Toyota Gazoo Racing has raised a generational change in its project in the WEC queen class. Kazuki Nakajima says goodbye to the team, at least as a pilot, to give the witness to his compatriot Ryo hirakawa. The Japanese is thus embedded in the starting lineup of the Toyota GR010 Hybrid with number # 8, an LMH prototype that he will share throughout the 2022 season. with Sébastien Buemi and Brendon Hartley. After competing this year in Japan, Hirakawa returns in style to the World Endurance Championship and does so with the illusion of representing his country and a brand like Toyota at the global level. The road to the WEC has not been easy, which is why Ryo wants to show that his talent and speed are at the height of the qualities of his new companions.
Not forgetting the work he has done so far, Ryo Hirakawa said, “I am very honored to be here. It is a great honor to represent Toyota in the WEC. The road to here has not been easy, but now I want to show that I can perform as well as I have in Japan. I think I have matured in many ways and now I have more experience. Seeing myself away from the WEC has been one of the most difficult things, but now that I see it with some perspective I think it has helped me to learn and become a stronger driver. I’m moving to Europe to be fully focused on the WEC. I want to perform at a good level from the beginning».
After completing a remarkable career in Super Formula, a category in which he has played a prominent role with Team Impul, Ryo Hirakawa will be able to correspond to the words of Kazuyoshi Hoshino, head of the team and who has always said that Hirakawa has his place in a world championship: «To be honest, Hoshino had always told me to go to a world championship like the WEC. For that reason, he was very happy when I informed him about my program with Toyota. I think I still have to know all the secrets of the Toyota GR010 Hybrid to get all the performance out of the car. One of the biggest challenges is the brakes, I think it is the most difficult point of my adaptation. I needed to understand this and the hybrid system, since the electric motor only transmits its power to the front wheels, something that has forced me to adapt my riding».