Preparing Motorsport's Tomorrow - Morizo Discusses on the Brink of Le Mans
Toyota Takes on a 37kg Handicap at Le Mans 2021
In a bid to ensure fair competition, the organizers of this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans have imposed a 37kg handicap on Toyota, making their lap times more than a second slower on the iconic Le Mans course.
Akio Morizo, the team's CEO, has expressed his disappointment with the Balance of Performance (BoP) adjustments, feeling they were designed to favor other teams. However, he remains focused on the future and the team's desire to compete as athletes, not politics.
Morizo, who flew from Japan to join the team heading to Le Mans, has been racing to promote hydrogen as an alternative fuel. He believes his personal racing efforts have helped change the common perception of hydrogen from a dangerous fuel to a future solution.
The website for this year's Le Mans has adopted a focus on pursuing multiple options, including hydrogen, for a sustainable future in racing. The conversation centered on BoP adjustments in racing, with Morizo emphasizing the importance of allowing athletes to compete in their sports for the future of motorsports.
The BoP system in motorsport is designed to equalize the performance of different cars, ensuring no single manufacturer or car model has a dominating advantage. It involves adjusting factors like weight, power output, aerodynamics, and fuel limits. This year, Toyota's hybrid prototype cars had consistently dominated the LMP1 category, prompting the organizers to implement weight penalties and power restrictions.
Morizo, speaking on behalf of athletes and fans, expressed a shared desire for sports to be enjoyed without interference. He emphasized the importance of stirring emotions through competition, even as efforts are made to preserve the roar and rumble of engines for future generations.
Despite the handicap, Morizo expressed a desire for open competition in sports, away from closed-door politics. He wants the race to be about competing as athletes, not politics. The team, with Morizo's leadership, is determined to challenge the handicap and put up a fight for the next 100 years, as they strive to see an honest fight on the track.
This translates to a difference of two laps by the end of 24 hours based on last year's qualifying time. Over 380 laps, the one-second handicap would add up to 6 minutes and 20 seconds. Morizo, however, remains optimistic, believing that the thrill of genuine sporting competition is crucial for exciting and captivating fans.
Toyota Times spoke with Morizo a day before the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where he reiterated his belief that his personal racing efforts have helped change the common perception of hydrogen from a dangerous fuel to a future solution. He welcomed returning manufacturers wholeheartedly and expressed a desire for the race to be about competing as athletes, not politics.
As the race approaches, Morizo's message is clear: he wants to see an honest fight on the track, a thrilling competition that stirs emotions and preserves the roar and rumble of engines for future generations. This year's Le Mans has adopted the slogan "Forever We Race", signifying a determination to keep racing alive in the age of carbon neutrality.
[1] For more information about the Balance of Performance (BoP) system, please refer to our previous article on the topic.
Sports-betting enthusiasts might find the handicap on Toyota's hybrid prototype cars for the Le Mans 2021 an intriguing factor in their predictions, given the 6 minutes and 20 seconds advantage it might provide to competitors due to the added weight and restricted power output. Meanwhile, sports-analysis experts are keeping a close eye on Akio Morizo's resolve to compete as an athlete, not as a pawn in political games, and how this determination could impact the team's performance and influence the future of motorsports.
