Toyota TS030 Hybrid Race Car Claims First Pole Position
After a rough start to the season, the Toyota TS030 hybrid race car has achieved its first pole position as the team gets ready for the fifth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship in Sao Paulo.
With Alex Wurz behind the wheel, the TS030 will start off at the head of the pack for the six-hour race that starts on September 15th. The Japanese automaker’s race car was 0.784 seconds faster than the Audi R18 ultra and 0.185 seconds ahead of the Audi R18 e-tron quattro.
While the pole position is surely a sign of success for the TS030 hybrid race car, the big question will be whether or not Toyota and Wurz can beat Audi in the race.
“Qualifying was really cool. We expected a really tough fight, especially as the car felt quite nervous in this morning’s practice. But the team did a good job on the set-up before qualifying and the car was very fast. The hybrid system was just amazing; it gave a big kick coming out of corners. Obviously it is a long race but to get pole position is a great feeling and it shows the car is very competitive. I am optimistic but don’t forget this is only our third race; it will be a difficult race against strong competition but we will go full attack tomorrow,” said driver Alex Wurz.
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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