Toyota reveals 2023 version of GR010 HYBRID Hypercar
Toyota Gazoo Racing has revealed the revised GR010 HYBRID Hypercar that the factory Toyota outfit will use in defense of its FIA World Endurance Championship titles and wins at the Le Mans 24 Hours.
The 2023 evolution of the GR010, first raced in 2021 and updated for the first time for 2022, will face off against a significantly boosted top class in the 2023 WEC including factory entries from Ferrari, Porsche and Cadillac joining the existing efforts from Peugeot and Glickenhaus.
The GR010 has extended Toyota’s winning streak from the LMP1 successes and into the Hypercar era in the WEC to four world titles and at Le Mans to five overall wins. Continuing the streak is going to get much tougher though, as the Hypercar class (equivalent to IMSA’s GTP class) blossoms this year with a further substantial cast already confirmed for 2024 including BMW, Alpine and Lamborghini factory entries.
The 2023 GR010 sees a raft of detail changes with adjustments to the hybrid powertrain, (featuring a 520kW (707PS) 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 internal combustion engine and a 200kW (272PS) electric motor targeted at reducing weight and improving reliability. The car’s weight has been reduced to the minimum 1040 kg (2293 lbs) now allowed by the Hypercar regulations, after previous versions ran marginally over that total as a result of a series of rapid changes to the rules to accommodate the convergence process between the LMH and LMDh regulations.
The 2023 GR010 sees a raft of detail changes with adjustments to the hybrid powertrain, (featuring a 520kW (707PS) 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 internal combustion engine and a 200kW (272PS) electric motor targeted at reducing weight and improving reliability. The car’s weight has been reduced to the minimum 1040 kg (2293 lbs) now allowed by the Hypercar regulations, after previous versions ran marginally over that total as a result of a series of rapid changes to the rules to accommodate the convergence process between the LMH and LMDh regulations.
“We have made evolutions to our car to further improve reliability, drivability and serviceability, part of our normal long-term plan for continuous improvement, said technical director Pascal Vasselon. “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.”
The most visible changes concern the bodywork, with new dive planes on the front corners and smaller rear wing endplates. Other bodywork modifications were made to improve brake cooling and allow quick changes to cooling options during a race, through new vents at the front and rear. The 2023 car also features a new headlamp array to improve visibility at night.
One further change comes in the team’s driver roster. While the core full-season squad remains unchanged with 2021 Le Mans winners and WEC champions Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Jose Maria Lopez partnering for the sixth successive season in the No. 7 car, and last year’s Le Mans and world title winners Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa again racing the No. 8 GR010 HYBRID, the team welcomes back three-time Le Mans winner Kabuki Nakajima as its nominated test and reserve driver role for 2023.
The most visible changes concern the bodywork, with new dive planes on the front corners and smaller rear wing endplates. Other bodywork modifications were made to improve brake cooling and allow quick changes to cooling options during a race, through new vents at the front and rear. The 2023 car also features a new headlamp array to improve visibility at night.
One further change comes in the team’s driver roster. While the core full-season squad remains unchanged with 2021 Le Mans winners and WEC champions Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Jose Maria Lopez partnering for the sixth successive season in the No. 7 car, and last year’s Le Mans and world title winners Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa again racing the No. 8 GR010 HYBRID, the team welcomes back three-time Le Mans winner Kabuki Nakajima as its nominated test and reserve driver role for 2023.
Nakajima will combine that role with his position as vice chairman of Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe, which he took on after announcing his retirement from driving in 2021.
For more information: www.racer.com
