Racing the new GR Yaris: insights from our driver

IT WAS the closest racing yet seen in the Toyota GR Cup Challenge this season as we tackled the Aldo Scribante Circuit in Gqeberha.

- WILLEM VAN DE PUTTE

When we arrived at the track on Thursday, we were greeted by our new stripped-out racing GR Yaris replete with more power, new livery, roll cage, upgraded brakes, exhaust and a new eight-speed Direct Automatic Transmission (DAT).

New challenge

Our first two outings in the six-speed manual GR Yaris were behind us and we were now faced with a new challenge; getting to grips with a completely new set-up.

Leeroy Poulter and his team of technicians at Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa had pulled the proverbial rabbit out of a hat by stripping and converting six cars into GR Cup Media Challenge track weapons in a month.

The weekend would follow the normal format with three practice sessions on Friday, qualifying on Saturday morning, followed by two races.

Practice

We were first out early on Friday on a track that was slightly moist and covered in fine sand from a construction site close by.

First though we had to bed the brakes for three laps, gently at first and then increasingly more aggressive before we could floor the GR Yaris with less than 200 kilometres on the clock.

I had printed out a copy of the track’s 2.48km layout and downloaded a few in-car camera clips to create a picture in my head of what to expect.

Reality though is different and corners, hairpins, kinks and sweeps approach a lot quicker than watching it on a screen.

To compound matters the slippery surface saw a few butt-clenching moments around the S's, hairpin corner and sharp right-hander before the main straight.