Austin round follows summer break
Toyota Gazoo Racing will return to FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) action this weekend at the Lone Star Le Mans in Austin, Texas, seeking to reverse a difficult season and secure its first-ever win at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA).
The Japanese manufacturer enters the sixth round of the 2024 calendar under pressure, with only two events remaining to salvage a podium finish.
COTA, hosting the WEC for the eighth time, has proven a challenging venue for Toyota. Alongside Qatar’s Lusail International Circuit, it remains one of just two current tracks where the team has yet to secure victory. Toyota’s winless run in Texas continues despite its dominance in previous WEC seasons, and team officials say that technical challenges at the anti-clockwise 5.513km circuit have hampered success in the past.
The Austin round follows an eight-week summer break since the last event in Brazil. At Interlagos, Toyota struggled with pace and setup, falling behind front-runners Porsche, Ferrari, and Cadillac. Both the #7 and #8 GR010 HYBRIDs finished outside podium contention, intensifying internal reviews and leading to significant adjustments ahead of Sunday’s race.
Line-up shake-up
The team’s preparations have been disrupted by an injury to driver Mike Conway, who suffered a collarbone fracture in a training accident last week. His place in the #7 car will be taken by José María López, a former Toyota factory driver now racing in the LMGT3 category. López was initially set to compete in a Lexus RC F LMGT3 with AKKODIS ASP but has been released by the team to support Toyota’s Hypercar campaign.
López will rejoin Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries in the #7 GR010 HYBRID. Kobayashi, who also serves as Team Principal, called the return to COTA “a chance to bounce back” following a disappointing Brazil outing. “We have had time to analyse the data and learn from our mistakes. This is an important weekend for us,” he said during pre-race media availability.
The sister #8 car sees the return of Sébastien Buemi, who missed the previous round, joining Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa. Buemi admitted it was “strange watching from the outside” during the Brazil race but said he was “fully focused” on delivering results in Texas.
Toyota enters the event as the only top-tier Hypercar team yet to finish on the podium this season. The 2024 campaign has been dominated so far by Porsche, which leads the manufacturers’ standings with 110 points, followed by Ferrari with 96. Toyota sits fourth with 75 points, according to FIA figures.
Technical demands
The Circuit of the Americas presents a range of challenges for the 18-car Hypercar field. The steep climb into turn one, fast esses in the first sector, and slow-speed corners in the final sector require a highly adaptable car setup. In particular, turn 12 features one of the harshest braking zones on the WEC calendar, forcing drivers to decelerate from over 300km/h to under 60km/h.
Teams will begin preparations with two 90-minute practice sessions on Friday. A final hour-long practice on Saturday will be followed by Hypercar qualifying at 3:40 pm local time (10:40 pm CEST). The six-hour race is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday (8:00 p.m. CEST).
Toyota engineers are understood to have focused on improving low-speed traction and braking stability during the summer break, two key areas identified as weaknesses in Brazil and at the Le Mans race. Aerodynamic tweaks and powertrain calibration have also been introduced for the Texas round.
Regional outlook
While Toyota’s operations are based in Japan and Europe, its performance in global endurance racing has long held significance in the Gulf region, where the brand enjoys a high market share. The WEC’s presence in the Middle East, particularly at the season opener in Qatar and the finale in Bahrain, has boosted regional engagement with the series.
The absence of a Toyota win in Texas also holds broader commercial implications, given the United States’ growing interest in endurance motorsport and its role in global car markets. COTA represents a significant opportunity for Toyota to establish its presence on North American soil ahead of the Bahrain finale in November.
A podium finish in Austin would not only end a difficult run for the team but also reinvigorate its championship prospects, with only two rounds remaining in the 2024 WEC season.
The Lone Star Le Mans will be watched closely across motorsport circles as Toyota seeks redemption in a campaign that has so far fallen short of expectations.
Image: Toyota enters the Lone Star Le Mans in Austin, Texas, as the only top-tier Hypercar team yet to finish on the podium this season. Credit: TGR
