Toyota Racing driver Mike Conway is ready and hungry for his 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship debut at the Lone Star Le Mans weekend at Austin. He shares the No.7 Toyota TS 040 Hybrid with Stéphane Sarrazin and Alex Wurz, replacing the unavailable Kazuki Nakajima.
The 31-year-old British racer is well known to US fans from his ongoing Indycar career and a successful 2013 COTA appearance when he took the LMP2 silverware with Roman Rusinov and John Martin in the G-Drive Oreca-Nissan.
We spoke to Mike as he prepared for action at the fourth round of the 2014 FIA WEC at Circuit of The Americas.
How have preparations gone ahead of COTA?
“Very well. I can’t wait to get started in a racing environment for Toyota Racing this weekend. I tested the car earlier in the year and also for a few days recently (at Magny Cours), as well as doing a fair bit in the simulator at Cologne. I have also been working closely with the engineers so the preparation has been very good. When I came in to sportscars the aim was to race an LMP1 car and now that is happening so I am very happy and highly motivated to do the best job possible.”
Do you get a particular affinity with a track you have previously been successful at?
“Regardless of the result last year, which obviously has good memories for me, the COTA track is a great circuit to attack and very satisfying to drive. For a new track it has a lot of character to it with a really quick first sector and a good variety of different corners. It will obviously be a distinct challenge to last year in regards to managing the traffic, but we are looking good going in to the event.”
Will you be feeding off Stéphane (Sarrazin) and Alex (Wurz) LMP1 experience?
“Well, that is the great thing about endurance racing, you have this pool of knowledge and experience that you can work together with and really maximise. I worked with Stéphane and Alex closely in pre-season testing and I think we will form a good unit together at COTA. Of course their experience is useful for me to know everything about the Toyota TS 040 Hybrid.”
What can you say about opportunities for you in 2015?
“Obviously I would love to be racing full time for Toyota Racing and that is the goal but at present we are very much focused on COTA. 2015 will be discussed at the end of the season so at the moment I am completely fixed on this weekend.”
From what you have seen from the racing so far, how do you view the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship?
“Obviously Porsche have come in with a huge presence which is great for the Championship and Toyota from the competition point of view. Next year there is another manufacturer and maybe more in the pipeline so from my point of view it is ‘bring it on’ because you always want to fight against the best. All in all it is great to see these exciting times in the FIA World Endurance Championship.”
Sam Smith
