Conway Facing “Unknowns” On Return From Injury

Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Mike Conway admits he is facing some “unknowns” in this weekend’s 6 Hours of Sao Paulo as he makes his return to FIA World Endurance Championship race action following his injury.

Conway will return to his regular drive in the No. 7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid in Brazil having been forced to skip the 24 Hours of Le Mans last month after suffering fractures to his right collarbone and two ribs in a cycling accident.

Speaking to media ahead of Friday’s first practice session in Sao Paulo, the British driver revealed he underwent surgery on his right collarbone not long after the crash.

“As soon as I had surgery, I could use my arm, that was great,” said Conway. “Then it’s just a case of managing it. I had to [have surgery]; it was quite badly broken. I got the surgery within 30 hours.

“I’ve been in rehab for the past three weeks, but I feel good and ready to go back at it. Just getting in the car will be a test in itself, and let’s see.

“I’m still in some pain here and there, because the bones are still healing. I have to avoid certain exercises: I can’t lift heavy stuff or lift anything over my shoulder. It will be like that for another few weeks.

“I’ve checked a lot of boxes, but the next one is getting in the car tomorrow. It’s a bit of an unknown. I feel ok, it would have been nice to go to a track with more right-hand corners.

“The right arm has more work to do around this place, but it is what it is.”

Conway added that he hasn’t tested a racing car since the crash, meaning Friday’s opening practice session at the Interlagos track will be his first outing since he drove the GR010 Hybrid in a test at Spa in mid-May.

“I didn’t want to [test] actually with the schedule we had,” he explained. “I didn’t want to set myself back by getting in something too early.”

Missing Le Mans means Conway is no longer eligible to win this year’s WEC drivers’ title, but the 40-year-old says he will be focused on assisting his stablemates Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries in their title quest.

Kobayashi and de Vries arrive in Brazil 17 points away from the top of the standings following their second-place finish at Le Mans, where they were joined in the No. 7 Toyota by Jose Maria Lopez.

“I’ve just got to do my part to maximize the results,” said Conway. “I had that experience before in IMSA with Action Express, being the endurance driver. It feels weird obviously, but it is what it is.”

Conway also recalled his experience of watching Le Mans from afar as he was forced to sit out the French endurance classic for the first time since 2014.

“It kind of sucked being on the couch and not participating,” he said. “I watched until the safety car was out in the morning, went to sleep, and woke up about 6am and continued watching.

“I still wanted to be involved somehow; I was checking in with the guys, seeing what was going on and seeing if I could help, if I saw things on TV. You want to be involved still.”