FIA and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest have announced that the ban on pre-heating of tyres, scheduled for 2023, will be temporarily suspended for the Sarthe race, after a series of accidents in the previous 6h of Spa prompted calls for a rethinking the decision.
Kobayashi was among the most explicit in denouncing the potential safety risks deriving from the impossibility of using the tire heating in the cold temperatures of Spa.
The former Formula 1 driver has backed the decision to bring back tire pre-heating systems at Le Mans, fearing a serious accident involving a gentleman driver could have occurred without them.
“As a professional driver I don’t think it’s a big deal, but Le Mans means there are Bronze (amateur) category drivers and that increases the possibility of a big collision or crash, which we don’t want to happen,” Kobayashi said. at Motorsport.com.
“So I respect the decisions of the FIA and the ACO, safety comes first. I think the goal of reducing CO2 emissions is something we have to try to do, but we have to consider how to combine this aspect with that of safety” .
#7 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 Hybrid Hypercar of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, Jose Maria Lopez
Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images
Asked if he agreed with the ban on warming up the tires also for the next WEC race in Monza, Kobayashi replied: “Le Mans is raced at night, which increases the risk, but in Monza, “If the weather is good, it won’t be a big problem. I don’t have big problems, but we don’t want a big crash for the Le Mans centenary.”
Hirakawa, whose #8 Toyota TS050 HYBRID teammate Brendon Hartley crashed on cold tires during qualifying at Spa, echoed Kobayashi’s thoughts.
“From a safety perspective, I think the FIA and the ACO have made a good decision,” Hirakawa told Motorsport.com. “Making the out lap on cold tires at night would have been very challenging, and Brendon went out like that at Spa when he wasn’t pushing.
“When the track temperature is so low, it’s difficult and we only have three types of tyres. It’s a bit limiting when you have to do a double stint.”
However, Hirakawa noted that Toyota’s lack of testing opportunities with the use of 2023-spec preheated tires could put the Japanese marque at a disadvantage compared to its hypercar rivals, many of which are not subject to the same restrictions.
Even though Toyota completed the traditional pre-Le Mans shakedown at Spa last week, it is known that the two days of testing were run on special testing tires and not the same rubber that would have been used in the race.
“The problem is that we have never tested this year’s tires without heaters, while other manufacturers can test,” said Hirakawa. “This could be a disadvantage for us, even if we still have the official test day at Le Mans.
“The tires are very different in terms of behavior compared to last year, even if the brands are the same. It will still be challenging for us even with the heat.”
