Toyota GAZOO Racing heads to Texas this weekend for the second North American trip in short succession, the 6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas.
2016 WEC Round 6 Preview
Following the event in Mexico City two weeks ago, the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) travels 1,500km north to the city of Austin for round six of the 2016 season on Saturday 17 September.
Another podium finish is the target, following a competitive showing in Mexico which saw the #6 TS050 Hybrid of Stéphane Sarrazin, Mike Conway and Kamui Kobayashi take third place and move into second in the drivers' World Championship.
The team will be back to full strength again, with Anthony Davidson returning after he missed the last race due to bruised ribs. He joins Sébastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima in the #5, which did not finish in Mexico due to a technical issue.
As in Nürburgring and Mexico, the TS050 Hybrids will again use the ultra-high-downforce aerodynamic package which showed strong race pace last time out in changing weather conditions.
2016 WEC Round 6 Preview
The 5.513km Circuit of the Americas, located 19km south of Austin, is a firm favourite among drivers thanks to its unique design, which is a perfect showcase for the high-speed, high-grip LMP1 cars.
Weather conditions are a talking point, with temperatures above 30°C creating a challenging environment for drivers and pit crew, who must wear fireproof overalls during all sessions. As well as heat, thunder storms have previously disrupted the event, notably in 2014 when a race-day downpour caused chaos.
Toyota GAZOO Racing has finished on the podium in all bar two races this season and will aim to do so again by fighting at the front of the field with its competitors Audi and Porsche.
Work towards that goal will begin on Thursday with two 90-minute practice sessions before final practice and qualifying on Friday. Saturday's race begins at 17:00 local time, meaning fans can enjoy the spectacle of LMP1 cars racing into the night.