The 1,000hp, four-wheel-drive hybrid prototype will compete in its 16th race, marking the end of an era wearing the #1 it earned by winning both drivers’ and manufacturers’ World Championships in 2014. That #1 car will be driven by Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima in Bahrain, with the #2 piloted by Alex, Stéphane Sarrazin and Mike Conway in a race which starts in daylight and finishes in darkness. Bahrain will see Alex’s final race before retirement, as announced last week. In his four seasons with the team, he has played a central role in technical development, as well as contributing to development of the whole team to meet the specific demands of endurance racing.
Prior to the this weekend’s race, Alex has taken part in 27 WEC races for TOYOTA, winning five and finishing on the podium a total of 11 times. Alex’s most recent win came in Bahrain last year, alongside Stéphane and Mike. That put him alongside Anthony and Sébastien on five wins for the team, the most for any TOYOTA driver in WEC.
Bahrain also holds a special significance for the TS040 HYBRID as it was the location where Anthony and Sébastien secured their drivers’ crown last year, and it is a track on which TOYOTA has won twice in three attempts. Whilst representing the perfect farewell to car and driver, another win is considered unlikely given the relative performance of Audi and Porsche. Nevertheless, the team heads to Bahrain determined to end the TS040 HYBRID era in positive fashion. Since its first race at Silverstone in April 2014, the TS040 HYBRID has won five races, including three one-twos. In total, it has finished on the podium 13 times and started from pole position four times, including the 2014 Le Mans 24 Hours.
