Alex Wurz will be back behind the wheel of a Toyota LMP1 car tomorrow for the first time since the 2016 Le Mans Test Day (when he tested as part of his role as the then Reserve Driver).
He tested with the team at Aragon two weeks ago and has already had a sharp reminder of just how involving the task ahead is going to be.
“It is incredibly taxing in the car, it is not just a matter of trying to bring out the best times in the traditional way, the car is so complex that you must make 2 or three adjustments in the cockpit after every couple of corners to get the very best out of it, if you don’t you’ll lose 1-2 seconds on every lap.
“If you don’t make those adjustments effectively enough and drop out of the operating window for the car then the adjustments will be made automatically but that system will still lose that same amount of time, 1-2 seconds per lap. In these cars the driver really does make a real difference.”
“After my first long run in the car at Aragon I got out and couldn’t breathe, not because I was physically affected, but simply through the mental and sensory overload. It took time to get used to the intensity of it, but having done it before it kicked back in really very quickly.
“It was though a real wake-up for me to how intensive the mental work-rate is for the drivers of these cars.”
It provided an opportunity for Alex to sample how far the Toyota Hybrid LMP1 technology had progressed in the last two seasons.
“Of course I know what has been achieved in the pure numbers, but actually experiencing it in the car is something else, the battery technology, the power delivery, all of it is much better. But much more than that the user friendliness of the systems, and their integration with each other, massive progress has been made there and these are areas where the R&D from our programme can really impact beyond the sport – it is really very impressive indeed.
The cars are world leaders in their aerodynamics and efficiency
“The cars are world leaders in their aerodynamics and efficiency, yes Formula One is still, as it should be, the pinnacle of the sport, not least because of the budgets involved, but the LMP1 Hybrids’ systems, and their integration with each other are astonishing.”
Alex also explained his other role in the team, helping the newer drivers behind the scenes.
“Yes, part of my role within the team is to help all of the new drivers, and of course this season that means Fernando (Alonso). There are three major areas I help them to adapt to: Managing the car’s systems, adapting to the tyres, the Michelins we use are made specifically for the four wheel drive and need to be managed in a very particular way, and of course, traffic management.
“These are all really important parts of getting the best out of the package, and they are not easy to adapt to at all. It can take some drivers quite some time to get there, that’s why every opportunity to get into the car is very important.”
