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First outing with the new eight-speed automatic gearbox proved impressive, but a bad qualifying and not so good first race almost ruined the weekend.
Newly black-and-red GR Yaris made its long awaited debut at Aldo Scribante. Image: Toyota Gazoo Racing
The Aldo Scribante racetrack outside what was previously known as Port Elizabeth has a reputation as one of the most demanding circuits in South Africa.
Aside from its tight, twisty and technical layout, it only has one real speed incentive, the main straight where cars either get close to or exceed 200 km/h for a few moments.
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Above all, the circuit is abrasive and famous for eating tyres at an alarming rate, with the final result being clumps of rubber or marbles at the side of the road, or a puncture.
These factors were probably not what Toyota had in mind when it finally debuted the facelift GR Yaris, complete with the new eight-speed Direct Automatic Transmission (DAT), for round three of the Toyota GR Cup this past weekend.
Supposed to have debuted at the last round at Kyalami, the replacement for the long-serving GR Yaris, fitted with the six-speed manual, has been an almost month long build over the April holidays.
Under the eye of preparations boss Leeroy Poulter, all six Yaris’ were finished in record time in preparation for the event, albeit with a slight caveat excluding the circuit
Being box fresh, no time was allocated for the cars to be tested before the event in readiness for the series that also forms part of the National Extreme Festival.
It, therefore, meant that unlike the previous GR Yaris’, none of us knew what to expect as our first acquaintance with the new black DAT, finished in each driver’s selected colour accent, would be during Friday morning’s practice session.
Adding further trepidation was the personal factor for me. Having attended my first race at Scribante almost exactly 30 years ago, the pressure to do well was mounting.
A thought that had spun through my mind ever since being announced as The Citizen’s driver in March, I had very little expectations of being up with championship leader Nabil Abdool (SuperSport), Kyle Kock (CAR Magazine) or Phuti Mpyane (TimesLive) as my last lap around the 2.4 km track was back in 2019 during a tyre test.
The biggest uncertainty, therefore, was still the cars. While supposedly easier to drive with the automatic ‘box, a decision still had to be made; leave it in Drive and let it go about its doings, or use manual model in conjunction with the gear shift paddles.
As much as the former has been touted by Toyota as being capable of shifting gears faster than using the paddles using what it calls predictive shift technology, the simple truth was that all of us were entering the unknown the moment we arrived for first practice.
Besides the DAT, Toyota has also extracted more power – 210kW/400Nm – from the G16E-GTS three-cylinder 1.6-litre turbocharged engine, fitted massively bigger brakes and upgraded the cooling system with a pair of radiators.
As part of the facelift, these have been recessed on the flanks of the front bumper where the fog lamps previously sat.
This provided yet another hazard as any side contact would result in probable retirement as parts from Japan weren’t yet present.
What’s more, the sight of our gleaming new toys came with another worry; the same tyres as Kyalami for practice, and advisory to heavily pump the brakes for two laps.
Seated inside, I was faced with the reality that, unlike four-year-old me, driving around Scribante would be tough and anything but easy.
Having decided to leave the DAT to sort itself out, carefully heading out came as a surreal experience.
Turn one, LuK Repco, is tight, turns two and three, the esses, are even trickier as going too fast will lead to a trip across the grass when you get it wrong, while getting it right will lead to the g-forces throwing you from side to side.
The fast Hanger sweep is next and requires either a lift for its fast right hand entry – again, get it right, and you are placed ideally for the hairpin that follows. But overdoing it will lead to grass cutting or hitting the tyre barriers.
Out of the hairpin, the circuit drops before entering what is known as Chevy Sweep. The same logic as Hanger applies: lift, but be ready to accept either a perfect exit, a trip into the barriers on the outside, or a spin and grass trekking on the left.
Finally, the Dunlop hairpin is all braking and possibly the easiest place to get past if you don’t comprise your exit heading onto the main straight, where slipstreaming and late braking into LuK Repco count.
Finishing practice one brought a massive sense of reality: even after two laps bleeding the brakes, no connection with the car occurred.
Feel was lacking everywhere, the early morning slippery track conditions weren’t helping, and my driving wasn’t good. My times reflected this as I had zero confidence with a dismal best run of 1.16.
Fortunately, things improved and despite a lairy off-road moment at the esses, by the end of sessions two and three, trust was building, the car was improving, and I was getting confident.
That being said, the boiling hot conditions and running the untested cars in Race mode saw the engine go into limp mode just as I finished my last flying lap.
While the new cooling system comes with a button activated sprayer that cools the intercooler at maximum acceleration, this only lasts for 10 seconds and seemingly, did little to prevent the engine’s reduced performance.
Along with the disintegrating tyres, the cars were drinking fuel at an alarming rate. Arriving back in the pits, the fuel gauge had gone well into the red and the dramatically reduced power so bad I nearly didn’t make it back.
With a time of 1.15.029, I was relatively happy in being ahead of my arch rival Willem van de Putte (IOL/Independent) and not far behind AutoTrader’s Lawrence Minnie.
Come qualifying, my confidence was at an all-time high as apart from new tyres, the weather was a lot cooler and unlikely to lead to any overheating issues. But then the penny dropped.
This meant only two chances to get it right while maintaining enough of a gap between the other Yaris and watching the mirrors for the GR Academy GR86s and the dealer-driven GR Corollas.
To preserve the new Dunlop Direzza rubber for both races, team orders were issued: two warm-up laps, two flying laps, and then pitlane-bound after the cool-down lap.
With the tyres heated, I nailed it. The car felt totally different, handled beautifully and was a joy to drive,
Having backed-off to give myself a decent gap, I finished my first run in 1.15. Starting lap two, I realised I had spoiled the lap of GR Corolla series leader Mario de Sousa, who himself was trying to improve on his final flying lap.
I pressed on, but small errors, plus the green Motus Corolla behind me, proved too much. As I crossed the line, with Mario having slowed and most likely enraged with me, my time made registered a slower pace than my first.
Unlike Kyalami, I could only blame myself and once back in the pits, besides trying to avoid the wrath of former Group N driver Mario, the news hit hard: I was slower than Willem and dead last on the grid overall.
Angered, and knowing that I had to get past Willem come race one, I took my place behind my rival and alongside the Halfway Corolla of Dylan Jones.
From a rolling start, my launch wasn’t perfect, and as I watched Jones round up the pink IOL Yaris, I knew I had to follow as soon as possible.
This, though, didn’t happen, as all attempts to pass Willem failed. While much faster and braver on the brakes, the IOL man simply defended for all his worth, resulting in the mood becoming blue inside car no. 16.
Annoyed at his lack of pace as we passed the pit-bound Corolla of GR Academy driver Paul de Vos, who had hit the tyre wall at the hairpin, contact with the IOL car appeared almost certain at all the slow corners, but luckily, there was to be no repeat of what happened at Kyalami.
By the end of eight laps, I hadn’t succeeded and finished last, my worst of the year and anything but happy.
With a three-hour break between races, my best time in race one had, however, been faster than Willem’s, which placed me on the inside for LuK Repco and directly behind the green AutoTrader GR Yaris of Minnie.
In ever more cooling conditions, but with a typically also unsurprising PE wind, a slightly better start saw me doing exactly what I needed.
Braking as late as I dared, I muscled my way passed Willem and fixated on Jones and Minnie ahead.
Looming large behind the latter for lap after lap, I then entered the esses too fast and ended on the grass, allowing Willem back through.
With the horror of race one still in my mind, I simply had to react and after a good exit out of Dunlop and into LuK Repco, I used the passing lines, took a deep breath and braked even later than I had previously
It worked and with Willem dispatched, I set about chasing after Jones and Minnie, who had become embroiled in a three-way battle with the Waterberg Corolla of Rudi Boonzaaier.
Watching Lawrence pass the Halfway car at Dunlop, I chased after, but couldn’t do it. Despite the lighter Yaris having the edge in the corners and on braking, the more powerful Corolla had the legs on the straight.
With Willem still in attendance, I risked it all. Getting close to the Corolla, and nearly hitting him at Dunlop, I still sensed a chance as Lawrence had become stuck behind Boonzaaier.
In what turned out to be a massively enjoyable battle, I crossed the line in my customary fifth place amongst the Yaris’, delighted to have overtaken Willem, and smiling after a close fought and truly stunning battle that left no marks on either Yaris or Corolla.
Driving past the area where I stood three decades ago, a few tears dripped from my eyes as I knew I had done my utmost and enjoyed every second as I had watched from the sidelines in 1995.
While still not perfect, the new GR Yaris DAT had shown its intentions and, having been run-in, would be ideally suited for the next round – Toyota’s home track that is the even shorter, but faster and still as daunting Zwartkops Raceway on 21 June.
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