Kobayashi made the comments after the pair of Toyota GR010 HYBRID Le Mans Hypercars ended up 13th and 16th in the combined times from the four sessions of the Prologue test on Monday and Tuesday at the start of race week for the Qatar 1812Km WEC season-opener.
He explained that Toyota struggled with graining of its Michelin tyres on the smooth surface of the 3.37-mile Losail International Circuit, which was resurfaced for last year.
“It was a couple of frustrating days; we were struggling a lot,” said Kobayashi after his new team-mate in the #7 Toyota, Nyck de Vries, set a best lap for Toyota that was nearly 1.4s off the pace. “We are definitely hard on the tyres — we cannot really manage the tyres.
“I think we are a little bit lost; every lap I am driving differently and I have to apologise to the team because I am driving like an amateur.
“We are having graining, even on the hard tyre. The tyres are giving up so quick: once you overdrive the tyres are done.”
Kobayashi suggested that Toyota, which won the WEC drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles last year, has modest aspirations for the Qatar event. “We are not dreaming of something,” he said.
Source: Autosport