Jenson Button feels that privateer teams stand no chance of being able to compete fairly with Toyota in the FIA World Endurance 🐈Championship’s LMP1 class despite recent efforts by the series to equalise performances.

After comfortably winning the♋ opening two rounds of the WEC super season at Spa and Le Mans, To🍌yota swept to a one-two finish on-track in the 6 Hours of Silverstone earlier this month, finishing four laps clear of the best-placed privateer car.

This victory margin came despite tweaks u✱nder t🐎he Equivalence of Technology rules made by the series organisers in the lead up to the race to try and draw the LMP1 pack closer together.

Ho꧑wever, both Toyota cars were disqualified after failing post-race scrutineering, handing Rebellion Racing an unlikely one-two finish withꦇ its pair of non-hybrid cars.

Driving f▨or the privateer SMP Racing team, 2009 Formula 1 world champion Button said he felt it did not matter what changes were made to the rules, as Toyota’s hybrid technology an♊d manufacturer status would always give it a significant advantage.

“Yoꦰu can’t limit a private team, becaus🎃e they’re never going to be as quick as a hybrid factory team,” Button said.

“They’re spending over 100 million, and w🅰e’re minuscule compared to what tꦑhey would be spending and development and what have you. There’s no comparison.

“They’ve also got four-wheel drive.🔯 The tyres that we use were built for a Toyota. So we overheat the rears and we never get the fronts work🌄ing, because the fronts are built to be driven by power, so the fronts are as wide as the rears.

“For balance as well for us, it’s really tricky, because that front tyre is so wi𒈔de. So we get a lot of pick-up on the front tyres.

“Everything works against the privateer.”

🦹Asked if more changes were required to the rules to help privateers fight Toyota, Button said it was “up to Toyota” to💜 help create closer racing.

“We’ll never be as quick as the Toyota be💎cause it’s a works team. They have unlimited funds,” Button said.

“We’re vဣery limited, we’re a privateer. They have a hybrid system, they have 300 horsepower more than us. You’re never going to beatꦺ them, and the tyres are built for their car, not ours.

“You’re never going to bea💦t them unless they decide they want competition.

“I think we’ve just got to understand the fact that hybrid manufacturers are🌊 not competing with♎ a private team.”