Toyota driver Mike Conway will miss this weekend’s Austin spherical of the World Endurance Championship with a shoulder harm and shall be changed by Jose Maria Lopez.
Conway injured his collarbone final week in what was described by Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe as a “coaching incident”.
Lopez will stand in for the Briton within the #7 Toyota GR010 HYBRID Le Mans Hypercar alongside Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries for the Lone Star Le Mans 6-hour race on 7 September.
This additionally occurred on the 2024 Le Mans 24 Hours when Conway sustained accidents to his shoulder and ribs in a biking accident.
TGR has not named a reserve or check driver for this season, however it confirmed that Lopez could be on standby at Le Mans: he examined a GR010 at Paul Ricard over the winter to ensure that him to remain present with the automotive.
Lopez strikes over from the Auto Sport Promotion LMGT3 squad, which represents Toyota sister model Lexus within the WEC.
#7 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 – Hybrid: Mike Conway
Picture by: JEP / Motorsport Photographs
No additional particulars of Conway’s accidents have been launched, nor a prognosis on whether or not he’s more likely to be slot in time to participate in Toyota’s residence race at Fuji on 28 September.
Kobayashi, who can be group principal of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe WEC squad, stated: “After all, we’re all dissatisfied that Mike can not be part of us in #7, however Jose has proved he’s a really succesful substitute.
“In addition to wishing Mike a fast restoration, I want to say an enormous due to AKKODIS ASP for his or her assist in permitting Jose to step in.”
Lopez, who was a full-time member of Toyota’s WEC line-up in 2017-23, stated: “I’m unhappy for Mike, who is a good good friend, and I do know he’s so dissatisfied that he can not race in Austin.
“It’s an surprising alternative for me to work with everybody within the group once more, and I’m positive it is going to be identical to previous occasions in a short time.”
Anticipated excessive temperatures and the calls for of the anti-clockwise 3.43-mile Circuit of the Americas clarify why Toyota has introduced in Lopez relatively than operating simply two drivers.
Jose Maria Lopez, Akkodis ASP
Picture by: AKKA-ASP
Sebastien Buemi was allowed by Toyota to overlook the Sao Paolo WEC spherical final month with the intention to compete within the Berlin Method E occasion and wasn’t changed alongside Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa within the #8 GR010.
Porsche is returning to a three-driver line-up for the North American spherical of the WEC as deliberate for a similar causes.
IMSA SportsCar Championship regulars Mathieu Jaminet and Matt Campbell have been recalled to the respective cockpits of the #5 and #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 LMDhs.
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