TOYOTA GAZOO Racing will aim to honour its illustrious Le Mans heritage by challenging for its sixth victory at La Sarthe this year and, while the #7 GR010 HYBRID reflects that past, the matt black livery of the #8 GR010 HYBRID – driven by Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa – represents the present. Its familiar design is built around a striking GR logo element that captures the team’s spirit of “Speed” and “Hate to lose”, as well as the “Prototype” concept which reflects the making ever-better motorsports-bred cars and continuous evolution. Both GR010 HYBRIDs will also carry a new logo highlighting the 40th anniversary of Toyota’s Le Mans debut.
While the past and present meet on track with the unique GR010 HYBRID liveries, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing will also look to the future at Le Mans this year. Activities to highlight ongoing hydrogen projects in endurance racing will showcase how motorsports contribute to the development of technologies with the potential to achieve a carbon neutral, sustainable future.
During four decades at Le Mans, Toyota, its drivers, team members and fans have experienced joy, heartbreak and drama, contributing to the race’s rich history. Since its first official entry at Le Mans in 1985 and prior to this year’s event, a total of 61 Toyota cars have competed at La Sarthe, in 26 editions of the Le Mans 24 Hours, earning five wins, 18 podiums and eight pole positions. Via those entries, 62 drivers from 16 different nationalities have played their part in establishing Toyota’s Le Mans heritage.
That history began in 1985 with the 85C, powered by a road car-derived engine, and Toyota’s performance constantly improved on the way to achieving a first podium in 1992. Having participated with prototype cars for its first decade, new regulations prompted Toyota to compete with the legendary Toyota Supra in 1995-96. For its next Le Mans era, Toyota aimed for overall victory in 1998-99, with the TS020, which earned its first pole position, in 1999. Toyota’s longest Le Mans exile lasted from 2000 to 2011, until it returned in 2012 to take hybrid development to a new, high-performance level, achieving victory in 2018, the first of three consecutive wins for the TS050 HYBRID. The winning run continued into the current Hypercar era, which brought two more wins, with the GR010 HYBRID in 2021 and 2022, before consecutive runners-up finishes.
