WEC
Toyota reveals updated GR010 Hybrid for 2022 WEC season
Toyota has revealed the updated specification of its GR010 Hybrid Le Mans Hypercar ahead of the 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship season.
Gary Watkins
Edited: Mar 7, 2022, 1:03 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
The switch of front and rear wheel and tyre sizes outlined by Motorsport.com last month has been confirmed, along with aerodynamic revisions necessary as a result of the change to maintain airflow and remain within the performance windows laid down by the LMH regulations.
Toyota's revised challenger, which will race for the first time in the 2022 WEC season opener at Sebring on March 18, is now running 12.5-inch front wheels and 14-inch rears rather than 13-inch wheels it ran at all four corners last year.
These are the two options currently allowed in the rules and were devised to reflect the different requirements of four-wheel-drive hybrids and cars with rear-drive only.
Pascal Vasselon, technical director of Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe, explained the change has been designed “to address challenges we faced last season with management of the rear tyres”.
A higher and longer engine cover fin, also known as a dorsal fin, and enlarged rear wing endplates were described by Toyota as “the most visible” of the aerodynamic changes.
The two aerodynamic fences on top of the cockpit have also been revised and are now longer.
Kamui Kobayashi, who will combine defending the title he won with Mike Conway and Jose Maria Lopez last year with his new role as team principal of the WEC squad, said: “We found some areas to adjust the GR010 Hybrid last season, so we have worked on those, and I think our car will be more consistent now.”
#7 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 - Hybrid: Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, Jose Maria Lopez
Photo by: Toyota Racing
No mention was made in Toyota’s preview of the Sebring event, which begins with the official pre-season Prologue test this weekend, of the change for this season to the so-called ‘120 rule’.
That was the minimum speed in kilometres per hour at which hybrid power could be deployed through the front axle when the car was on dry-weather slick tyres.
This and the 150km/h minimum previously enforced when a hybrid was on grooved-rubber have been moved from the technical rules into the system of Balance of Performance, meaning those speeds can change from track to track and from car to car according to the BoP published prior to each race.
The engine settings of the GR010 have been adjusted for 2022 in line with the introduction of a new 100 percent renewable fuel from the single supplier, TotalEnergies.
Vasselon described the new fuel made from waste products of the wine industry as “an important step on the journey towards carbon neutrality for Toyota Gazoo Racing and WEC”.
“We have validated all changes during our winter tests and we will take the final preparation steps this weekend with the prologue in Sebring before racing begins,” he added. “We are impatient to get started.”
#7 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 - Hybrid: Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, Jose Maria Lopez
Photo by: Toyota Racing
Toyota has not confirmed how many of the five so-called 'evo jokers' allowed to it under the lifespan of the LMH regulations it has used with the upgrades for 2022.
The GR010 will be running at the 3.74-mile Sebring International Raceway for the first time this weekend after the US WEC fixture was cancelled last year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Toyota won the inaugural Sebring 1000 Miles, which was part of the 2018/19 WEC 'superseason', three years ago with Fernando Alonso, Sebastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima driving a Toyota TS050 Hybrid LMP1 car.
Nakajima is now vice-chairman of Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe following his retirement from the cockpit at the end of last seasons.
The 37-year-old Japanese will support team operations at the WEC races as well as mentoring Ryo Hirakawa, who has taken his place in the second Toyota alongside Buemi and Brendon Hartley.
Read Also:
- Toyota can't "relax" with Peugeot arrival in WEC – Lopez
- Everything you need to know about Toyota’s new WEC hope
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Tandy has "mixed feelings" about leaving IMSA for WEC
Next article Glickenhaus plans third Hypercar for Le Mans 24 Hours
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Gary Watkins
When Can-Am made its controversial comeback
General
When Can-Am made its controversial comeback
WEC Barcelona: Genesis secures maiden series pole from Toyota
WEC
WEC
Barcelona
WEC Barcelona: Genesis secures maiden series pole from Toyota
Latest news
Barcelona set to host IndyCar race in 2027 under multi-year deal
IndyCar
Indy IndyCar 6 h
Barcelona set to host IndyCar race in 2027 under multi-year deal
Winners and losers from a Chase-altering NASCAR Cup race at Phoenix
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Phoenix II
8 h
Winners and losers from a Chase-altering NASCAR Cup race at Phoenix
Heart of Racing rules Valkyrie GTP step next year ‘too soon’ for IMSA standout Barrichello
IMSA
IMSA IMSA 8 h
Heart of Racing rules Valkyrie GTP step next year ‘too soon’ for IMSA standout Barrichello
Sergio Perez: Debut Cadillac season "without a doubt one of my best years"
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
8 h
Sergio Perez: Debut Cadillac season "without a doubt one of my best years"
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe