David Floury, technical director at Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe, made the declare after Kamui Kobayashi, Nyck de Vries and Mike Conway took victory within the Imola 6 Hours after Ferrari made two key strategic errors.
“I don’t suppose we needs to be carried away as a result of it was a race selected a tyre name, not on pure tempo,” he mentioned.
“In the event you take a look at pure tempo on quickest lap time, Ferrari is 4 tenths sooner than us.
“We received with out being quickest, so it was received on technique and group execution.”
He added that the dearth of tempo of the GR010 compared with Ferrari’s 499P LMH was “not one thing we’re pleased with”.
Floury paid tribute to Kobayashi’s drive over the ultimate two hours to seal the victory when rain began to fall.
The Japanese driver, who can be group principal of the TGR WEC squad, had to enter excessive fuel-save mode over his last stint to keep away from the necessity for a late splash-and-dash cease concurrently keeping off a problem from the manufacturing unit Porsche 963 LMDh with Kevin Estre on the wheel.
“Once we began the ultimate stint we had been scratching our heads a bit, questioning how we had been going to handle it,” defined Floury.
#7 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 – Hybrid: Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, Nyck de Vries
Photograph by: Emanuele Clivati | AG Photograph
“Kamui did a incredible job saving vitality whereas staying in entrance.
“We did the job at this time: the group did the proper execution and Kamui was good on the finish.”
Ferrari was within the ascendency for practically 4 hours in Sunday’s race earlier than delaying the change from slicks to wet-weather tyres on each manufacturing unit vehicles and the client or satellite tv for pc AF Corse entry when it began to rain.
The Italian producer admitted to creating tactical errors after the race, saying that it misinterpreted its climate forecast.
It additionally revealed {that a} plan to separate its methods on the 2 manufacturing unit vehicles was not executed on account of what it described as a communication downside.
The victory for Toyota on Sunday follows a disappointing efficiency within the Qatar 1812Km WEC season-opener in March, during which it scored a greatest results of fifth, a lap in arrears of the profitable Porsche Penske Motorsport entry.
A Steadiness of Efficiency change helped shake up the order at Imola, though Floury hinted that he believes that the taking part in area has but to be totally levelled within the Hypercar class but.
He talked concerning the discrepancies in straightline pace between the vehicles after each qualifying and the race.
#50 Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P Hypercar of Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen
Photograph by: JEP / Motorsport Images
Floury described the 5-6km/h distinction in high speeds between the 499P and the GR010 as “massive in a BoP world” after qualifying after which prompt that Ferrari was “out of sight” post-race.
A brand new element within the BoP often called “energy acquire” is ready for introduction within the Hypercar class of the WEC this 12 months with the goal of levelling the efficiency profiles of the vehicles down the straights.
A plus or minus determine will likely be utilized to the utmost energy determine for every automotive above 210km/h (130mph) to extra precisely match their acceleration and high speeds.
The system was trialled by some producers in the course of the pre-Qatar Prologue check and had regarded set for an Imola introduction.
The FIA and the Vehicle Membership de l’Ouest, which collectively run the WEC, have but to divulge to the producers when it is going to be launched.