The non-score at Le Mans for #7, which resulted from Kobayashi being hit by two cars as he reduced speed for an 80km/h Slow Zone, followed a problem with one of the official series sensors on their GR010 at the Portimao round in April. That restricted them to ninth position and only two points.
Conway believes that the 41-point gap to the sister #8 Toyota GR010 HYBRID Le Mans Hypercar driven by Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa is too big to realistically overcome over the final three races, which begin this weekend with the Monza 6 Hours.
“Unless #8 has a complete disaster for the rest of the season, I don’t think we are going to win the championship,” he told Autosport.
“After what happened at Le Mans, the world championship seems out of reach this season for our car unfortunately. But to try to get second or third is something we can aim for.”
The crew of the #7 Toyota lies fifth in the Hypercar championship, only one point behind Ferrari drivers Antonio Fuoco, Nicklas Nielsen and Miguel Molina and four in arrears of the Cadillac trio of Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn and Richard Westbrook.
The Le Mans-winning Ferrari 499P LMH line-up of Antonio Giovinazzi, James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi is a further 12 points away in second position, 25 points behind Buemi and his team-mates.
Conway, Kobayashi and Lopez are the only Hypercar line-up to have won twice this year, at Sebring and then Spa, but because double points are on offer at Le Mans their championship chances have effectively been torpedoed.
“It can really skew the championship; the whole double-points thing for Le Mans is a bit annoying,” he said.
Source: Autosport