TOYOTA GAZOO Racing.
World Endurance Championship
WEC Prologue
Losail Circuit, Doha, Qatar
March 23-27, 2024
Image: Toyota Gazoo Racing
The pre-season testing event for the FIA World Endurance Championship, The Prologue, concluded with the sunset. Tomorrow, the season-opening race, the Qatar 1812km, will begin, leaving little time for data analysis.
We examined the sessions in which all Hypercar class teams participated – sessions 2 and 3. By calculating the average of the longest driving time for each session for each car, we can identify emerging trends.
It is important to note that this is just a test and teams are not pushing to the maximum. Some teams may even be intentionally holding back to deceive their competitors.
In addition, the Balance of Performance, which regulates power, weight, and use of hybrid engine for LMH rule cars from Ferrari, Toyota, Peugeot, and Isotta Fraschini, plays a role. This year, the BoP has undergone changes, allowing additional weight to be added to the cars and introducing a two-stage system for power levels based on speed.
Now, let’s take a look at the average lap times for each team from sessions 2 and 3.
As shown, Cadillac achieved the fastest lap times, closely followed by the JOTA Porsche team. Ferrari had the best performance among LMH rule cars, with Peugeot, Porsche, and BMW following the same pattern.
Cadillac, Porsche, and Ferrari are in their second year with their cars, which gives them more room for improvements compared to Toyota, which has been using versions of the GR010 Hybrid since 2021.
Toyota’s performance was relatively lower, 1.3 seconds behind Cadillac. It is evident that the German-Japanese team is not pushing to the maximum during the tests, and their position will likely change on Friday and Saturday. However, it is worth noting that they have the heaviest and least powerful car.
Teams with new cars, as expected, had slower lap times. Alpine was not far behind, less than a tenth of a second slower on average compared to Toyota. On the other hand, Lamborghini, with its Ligier-based car, struggled to keep up with the pace. Both teams will use Wednesday to analyze the data and try to reduce the gap to the other teams.
However, the Isotta Fraschini team faces a different challenge. They are almost two seconds behind Lamborghini and almost four seconds behind Cadillac. We hope they can find some speed in the Type 6 LMH Competizione before the race.
On the other hand, Peugeot seems to be doing well. The smooth surface of the Losail International Circuit suits their wingless 9X8, giving them a potential advantage in Qatar.
BMW is also in the mix. Although their car is not as new as Alpine or Lamborghini, the BMW M Hybrid V8 is making its debut in the WEC. However, WRT has been testing it for almost a year and has a large amount of data from the United States to rely on. Although Toyota will likely surpass them in the order, BMW is competitive.
Trying to predict the exact order is challenging, but I hope Toyota is at the top, closely followed by Ferrari, Porsche, Peugeot, and Cadillac, possibly in a mixed order. BMW should be next, followed by Alpine, Lamborghini, and Isotta Fraschini.
However, I would also be happy with pleasant surprises and be completely wrong about this. Surprises make the race more exciting!
The Qatar 1812km will start on March 2 at 11 a.m., local time.
© 2024
Portugal wins Eurocup final in thrilling penalty shootout
The Portuguese national team won the Eurocup in an electrifying final against Spain. The game ended in a tie in regulation time and extra time, leading to a penalty shootout. With a great performance from goalkeeper Rui Patrício, Portugal emerged victorious with a score of 5-4.
The match was marked by a lot of emotion and tension. Both teams had chances to score during the 90 minutes and extra time, but the defenses prevailed. Goalkeeper Rui Patrício was the standout of the night, saving two penalty kicks and securing the victory for Portugal.
The game started with Spain dominating possession and creating good opportunities. However, Portugal defended well and managed to balance the actions. The first big chance came from Cristiano Ronaldo, who hit the crossbar with a beautiful shot from outside the box.
In the second half, both teams continued to seek the goal, but were hindered by the opposing defenses. The extra time was even more thrilling, with chances for both sides. However, neither team managed to find the back of the net.
In the penalty shootout, Portugal was more efficient and converted all their kicks. On the other hand, Spain missed two penalties, being stopped by Rui Patrício’s hands. With this, the Portuguese national team won the Eurocup title for the second time in history.
Portugal’s victory was widely celebrated by the fans, who filled the streets of the country’s main cities. Coach Fernando Santos praised the grit and determination of his players, highlighting the importance of teamwork.
With this achievement, Portugal consolidates itself as one of the powerhouses of European football. The national team had already won the Eurocup in 2016 and now clinches the title again, showing that it has a strong and competitive squad.
Eurocup 2024 will be remembered in the history of Portuguese football as another great achievement. The team demonstrated its quality and overcame adversities to achieve the long-awaited title. Now, the players return to the country as true heroes, celebrated by millions of fans.
