Both of Toyota’s TS050 Hybrids took turns to lead this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours and were entrenched in a classic duel with the eventual number two winning Porsche. The number five Toyota was poised to win in the hands of Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima before incredible late drama. Starting what would have been the penultimate lap, with Nakajima at the wheel, the TS050 suffered a sudden loss of power – later linked to a technical defect on a connector on the air line between the turbo charger and the intercooler, causing a loss of turbo charger control. Despite strenuous efforts to restore drive, the car struggled round the lap and stopped on the start-finish line. It was eventually restarted and completed the final lap too slowly to be classified.
There are a lot of hard luck stories in motor sport, but Toyota has had more than its fair share over the journey. If you’re in any doubt that the Japanese squad should pay a visit to Lourdes or have a rabbit’s foot as a permanent feature in their cock-pit, then read on.