Kamui mistaking driver for race marshal cost Toyota Le Mans win

[John S]

Clutch burned by false start/stop & wrong mode restart. 

Tricky things these hybrid cars, glad I don't have one. 

https://www.motorsportweek.com/news/id/15036

[cosworth151]

It's never the car's fault at Toyota. There is an old story (told as a true story, but I doubt it) about a Toyota F1 car that dropped out of a race with an electrical failure. When the connecting rod came out through the side of the block, it knocked the alternator off.

That said, Akio Toyoda issued a statement about his team at Le Mans. It's very good & not what I'd expect from the head of a major manufacturer.

http://www.racer.com/wec-le-mans/item/141564-akio-toyoda-issues-comment-on-lm24

[lkjohnson1950]

The Toyota was designed to run fully electric in the pits. In fact they were bump starting the V6 at pit out, to save the starter and battery. Kamui was supposed to hold until the field passed behind the pace car, but he saw the P2 driver waving him through (the P2 guy did not want Kamui to block his pit stall), mistook him for an official and started to leave. He realized his mistake and stopped again but the stop, hold, start, stop, hold sequence overheated the clutch. A couple other drivers said it's a very easy mistake to make as the visibility there is not the best. Toyota won both races leading up to LeMans and really thought this was their year.

[Alianora La Canta]

Also, for reasons best known to themselves, the organisers allowed that particular team to have an orange-and-black overall pattern similar to the marshals' overalls.

[Scott]

...the car dropped out of a race with an electrical failure. When the connecting rod came out through the side of the block, it knocked the alternator off.

 

Really too bad about the tech problems...the President of Toyota almost sounded like he was going to go Hare Kare himself after that speech. 

I think like Ali said, it was a poor decision to dress their team so similar to the officials uniforms.

[Jericoke]

...the car dropped out of a race with an electrical failure. When the connecting rod came out through the side of the block, it knocked the alternator off.

 

Really too bad about the tech problems...the President of Toyota almost sounded like he was going to go Hare Kare himself after that speech. 

I think like Ali said, it was a poor decision to dress their team so similar to the officials uniforms.

Seems to me that there is isn't much official uniformity to official uniforms.  It's entirely possible no one would have known there was a problem until everyone showed up dressed the same.

Hopefully going forward someone will give some thought, and actually police how team uniforms appear, after giving them a list of forbidden design/colours (e.g., matching of officials, designs reserved for title sponsors)