Has has yet to find out the full potential of its partnership with Toyota – but it has already helped one of its driver fulfill childhood dreams, as Estaban Okon The GR Yaris rally was found to run 1 car during the Gudwood Festival of Speed.
“I kept telling them because we went to Japan how I love cars and how I always wanted to test a WRC car,” Ocon told Autosport. “He gave me his first taste of gravel driving on a proper track with a road car GR Yaris in Japan (earlier this year). And yes, I think the request himself came from the boss, (Akio) Toyoda.
“And honestly, I could not thank them enough. I did not sleep too much before night. It was a dream, honestly, honestly, to drive this car.”
The team initially kept it secret from the oakon until they watched their program for the Goodwood event.
“So, I get it and I start looking at it, and I see ‘Estaban, WRC’,” he misses. “So, I told Ayao (Komatsu, Principal of the Hospital), ‘Ayo, what is that? Is I running WRC?’ And he likes, ‘No, no, we just made a mistake.’ And then he starts laughing.
“And I like, ‘Okay, so what is it?” He likes, ‘No, no, in fact, you sit as a co-operator.’ And then he laughs again.
“This was the experience I always wanted. When I was younger, I had a dream – one day, if I am successful in Formula 1 – Buy a WRC car that I can drive every day. And then go to the shop with it!
Experience “not disappointed” Okon – not at least because they both drove the WRC car and ride a passenger with Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta.
“It was super impressive,” he said. “With some cars, perhaps sometimes you test and you prefer, because you drive an F1 car, you are a bit banging with everything else.
“But it was incredible. How much super engineer it is. It reminds me of DTM cars. Basically everything is a prototype. Everything is so well thought out. Handbreak super is easy, you don’t need to use the clutch. The steering super smooth feels, very easy.
“Do you know what was the most effective? Jumping on the edge of Takamoto Katsusa. If I left it only, I would have thought, yes, grip, grip, not so great and that is so great. But when I jumped towards him, I used to like, ‘Okay, it’s something else.” ,
Estaban Okon tried WRC cars with Takmoto Katsusa
By photo: Toyota racing
Will Ocon consider holding rallies in the future?
“For entertainment, after my F1 career, of course,” they say. “But this is never a rally in 1 category. I think I will probably give them a call to a test at some point, to have fun. If they give me opportunity.
But to rely on me to run these cars on the rally stage, I will always be grateful for Toyota because it is great. ,
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