FUJI SPEEDWAY!

We were invited to the WEC 2023 Fuji Speedway, and it will be our first time at a major motorsports event. It’s true that more and more people are attending motor sports events like F1 races and Daytona each year, and that these experiences have changed my perspective and made me fall in love with the sport. However, if you haven’t had the chance to check out WEC, I think you should rethink twice and come nevertheless because there’s so much to see and experience. I’ve never been to anything like this before, and just knowing that I’ll be a part of it is incredible. But as I made my way deeper into the Fuji Speedway arena, I realized that I was going to have the time of my life there, getting an unprecedented look inside the World Endurance Championship.

The View From Chopper Tour

The View From Fuiji Speedway

the tour for the helicopter that gave you a great view from Fuji Speedway was something I needed to reconsider because I‘m definitely afraid of heights, but something came over me and I decided that it‘s a once in a lifetime opportunity to look at such beautiful scenery from the Speedway and Shizuoka Japan and there were definitely no regrets. It‘s difficult to describe in words or photographs how amazing and breathtaking it was to see all of the race drivers driving around and competing while you‘re so high in the air. It‘s definitely one of those things that you should definitely experience if you have the chance.

for most of you that don’t know about this amazing organization let me break it down for you

The FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) is the official world championship for sports cars. As a newcomer, the more than 30 cars and the long races may seem a little unfamiliar. To give you an easy introduction,

This season’s races vary from six hours at Spa-Francorchamps, Portimao, Fuji, and Monza to eight hours at Bahrain or Sebring and 24 hours at Le Mans. This allows for the development of a true plan and places a high demand on the teams. Cars that start on pole or are fast early in the race do not always have to be at the front later in the race. This is owing, in part, to the fact that the time span allows for significant weather and temperature swings. Another element is relinquishing control of the vehicle to a colleague. The racing plan is the key to success.

The ruleset is another crucial aspect of the WEC. Sports car racing, including the FIA World Endurance Championship, has always had looser rules than other series. Many factory teams in the top division use hybrid technology in addition to conventional combustion engines. On the other side, normally aspirated engines are used by private teams to keep expenses down. In LMP2, chassis and engine choices are limited to help keep costs down. To guarantee that all GTE Am cars are competitive on the circuit, a Balance of Performance system is used.

We did had the opportunity to chat with a few race drivers, including Ferrari, Iron Dames, and Corvette. Let’s have a look at these interviews to hear from the drivers themselves on the enthusiasm and hard work it takes to compete in the WEC’s six-hour race.

Hello I‘m James colado and I drive for Ferrari #51 car

FUSION: The race was tight, but Toyota eventually came out on top. What did you predict to happen today?

James: Today‘s expectations were pretty much where we finished we finished in P4 and P5 we knew before the race that it would be a bit tricky because Fuji is a very tight twisty circuit that doesn‘t suit our car so well our car is designed more for tracks like lemons so yeah we scored some points but obviously we‘re disappointed not to be a bit better than where we were we have a lot of work to finish the end of this year!What were the expectations today, considering that you did not win the race and that it was a tight call, but Toyota won?

FUSION: You won the Le Mans race, which was hosted in France, and you did such an excellent job in securing that victory, so what is your current focus?

James: So after 50 years, we returned to Le Mans and won the big one, which was truly an amazing achievement for us and the team. Obviously, coming here and finishing fifth isn‘t the same result, but as I said, you take it race by race and we continue to push, so for a first year in general, I think we‘ve done an amazing job as a team.

FUSION: Let‘s chat about what new emphasis you‘d want to focus on for the next races.

James: So after this weekend I think we‘ll head back to Maranello, study, and try to improve the car, setup for Bahrain, the final race of the season; we‘re currently third in the championship, so yeah, the goal is to try to stay in third and be on the podium by the end; however, we still need to study, keep working, and attempt to improve the car, as this is only our first year in the championship after so long.

FUSION: You were on Fuji Speedway today, talk about today‘s event, so many people were out there waiting for autographs and photographs with you all, how was the experience for you and your team?

James: So being at Fuji is always a fantastic experience, and the crowds are simply incredible. I love Japanese people because they‘re so friendly and they support Ferrari not just Toyota, so thank