The competitors in the World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) hit the track this past weekend for the Prologue at Monza in preparation for the 2017 season, which includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans (June 17th and 18th). The official tests of the championship included a two-hour night session on Saturday.

Le Mans Series

FIA WEC

The American marque divulged on Friday at the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans several aspects of its future involvement in Hypercar, namely that it will rely on ORECA for its chassis.

As announced in January, <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/ford-in-the-top-class-at-the-24-hours-of-le-mans-in-2027-59293">Ford will return&nbsp;to Le Mans and the FIA WEC in 2027</a>. We have all been waiting for&nbsp;more details to emerge, including who is&nbsp;involved in the programme aimed to add a fifth win to Ford&#39;s list of accolades. Just a short distance from the Ford Chicane,&nbsp;and in front of a large audience of journalists, the American carmaker&nbsp;revealed more.

<h2>Oreca, Much More Than a Chassis Supplier</h2>

Dan Sayers was hand-picked to lead Ford&#39;s Hypercar efforts in the FIA WEC.&nbsp;Already a project&nbsp;director at Red Bull Ford Powertrains, he worked at Prodrive (Aston Martin Racing at the time) and at Ricardo where he helped design and develop transmissions, notably for LMP1. Sayer is the first&nbsp;key player&nbsp;in the organisational chart that will be completed in the coming months.

The principal&nbsp;announcement today addressed&nbsp;the American manufacturer&#39;s&nbsp;partnership&nbsp;with ORECA.&nbsp;Ford&nbsp;chairman and CEO&nbsp;Jim Farley and Ford Performance Director&nbsp;Mark Rushbrook were in attendance for the occasion, along with ORECA founder&nbsp;Hugues de Chaunac.&nbsp;The Frenchman was clearly&nbsp;moved and excited to contribute&nbsp;to Ford&#39;s return. Hughes de Chaunac: You don&#39;t say no to&nbsp;Ford!&nbsp;They are extremely hands-on and are very open to collaboration. They want to win. If something goes wrong, we have to say so. It&nbsp;gives us real responsibility. This is not always the case: some constructors do not ask us for this much involvement. With them, we have the closest possible connection. They want us to share everything.

<h2>A True Ford Hypercar</h2>

The selected engine block &ndash; already defined &ndash; was not revealed and there are no further details on the design of the future Hypercar. De Chaunac: It will truly be a Ford. Can we expect a V8, the type of engine that allowed the marque&nbsp;to earn&nbsp;its four consecutive wins from 1966 to 1969? Or could it be&nbsp;a V6 like in the Ford GT that won the 2016 LMGTE Pro championship? Anything is possible.&nbsp;De Chaunac:&nbsp;As for the engine architecture, there&#39;s no problem. We designed our chassis from the start to be adaptable to several configurations.

For the overall design of the future Hypercar, perhaps it will modelled on...the Mustang. Jim Farley: We&#39;ve always wanted to run production cars, as close as possible to production cars. In 2016, we created the Ford GT, but we originally wanted to enter a Mustang.&nbsp;So, while the Mustang LMGT3 is a major player&nbsp;in the category, and is clearly looking to win on&nbsp;Sunday, it seems plausible the future Hypercar will feature some of the same aesthetic elements. It&#39;s impossible to convert a road car into a Hypercar, but there will be a connection.

As a curtain-opener for the 2025 24 Hours, Mustangs will take the track for the&nbsp;Ford Mustang Challenge and even&nbsp;Farley himself is racing this weekend:&nbsp;I think it&#39;s great that we are racing at Le Mans the way an American brand should. During the first couple of laps, when we were all together, seeing the others on the Mulsanne Straight after Tertre Rouge &mdash; more than 30 cars &mdash; it was really an emotional moment for me. Seeing those Mustangs built in Flat Rock, Michigan, with manual transmissions, drivers warming up their tyres, it made us proud. We are doing something just the right way.&nbsp;

<h2>A Legacy to Carry On</h2>

Ford currently boasts four overall wins at Le Mans, and remains the only American carmaker to win the race.&nbsp;This is a&nbsp;phenomenal achievement&nbsp;given the number of top-tier constructors&nbsp;from the U.S. to&nbsp;have competed&nbsp;over the decades. Chrysler and General Motors have made their mark in GT&nbsp;since the 2000s, with the occasional involvement in&nbsp;prototypes, and Briggs Cunningham was a pioneer, just as was Don Panoz&nbsp;in his time, adopting&nbsp;a disruptive approach and&nbsp;attempting to bring down Audi.&nbsp;

Ford&#39;s Hypercar programme leaders refer to the legacy of the 1966 and 1967 wins in particular. They&nbsp;were secured&nbsp;by&nbsp;Carroll Shelby&#39;s team, including&nbsp;the&nbsp;addition of the all-American driver line-up of Dan Gurney and A. J. Foyt in 1967. The two subsequent&nbsp;wins in 1968 and 1969 with&nbsp;the&nbsp;Brit&nbsp;John Wyer at the helm, though legendary, will never have quite the same resonance.&nbsp;Farley: Bringing Ford back to the top class at Le Mans has always been a dream for many of us, including our Executive Chair Bill Ford.&nbsp;Dakar, Daytona 500, Daytona 24, Le Mans 24 &mdash; all those races are the pinnacle for us.

Ford partners with ORECA for Hypercar programme launching in 2027

People reveal their greatness faced with uncertainty. And the 24 Hours of Le Mans is certainly unpredictable. In the face of advancing technology, will intuition continue to be the secret weapon of great champions?

To win the 24 Hours of Le Mans, everything has to fall into place &ndash; driving, tactics, car, and pit stop execution. Teams employ all the science of the sport to optimise performance. Fortunately, however, racing is not an exact science, and the human factor plays a role in the most famous of endurance races. Our decision-making is based on knowledge, experience and... feeling.

&ldquo;If an idea crosses your mind and makes you quiver, its worth looking into. It&rsquo;s worth taking seriously in any case. It&rsquo;s always a good idea to listen to the voice in your head, without necessarily being able back up a hunch.&rdquo; Those are the words of &ndash; not a 24 Hours of Le Mans driver &ndash; but a Doctor of Psychology, Emeric Lebreton (Philosophie Magazine, 16 April 2025). According to the Collins dictionary, intuition is &ldquo;instinctive knowledge of or belief about something without conscious reasoning&rdquo; &ndash; a presentiment, hunch or sixth sense. Mathieu Jaminet&rsquo;s intuition is made up of indicators, almost imperceptible signs.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s that gut feeling. Sometimes it&rsquo;s right, sometimes not. You don&rsquo;t always have the same feeling as your teammate. I think it comes with experience. And I think some people have better intuition than others. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, it kicks in during the race, it&rsquo;s the way you roll with the punches: take safety car periods, slow zones, any incidents. All your experience, all those little things you&rsquo;ve seen before give you clues as to how things might go this time.&quot;

The Frenchman readily admits that &ldquo;although in this facts-based sport we try to think through everything, you can sometimes tip the balance with a bit of intuition. It&rsquo;s important to control the parameters, of course, but you win thanks to that little extra.&rdquo;

To many racers, there&rsquo;s little difference between intuition, experience, reflex, instinct and ingrained habit. Jos&eacute; Mar&iacute;a L&oacute;pez (Akkodis ASP Team #87 Lexus RC F LMGT3 #87): &ldquo;When the going gets tough, intuition takes a front seat. You can&rsquo;t react like a machine when track conditions change all the time. So, you need a mixture of technique and instinct. That&rsquo;s how you adapt.&rdquo; To C&eacute;lia Martin (Iron Dames #85 Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3) it&rsquo;s a feeling. &ldquo;First you learn by heart on the simulator &ndash; the braking points, the turning points &ndash; and then you get to the actual circuit at Le Mans, where you can play some of it by ear. It&rsquo;s a mixture of technique and instinct. When you find the right blend, you&rsquo;ve got it made.&rdquo;

Somewhere between deliberate action and pure reflex, intuition is important for all the drivers we spoke to. Fr&eacute;d&eacute;ric Makowiecki, driver of the #36 Alpine A424, believes it&rsquo;s fundamental. &ldquo;Very often we barely have time to respond to a situation. We do what we feel is best, without thinking. When we tell our engineers that, they have trouble understanding, but at 340 kph, anything unexpected can become an issue.&rdquo; The Frenchman says that&rsquo;s when intuition comes into play in his decision-making. Engineers&rsquo; and drivers&rsquo; brains are put to the test during a race. They need to process information in an instant and make the right decision. Driving a Hypercar, LMP2 or LMGT3 or choosing their race tactics requires technique, experience and intelligence. But it&rsquo;s not all smooth running. So much doesn&rsquo;t go to plan and intuition helps competitors adapt to circumstances. David Floury (technical director of Toyota Gazoo Racing in the FIA WEC): &ldquo;In the race, we often have to make decisions without having all the parameters to hand. There&rsquo;s an element of guesswork involved. Intuition plays a role in racing, but new technology such as Artificial Intelligence is going to reduce that.&rdquo;

<a href="https://fiawec.tv/page/679a56921229db49627128a6" target="_blank">Watch all the action from the FIA World Endurance Championship</a>,&nbsp;including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, live or on demand with the FIA WEC TV official app!&nbsp;Don&rsquo;t miss a thing!&nbsp;Check out the app for further information.

Should 24 Hours of Le Mans drivers trust their intuition?

Hypercars under the microscope| The Toyota GR010 Hybrid has been competing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans since 2021, making it the oldest prototype in the top class. After two consecutive runner-up spots in 2023 and 2024, Toyota is determined to reconquer the kingdom over which it ruled just a few years ago. A machine at the cutting edge of Hypercar technology is therefore vital. So just where can the Toyota GR010 Hybrid make a difference?

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.

<h2>Holding rank</h2>

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&rsquo;s philosophy is readily identifiable. The task was not easy as the benchmark was the famous TS050 &ndash; 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,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/toyota-celebrates-40-years-at-the-24-hours-with-standout-liveries-59575" target="_blank">the #7 GR010 Hybrid is sporting the historic colours that decorated the GT-One in 1998</a>. A livery to thrill fans and reinforce the brand&rsquo;s identity..

<h2>A technology rubberstamped at the 24&nbsp;Hours</h2>

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&amp;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&rsquo;s not all.

Like the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/the-ferrari-499p-hypercar-under-the-microscope-making-of-a-le-mans-icon-59719" target="_blank">Ferrari 499P</a>, 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 &ndash; the minimum speed determined by the Balance of Performance (BoP). The benefits are significant in the circuit&rsquo;s long curves and also on wet track when grip is not at its best. This phenomenon also limits rear tyre wear. &ldquo;The Toyota GR010 Hybrid can make a difference with regard to tyre degradation. This has been our strong point in the past,&rdquo; says driver S&eacute;bastien Buemi.

It is worth remembering that Toyota is one of the world&rsquo;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&rsquo;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: &ldquo;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.&rdquo;

<h2>Gaining an edge</h2>

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&rsquo;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 S&eacute;bastien 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. &ldquo;It means the human dimension is even greater,&rdquo; says Buemi. &ldquo;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.&rdquo;&nbsp;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 &ndash; 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: &ldquo;We&rsquo;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&rdquo;.

In case you missed the earlier episodes in the series: <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/the-porsche-963-under-the-microscope-built-for-win-20-59742" target="_blank">Porsche 963</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/the-ferrari-499p-hypercar-under-the-microscope-making-of-a-le-mans-icon-59719" target="_blank">Ferrari 499P</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/the-peugeot-9x8-under-the-microscope-has-the-lion-sharpened-its-claws-59722" target="_blank">Peugeot 9X8</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/the-bmw-m-hybrid-v8-under-the-microscope-a-return-to-winning-ways-at-le-mans-59713" target="_blank">BMW M Hybrid V8</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/the-aston-martin-valkyrie-under-the-microscope-when-the-road-leads-to-le-mans-59692" target="_blank">Aston Martin Valkyrie</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/the-alpine-a424-hypercar-under-the-microscope-more-precise-more-reliable-more-ambitious-59684" target="_blank">Alpine A424</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/the-cadillac-v-series-r-under-the-microscope-ready-to-roar-for-america-at-le-mans-59659" target="_blank">Cadillac V-Series.R</a>.

<a href="https://fiawec.tv/page/679a56921229db49627128a6" target="_blank">Watch all the action from the FIA World Endurance Championship</a>,&nbsp;including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, live or on demand with the FIA WEC TV official app!&nbsp;Don&rsquo;t miss a thing!&nbsp;Check out the app for further information.

The Toyota GR010 Hybrid under the microscope: a Hypercar born to win Le Mans

Here is the overview of the announcements made at the Automobile Club de l’Ouest on Friday 13 June, the eve of the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans.

<h2>1 - Hypercar and LMP2 regulations</h2>

The ACO and FIA officially announced the extension of the Hypercar regulations until the end of 2032, giving manufacturers and teams unprecedented long-term visibility.&nbsp; The Asian Le Mans Series will be accepting entries from private Hypercar teams from the 2026/7 season. The Hypercar family saluted the change, which will help teams ease into the top class. 
&nbsp; 
The modernised, simplified new-generation LMP2 class will be introduced in 2028. The two chassis constructors are: Oreca et Ligier Automotive. Gibson Technology will continue to be the sole supplier of engines for LMP2. The aim of the class is performance and reliability with a cap on costs. IMSA will adopt the regulations when they come into force.

<h2>2 - Continuation of the ACO / IMSA strategic alliance</h2>

The ACO and IMSA&rsquo;s decade-old partnership has been renewed until 2032, confirming the intention to build a coherent worldwide framework.&nbsp; Under the agreement, three IMSA teams are invited to take part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Motul Petit Le Mans, which keeps its name. 
&nbsp;

<h2>3 - FIA WEC</h2>

The 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship calendar will comprise eight rounds, on four continents, underlining the discipline&rsquo;s world-class status. 
The WEC has received major recognition for it efforts:

<ul>
	<li>
	ISO 20121 CERTIFICATION for responsible event management;
	</li>
	<li>FIA three-star environmental accreditation, the highest level awarded for sustainability.</li>
</ul>

<h2>4 - Hydrogen</h2>

MissionH24 and Toyota Gazoo Racing officialised their partnership regarding the H24EVO&rsquo;s aerodynamics and cooling. 
The FIA has confirmed it is working actively with the ACO on hydrogen safety regulations and on the balance of performance between technologies. The aim to introduce a hydrogen class before the end of the decade is coming into clearer focus. 
&nbsp;

<h2>5 - CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY</h2>

The ACO reiterated its commitment to responsible endurance racing, translated in several concrete actions:

<ul>
	<li>
	The Sustainable Endurance Award by DHL, won this year by Ferrari - AF Corse in Hypercar, United Autosports in LMP2 and Porsche Penske Motorsport was awarded the President&rsquo;s prize. Akkodis won the LMGT3 class and the spectator&rsquo;s prize.&nbsp;
	</li>
	<li>
	The Impact Challenge for spectators comprises 170 missions to defend the interests of the planet and those who live on it. The contest is accessible via the 24H Experience app.
	</li>
</ul>

<h2>6 - Le Mans Classic</h2>

Le Mans Classic is to be an annual event as of next year. A new official support race named Legends of Le Mans will feature at certain WEC rounds, as a bridge between past and future at the world&rsquo;s most beautiful circuits.

Don&rsquo;t miss the start of the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans at 16:00 CET on Saturday 14 June!&nbsp;

Overview of the ACO press conference announcements

Nicolas Lapierre at the wheel of the #8&nbsp;Toyota TS050 HYBRID clocked the fastest time at the last session of the Prologue. He was the only competitor to descend below the 1&rsquo;31 bar with a time of 1&rsquo;30.547. It was an excellent showing&nbsp;for the French driver who will represent the Japanese manufacturer at only the WEC&nbsp;6 Hours of Spa and the&nbsp;24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans. He will share the wheel of the <a href="http://www.lemans.org/en/News/wec-toyota-reveals-the-ts050-to-overcome-the-le-mans-curse/45955" target="_blank">third car</a>&nbsp;(#9) with&nbsp;Yuji Kunimoto and St&eacute;phane Sarrazin (three&nbsp;pole positions at Le Mans in 2007, 2008 and&nbsp;2009).

Click <a href="http://www.lemans.org/en/News/wec-toyota-and-lapierre-have-the-final-say/45983" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;for our summary of the&nbsp;Prologue.

Video:&nbsp;YouTube - FIA WEC

24H LE MANS

WEC - Highlights from the Prologue at Monza (video)

Related News

Ford partners with ORECA for Hypercar programme launching in 2027

Should 24 Hours of Le Mans drivers trust their intuition?

The Toyota GR010 Hybrid under the microscope: a Hypercar born to win Le Mans

Overview of the ACO press conference announcements

Major Partner

PREMIUM partners

OFFICIAL partners