Talent

Mike Conway's FIA WEC campaign kicks off in Qatar

Date:
February 28, 2024

Mike Conway and his TOYOTA GAZOO Racing team are ready to take on the new FIA World Endurance Championship season as they line up against the biggest-ever grid of Hypercar competition when the campaign begins in Qatar this week.

Entering his tenth year with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing, Mike has racked up an impressive 72 race starts and collected an outstanding 21 race wins and 36 podiums in the top class of the World Endurance Championship - being crowned World Champion twice in the 2019/20 and 2021 seasons.

Mike’s record makes him the most successful British driver ever in the FIA WEC with twenty-one wins, and last year's campaign saw the #7 crew round out the season as the most winningest team in 2023, having scored four race wins from seven races, narrowly missing out on setting the all-time record for wins in a season to finish second in the championship standings.

Entering 2024, Mike is part of an experienced and proven line-up in the #7 GR010 HYBRID, racing alongside Team Principal Kamui Kobayashi and newcomer Nyck de Vries.

The latest GR010 HYBRID made its public debut during WEC’s official Prologue pre-season test this week, held at Lusail International Circuit in Qatar, with Mike and his teammates finishing 13th overall in their #7 GR010 HYBRID.

The 5.419km circuit will also host the first of eight races in 2024, the inaugural Qatar 1812 KM. It takes place on 2 March, starting at 11am local time (8am GMT), and runs for 1,812km – in tribute to the Gulf state’s 18 December national day – or a maximum of 10 hours.

Mike Conway:

“Ten years sounds like a lifetime, but it has flown by. It’s been really memorable in terms of the different cars, different team-mates and lots of fun over the years. I have enjoyed each and every year, and I am sure 2024 will be no different. I hope we can continue where we left off last season, when the #7 car won four races. With even more competitors, the job is only going to get harder, but we have a lot of momentum on our side and we need to build on that. Qatar is a new track for everyone; we want to hit the ground running with a strong performance.”

“We used the Prologue to discover what we need from the car and prepare ourselves for the race. It is not going to be easy but we completed a lot of laps so we have the data, and we will work to improve. The Prologue is finished and now we are into race week, so I’m counting down the days until Saturday.”