive diameter engine air restrictor (Stewards Decision No.12) and had its times cancelled. It will be allowed to start the race but from the back of the grid and must take a stop and go penalty during the race.
CLICK HERE to watch the post qualifying press conference
14:25:46 Chequered Flag
14:25:30 Toyota #8 takes pole with average of 1.26.886
14:24:43 In P2 #26 Ligier now fastest with average of 1.33.062
14:23:48 All cars have now completed 2 laps by both drivers
14:22:36 Both Porsche's and Audi's still in pit lane
14:17:42 Green Flag
14:17:26 Cars #26 #35 and #27 have still to set 4 average laps
14:15:03 Damage to front of #13 Rebellion
14:14:32 Rebellion #12 stopped on circuit
14:13:31 Red Flag
14:13:19 Oreca #47 with 1.34.635 fastest 4 lap average in P2
14:11:38 1.26.929 fastest 4 lap average for #20 Porsche
14:11:00 10 minutes left in session
14:09:54 1.26.937 fastest 4 lap average for Toyota #8
14:08:46 1.26.790 3 lap average for #8 Toyota
14:08:13 1.26.939 3 lap average for #20 Porsche
14:13:03 1.33.199 fastest 2 lap average in P2 for Rusinov in #26 Ligier
14:04:18 Cars now pitting for second drivers to take over
14:02:51 Ligier #26 fastest in LMP2
14:02:00 1.26.559 2 lap average for Davidson in Toyota #8
14:01:18 1.30.897 2 lap average for #12 Rebellion of Heidfeld
13:59:38 1.26.762 first flying lap for Porsche #20 of Bernhard
13:58:23 All 14 cars on track in LM P1/2
13:57:30 2 Toyota's last to go out in LM P1
13:55:38 Green Flag
13:53:41 Porsche #20 first in queue for LMP qualifying
For full results, click HERE.
· The G-Drive Racing Ligier-Nissan of Oliver Pla, Roman Rusinov and Julien Canal will start 4th in the LMP2 class after being penalised for improving their sector times during a yellow flag period.
· The #37 SMP Racing entry will receive a stop/go penalty for 3 minutes during the race for using a 4th engine this weekend which is in breach of article 65B of the FIA WEC sporting regulations.
Photo: FUJI INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY (SHIZUOKA PREFECTURE, JAPAN), 6 HOURS OF FUJI QUALIFYING, SATURDAY 11 OCTOBER 2014. A delighted Anthony Davidson congratulating his Toyota Racing team mate Sebastien Buemi after claiming pole position for the 6 Hours of Fuji. G-Drive Racing set pole position for the LMP2 category with Roman Rusinov and Olivier Pla.
