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Porsche Edged By Toyota For Drivers’, Manufacturers’ Titles In The WEC Season

In addition to the tremendously upsetting crash sustained by Mark Webber in the No. 20 Porsche 919 Hybrid, the FIA WEC finale race in Brazil over the weekend produced another bit of sad news for Porsche; the team lost both the drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles to Toyota Racing this WEC season.

It wasn’t all bad for Porsche, though; the team managed to pilot the No. 14 Porsche 919 Hybrid to finish first, their only overall win for the car’s inaugural WEC season.

As for Toyota Racing, Motorsports.com reports that the team is elated about their first manufacturers’ title since the 1999 World Rally Championship. This is also the first time a Japanese manufacturer has ever clinched the title, since the very first WEC season in 1953.

The journey to get to this manufacturer victory started in 2006, when Toyota first began developing a hybrid drive system for motorsports application, initially using it in a Supra-based race car. Since then, the team has brought the output up to nearly 1,000 horsepower, and increased efficiency and lightness in the process.

As for Porsche, perhaps that the No. 14 919 Hybrid finished first is a show of glory-to-come in the next WEC season, after a difficult and trouble-prone inaugural series. The automaker has big plans ahead for further developing its advanced hybrid race car, and chances are strong that the team will put on a heck of a show in the 2015 WEC season.

Aaron Birch is an automotive enthusiast and writer/filmmaker from Detroit, MI. As a rule, he only buys cars older than himself.

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