Why Toyota is giving a scapegoat a second chance
Toyota brutally dumped Nicolas Lapierre from the line-up that ultimately won the 2014 WEC, but has recalled him for its extra car this year. What does the about-face say about its original decision?
Bizarre yet expedient. That's how I would describe the recall of Nicolas Lapierre to Toyota's World Endurance Championship squad two-and-a-half years after he was dropped.
Lapierre's return to the Toyota ranks to drive its third car at the Le Mans 24 Hours and, by way of preparation, the Spa WEC round in May is strange on two counts. It is an unlikely volte-face for a manufacturer that's from a nation where the concept of saving face - or rather not losing it - is part of daily life.
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Gary Watkins has, for reasons best known to himself, devoted all his working life to covering sportscar racing. This season is his 33rd as a motorsport journalist, during which time he has reported on major long-distance events on four continents and approaching 80 24-hour races. He reckons a degree in political philosophy makes him well qualified for covering the sometimes Machiavellian world of international sportscars.
Gary, who also writes for Motor Sport, Autocourse, RACER and others, lives in Surbiton close to the former workshops of the Cooper Formula 1 team but spends more time on the road than at home for most of the year.
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