Mike Conway and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing continue their battle for the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) titles in Japan this week as the season moves on to the finishing stretch with the penultimate round of the 2024 FIA WEC season - the 6 Hours of Fuji.
Having missed the 2024 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans due to injury, Mike's own championship hopes may have faded but he aims to play a vital role in the drivers' title fight for his #7 GR010 HYBRID teammates - Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries - as they currently occupy second in the standings, with his TOYOTA GAZOO Racing team leading the way in the manufacturers' championship.
Last time out at the Lone Star Le Mans race in Austin, USA , Mike and the #7 crew looked on track to record their second victory of the season after a near-perfect race took a frustrating twist as they were handed a drive-through penalty in the closing stages - resulting in a second-place finish.
Last year in Fuji, Mike Conway and his teammates in the #7 GR010 HYBRID claimed victory in TOYOTA GAZOO Racing's home race - adding to Mike's impressive record at the Japanese venue. In his seven races at the circuit with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing, Mike has scored three victories and three second-places - finishing outside the top-two places on only one occasion.
As reigning World Champions, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing has won nine of the ten WEC races in Japan since returning to top-level endurance racing in 2012, including a run of six consecutive victories since 2016, making Fuji Speedway the team’s most successful circuit.
The historic circuit, located around 100km west of Tokyo, is TOYOTA GAZOO Racing’s home race, and the hybrid powertrain used in the GR010 HYBRID is designed, developed and built at the nearby Higashi-Fuji Technical Center,
The 2024-specification GR010 HYBRIDs get their first taste of Fuji Speedway on Friday 13 September when free practice begins with two 90-minute sessions, prior to a one-hour third practice on Saturday morning. The starting grid will be decided in qualifying and Hyperpole, which starts at 3pm local time (7am BST) on Saturday. The Six Hours of Fuji starts at 11am (3am BST) on Sunday.
Mike Conway:
“I really look forward to our home event, not just the race at Fuji, but to be there representing Toyota, which is pretty special. Japan is one of my favourite countries and Tokyo is one of my favourite cities, so it is great being there with our Japanese colleagues. We always have a good time there and I can’t wait for that. Fuji is also one of my favourite circuits; it’s a tricky circuit, especially the last sector. We are aiming to maintain our momentum and keep our winning streak going.”
6 HOURS OF FUJI - FIA WEC ROUND 7
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13
Free Practice 1: 11:00 - 12:30
Free Practice 2: 15:30 - 17:00
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
Free Practice 3: 10:20 - 11:20
Qualifying: 15:00 - 15:12
Hyperpole: 15:20 - 15:30
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15
Race: 11:00 - 17:00
Times are local (GMT+9)
