Porsche’s Kevin Estre felt Toyota rival Ryo Hirakawa was “blocking me all over the place” regardless of being proven blue flags on an outlap in Sunday’s Fuji WEC race.
Lengthy-time race chief Estre encountered the #8 Toyota GR010 HYBRID of Hirakawa originally of the sixth hour after the Japanese driver got here into the pits comparatively early for his ultimate pitstop.
Driving the #6 Porsche Penske 963 LMDh, Estre continued to shut in on Hirakawa, who was first proven a blue flag on the Flip 8 kink. However after working nostril to tail on the Dunlop chicane, Estre and Hirakawa made contact on the lengthy Flip 15 hairpin, with the Toyota driver subsequently working off the observe.
Rejoining the circuit, Hirakawa briefly moved forward of Estre into Flip 16, earlier than the Porsche driver lastly accelerated away from him on the principle straight to place a lap on him.
Talking after clinching his second win of the yr along with team-mates Laurens Vanthoor and Andre Lotterer, Estre claimed that Hirakawa had no intention to let him by simply regardless of being obliged to take action.
The 30-year-old was later deemed responsible of ignoring blue flags and handed a drive-through penalty by the stewards.
“The #8 Toyota got here out on chilly tyres, a minimum of on one aspect [of the car],” Estre defined. “It was a bit slower and it was about to get one lap down and he positively didn’t drive to let me [by]. He blocked all over the place and I needed to cross him, and he handed me, and so forth.
“It was fairly scorching, we had a bit of contact in Flip 15. In order that they threw stuff at us however we’re stronger this yr. In order that they preserve throwing however someway they do not succeed, which is nice for us.”
#6 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963: Kevin Estre
Photograph by: Andreas Beil
Hirakawa was working fourth on advantage earlier than pitting and would have regained the lap he misplaced to Estre after the Porsche driver made his personal cease later within the ultimate hour. However the drive-through penalty meant the #8 GR010 Hybrid Hirakawa shared with Sebastien Buemi and Brendon Hartley may end no greater than tenth, costing Toyota the lead within the producers’ standings to Porsche.
Hirakawa admitted that he didn’t need to make it simple for Estre to lap him, however felt that the French driver additionally deserved to be penalised for pushing him off the observe.
“I knew that I used to be preventing with automobile #6,” he mentioned. “Once I noticed in mirror automobile #6, I attempted to deal with my tyre prep. After all I’d not go simple on them.
“After which automobile #6 simply pushed me off at Flip 15. That is it. Apparently, I had an infringement for a blue flag. I feel I had [done] nothing fallacious.
“Once I heard there was an investigation for automobile #8 and automobile #6, I assumed possibly automobile #6 will get a penalty as a result of he pushed me off. Was a little bit of a shock.”
#6 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963: Kevin Estre, Andre Lotterer, Laurens Vanthoor
Photograph by: Andreas Beil
In its report, the stewards said that “automobile 8 was proven blue flag on a number of events and will haven’t continued to battle with automobile 6 in flip 13-14-15-16”.
However Toyota’s technical director David Floury was unimpressed by the choice to penalise Hirakawa, insisting that he wasn’t given sufficient time to let Estre cross him.
The sanction was significantly important because it has left Toyota dealing with a 10-point deficit to Porsche within the producers’ standings with simply the Bahrain finale season to run.
“As soon as once more we will query the selections that have been taken in opposition to us,” he mentioned. “Clearly [with] blue flags you get a penalty when you’ve gotten a blue flag for 2 sectors [and] we get the blue flag [for the] first time in Flip 8.
“We have been offsetting the technique as a result of we had determined to chop brief that stint to go for a full stint on the finish of the race with new tyres. So we have been offset just about, we have been like 25-30s behind automobile #6 and never a full lap [down].
“In any case, we obtained a blue flag in flip 8, which is the primary time, and he [Estre] pushed us off in Flip 15. We left room for him to go by, he hit us, pushed us off observe and we get a penalty as a result of we made contact with him.
He added: “I wish to perceive as a result of I’ve clearly not seen the identical motion just lately and it is turning into loads [more difficult] this season.
“I’ve seen extra penalties for yellow flag infringement in that race than within the final 4 seasons altogether. This can be a consequence of the truth that in Austin we complained about this case.
“Clearly not pleased with [how] the sporting facets are dealt with.”
By the way, the opposite automobiles from Toyota and Porsche have been additionally concerned in a collision, with Kamui Kobayashi taking the blame for the collision that put the #7 GR010 HYBRID out of the race.
Learn Additionally:
Watch: Again-to-back wins in Fuji | WEC 6 hours of Fuji Highlights
