Mike Conway and his Toyota Gazoo Racing team are off to Brazil next weekend for the six hours of Sao Paulo.

A return to the podium is the priority after last month’s Le Mans 24 Hours, which saw Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries classified fifth. After appearing in a unique livery inspired by the TS020 which raced at Le Mans in 1998, their #7 GR010 HYBRID will return to its regular matt black design.

After two pole positions, two wins and three podium finishes in its four visits to date, the 6 Hours of São Paulo offers the team an opportunity to return to the front of a highly competitive Hypercar field, which features 18 cars from eight manufacturers.

The anti-clockwise 4.309km circuit, officially named the Autodromo José Carlos Pace after the São Paulo-born former Le Mans and Formula 1 driver, is the spiritual home of Brazilian motorsports and has held four WEC races since the series returned in 2012.

Track action begins with Friday’s two 90-minute free practice sessions before a final one-hour on Saturday morning. The starting order will be determined by qualifying and Hyperpole, which begin for Hypercars at 3.25pm (8.25pm CEST) on Saturday, while the race itself starts at 11.30am (4.30pm CEST) on Sunday 13 July.

Speaking ahead of the weekend, Conway said: “It’s good to be back in the car so soon after Le Mans. We’ve had time to rest and regroup so we’re ready to race again.

“I’m looking forward to racing in Brazil again because it’s a true motorsport country and the fans are just incredible. The circuit itself is special, too, with all that history, so it’s a place I always enjoy visiting.

“We’ve had strong results there in the past and we’ll be pushing hard to stand on the podium again.”