24h Le Mans
The Toyota GR010 Hybrid will compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans Centenary race and in the 2023 FIA WEC World Endurance Championship with a more powerful engine and reduced weight. The Japanese manufacturer firmly intends to impress as it goes up against Ferrari, Porsche, Peugeot, Cadillac, Glickenhaus and Vanwall.
Toyota Gazoo Racing has revealed an updated version of its GR010 Hybrid, the car that it is fielding at the 24 Hours of Le Mans Centenary and in the 2023 FIA WEC World Endurance Championship. To take on Cadillac, Porsche, Ferrari, Peugeot, Glickenhaus and Vanwall, the Japanese manufacturer has made a few changes to its Hypercar, first revealed in January 2021. As in 2022, the aim is to improve the car’s reliability and performance.
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Tweaks have been made to the powertrain which comprises a 3.5-litre, 520 kW (707 hp) engine and a 200 kW electric motor (272 hp), to reduce its weight and improve its reliability. The most visible changes, however, concern the bodywork. New front and rear air vents have been added to assist with brake cooling and to allow for a quick change in cooling options during a race. The headlamp positioning has been modified to optimise visibility when driving at night. Finally, new aerodynamic features have been incorporated to improve handling and aerodynamic performance.
But the improvements don’t stop there. Under the bodywork, the GR010 Hybrid has undergone a weight reduction programme to bring the total weight down to the minimum 1,040 kg permitted by the regulations. The Japanese Hypercar will again be powered by the 100%-renewable biofuel developed by TotalEnergies.
With the use of heated tyre covers no longer permitted, Michelin has introduced a new range of tyre compounds. They are designed to rapidly reach maximum operating temperature rapidly, while maintaining durability and performance.
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The two Toyota GR010 Hybrid hypercars will be driven by Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and José María López (in the #7) and Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa (in the #8). Kazuki Nakajima, who retired from full-time racing at the end of 2021, will take the role of test/reserve driver. He is also vice-president of Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe.
Pascal Vasselon, Technical Director, explains: “We have made evolutions to our car to further improve reliability, drivability and serviceability, part of our normal long-term plan for continuous improvement. We implemented a big evolution for 2022 with the change of wheel size, which was necessary to address some issues we were suffering from, and it delivered the benefits we expected. The modifications we have made for 2023 are the normal next step in this process, and we have seen encouraging results in pre-season testing. It is exciting to compete against new entrants in Hypercar this year, particularly for the fans, but our approach doesn’t change. The job remains the same; we aim to win, so we must get the maximum out of our package, without mistakes. That is how we always approach racing. Reliability and global pace consistency, as well as the reduction of accident risks, are critical factors which we have continued to focus on with the updated GR010 HYBRID and our approach to the 2023 season.”
Toyota can now boast five consecutive 24 Hours of Le Mans wins and four successive FIA WEC World Endurance Championship titles.
Take a look at the 2023 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 Hybrid in the photo gallery below.
