The GR010 Hybrid has yet to taste victory in the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship, but it is worth remembering that it has always performed well on a Circuit des 24 Heures that appears to suit it to a tee.

Holding rank

Toyota is a respected manufacturer in the automotive world. The name is synonymous with reliability, discipline and resilience. Such qualities surge to the fore in a demanding race such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans in which Toyota competed for the first time 40 years ago. The Cologne-based Toyota Gazoo Racing outfit finally put to bed years of difficulties and heartache with a maiden triumph in 2018. It then embarked on a five-year winning streak that promoted the team to the rank of favourite regardless of the drivers on board and the adversaries. Since 2023, however, the competition has been fiercer than ever. Ferrari has won the last two editions although Toyota has always been in the mix with two second places.

Although now in its fifth year of operation, the 2021 and 2022 race-winner is still ultra-sharp. Toyota drew inspiration from the GR Super Sport Concept, presented at the 2018 Tokyo Motor Show, for development of the GR010 Hybrid. The brand’s philosophy is readily identifiable. The task was not easy as the benchmark was the famous TS050 – one of the most successful performers in the history of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and winner from 2018 to 2020. This intuition has paid off though, especially in the field of aerodynamics where the car holds its own against more recent prototypes.

For this reason, the 2025 model is more or less the same as the one unveiled in 2021, despite a few adjustments over time. The main upgrades have focused on reliability and practicality. Nothing detectable to the naked eye. Close up, the GR010 Hybrid is clearly distinguishable from its rivals by its side pods (see photos) and high rear diffuser. In-depth development work has been conducted on the angles which are, perhaps, even more striking on the 40th anniversary version. Indeed, to celebrate four decades of Toyota racing at Le Mans, the #7 GR010 Hybrid is sporting the historic colours that decorated the GT-One in 1998. A livery to thrill fans and reinforce the brand’s identity..

A technology rubberstamped at the 24 Hours

The GR010 Hybrid is driven by a combination of everything that Japan does best. Although the team developing the chassis and running the car at Le Mans is based in Germany, the engine was created at the Toyota R&D Centre in Higashi-Fuji, in the foothills of Mount Fuji. Engineer Hisatake Murata have fine-tuned a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6, coupled with a seven-speed gearbox. It is capable of delivering up to 680 horsepower to the rear wheels. And that’s not all.

Like the Ferrari 499P, an electric motor is placed on the front axle. Designed jointly by Denso and Aisin Aw, this system offers the driver the advantage of all-wheel drive above 190 kph – the minimum speed determined by the Balance of Performance (BoP). The benefits are significant in the circuit’s long curves and also on wet track when grip is not at its best. This phenomenon also limits rear tyre wear. “The Toyota GR010 Hybrid can make a difference with regard to tyre degradation. This has been our strong point in the past,” says driver Sébastien Buemi.

It is worth remembering that Toyota is one of the world’s leading specialists in hybrid technology. It has been a feature of every Toyota lining up at Le Mans since the manufacturer returned to the French endurance classic in 2012. It was therefore a focal point of the GR010 Hybrid’s development, greatly assisted by the experience accumulated on the Le Mans track. Although the Hypercar has won at venues around the world, it springs to life in Le Mans more than anywhere. Technical Director David Floury is clear about the importance of this race: “When you build an endurance prototype, you run on very different circuits, so it has to be versatile. But, obviously, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is the high point of the season. When you design the car, you make sure that it will react in the best possible way on this track.”

Gaining an edge

The FIA WEC grid has never been so tight. Toyota must now gain an edge over hungry rivals armed with a more recent Hypercar. From a technical point of view, the car must be reliable and robust. It must be able to finish every race comfortably. That’s why most of the improvements made by Toyota Gazoo Racing have focused on these points. The Japanese team is also banking on experience. Apart from Nyck de Vries, the Formula Two and Formula E champion, every driver has at least one 24 Hours of Le Mans win to their credit. The #8 GR010 Hybrid crew has a total of eight overall wins, including four for Sébastien Buemi, the most successful driver at the start of this 93rd edition.

The levelling up of the category is encouraging Toyota not to rest on its laurels. “It means the human dimension is even greater,” says Buemi. “The team must be even more closely knit and perform better in terms of strategy, for example. Of course, we try and stand out on that aspect.” This was particularly evident at the start of the season when the crews suffered. A superb race against the odds at the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps helped the team to salvage something from the shipwreck of a tough qualifying session – the hallmark of the greatest teams. Such qualities make Toyota a serious contender for the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans, where the GR010 Hybrids showed good speed in free practice. Buemi adds: “We’ve already shown that execution and strategy were our strong points. At Spa-Francorchamps, we finished fourth but with speed that should have placed us 11th or 12th”.

In case you missed the earlier episodes in the series: Porsche 963, Ferrari 499P, Peugeot 9X8, BMW M Hybrid V8, Aston Martin Valkyrie, Alpine A424 and Cadillac V-Series.R.

Watch all the action from the FIA World Endurance Championship, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, live or on demand with the FIA WEC TV official app! Don’t miss a thing! Check out the app for further information.