Toyota Gazoo Racing has revealed its all-new GR010 Hybrid Le Mans Hypercar, which will compete in the 2021 FIA World Endurance Championship. 

The reigning World Champions and three-time Le Mans winners will retain the same driver line-up which brought Le Mans and World Championship glory to the team in its 2019-2020 FIA WEC campaign. 

Newly-crowned World Champions Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and José María López will drive the No. 7 GR010 Hybrid while Sébastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima and Brendon Hartley will race with the No. 8 sister car. Nyck de Vries remains in his role as test and reserve driver. 

The GR010 Hybrid is a prototype racer developed over the last 18 months in partnership by engineers at the team’s headquarters in Cologne, Germany and the electric hybrid powertrain experts at Higashi-Fuji in Japan. It incorporates a powerful four-wheel drive racing hybrid powertrain, with a 3.5litre V6 twin turbo engine. 

The striking new look of the racing prototype reflects the appearance of its inspiration, the GR Super Sport Hypercar which made its public debut during a demonstration run and ceremonial trophy return at last year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans and is currently in development. To mark this new era for Toyota Gazoo Racing, a new livery includes the iconic GR lettering to indicate the strong link between race and road cars.

Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest: “Given the brand’s success in LMP1, it shows a commitment to endurance racing and their competitive spirit. Winners in LMP1, they are now going back to the drawing board with a different set of specifications and targets. It’s a whole new challenge. Having Toyota – an internationally renowned carmaker – in the field is a source of pride for the ACO. It means that as an event organiser we’re ticking the right boxes. To manufacturers like Toyota, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and endurance in general is a way of demonstrating their flagship products to the public.”

Richard Mille, President of the FIA Endurance Commission: “The Le Mans Hypercar has been in the works for quite some time now and the public unveiling of the first car built to this set of regulations, the Toyota GR010 Hybrid, is an important milestone not only for the manufacturer itself, but also for the FIA as the rule maker, the ACO, the promoter as well the community of the FIA World Endurance Championship fans worldwide. I’m very much looking to seeing the car competing this season as well as beyond it, following the development of this new era of endurance racing, as other competitors are set to join the fray in due course.”

Frédéric Lequien, CEO of the WEC: “First and foremost, we are delighted to see Toyota Gazoo Racing enter its ninth season in the WEC – they have been a tremendous support to the championship over the years and congratulations to everyone from Higashi-Fuji and Cologne for creating a truly magnificent machine. This is the start of an exciting new era for endurance racing and for hybrid technology as a whole, of which Toyota will remain an integral part. We wish the team every success in the remainder of its testing programme and look forward to seeing the new Toyota GR010 Hybrid make its race debut soon.”

For the 59^th annual Rolex 24 At DAYTONA, Pierre Fillon will serve as the Grand Marshal while Dano Davis has been named the Honorary Starter for North America’s most prestigious sports car race set for Jan. 30-31.

“Pierre Fillon and Dano Davis are important figures in the history of motorsports, so we are honored to welcome them to be a part of the 59^th running of the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA,” said Chip Wile, President of Daytona International Speedway. “Pierre has been pivotal to the continued growth of endurance racing through his leadership of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, and Dano has succeeded professionally from the boardroom to the race track throughout his storied career. We look forward to welcoming these two titans of motorsports to be a part of the historic legacy of the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA.”

Fillon, who will give the command for drivers to “Start Engines,” has been President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) since in 2012. As President, Fillon participated in the creation of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). He also a key to the partnership with IMSA to create the LMDh regulations, which will be able to compete for overall victories in both the WEC and IMSA. The ACO organizes world-renowned races such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 24 Hours Motos motorcycle race, Le Mans Classic and more. The organization is also behind the FIA World Endurance Championship, the European Le Mans Series and the Asian Le Mans Series. Originally from Le Mans, France, Fillon joined the ACO in 1995 and became a board member in 2003.

Davis, who will wave the green flag to get the race started, dedicated 36 years of his professional career to Winn-Dixie. He began his career as a part-time employee in 1968 and rose to president of the company in 1982 and retired as chairman in 2004. He grew up passionate about sports cars and racing. In 1984, a friendship with Bob Snodgrass led to the duo racing vintage and historic cars in HSR and SVRA until 2003. After purchasing the Brumos dealerships in 1990, he brought the team back to professional racing in the IMSA Supercar Series, winning the championships from 1991-1993. Brumos returned to full-time racing in 2000 in the GRAND-AM Daytona Prototype class. The team succeeded with first and third place finishes in the 2009 Rolex 24 At DAYTONA. In 2011, Brumos began competing in GT Racing and won the GT Championship the same year. Brumos officially retired from racing in 2013.

First staged in 1962, the iconic race will open the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season. It will allow fans to witness THE IMSA event that pushes the boundaries of motorsports competition from both high atop the frontstretch seating area with a bird’s-eye view, as well as the infield to see the twists and turns of the 3.56-mile venue from a closer standpoint. Transportation services will be provided to get fans to and from both destinations.

Safety protocols will be implemented to aid in the wellbeing of the limited number of fans in attendance.

Two-day admissions to the storied, twice-around-the-clock Rolex 24 are just $68 with kids 12 and under free. Guests will safely experience a host of sights and sounds that include a fireworks show, the Ferris Wheel at the Boardwalk, entry into the infield UNOH Fanzone, and a host of fun exhibits and displays. Single-day tickets are also available on Thursday ($10 - includes on-track practices) and Friday ($30 - includes on-track practices and the BMW Endurance Challenge 4-hour race). To learn more on all Rolex 24 admission opportunities, including a limited number of RV camping spots, fans are urged to quickly call 1-800-PITSTOP or log onto www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com.

Continuing tradition, fans will also see world-famous drivers from across various racing disciplines who are gearing up for the ultimate test of man and machine that demands precision, speed, reliability and strategy while requiring the greatest of skill and focus. From the NASCAR ranks, reigning NASCAR Cup Series Champion Chase Elliott, who won the NASCAR Cup Series DAYTONA Road Course event last summer, will make his debut in the Rolex 24. He will be joined by seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and two-time DAYTONA 500 winner Jimmie Johnson, who returns for his eighth start, along with Austin Dillon, the 2018 DAYTONA 500 Champion, also making his initial start in the coveted event.

Some of the world’s finest race car drivers who also are scheduled to compete include two-time Indy 500 champion Juan Pablo Montoya, Ryan Briscoe and Renger van der Zande, who were champions of the 2020 Rolex 24, along with former Formula 1 driver Kevin Magnussen and former Rolex 24 winner Richard Westbrook. Wayne Taylor Racing, which has won the last two Rolex 24 titles, will be back to attempt a trifecta, featuring three-time Indy 500 victor and 2020 WeatherTech Championship DPi champion Helio Castroneves, 2016 Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi, two-time WeatherTech Championship titlist Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque, a victor of the Rolex 24 in 2018.

All Rolex 24 At DAYTONA entries will return for the traditional Roar Before the Rolex 24 test session Jan. 22-24 that includes Saturday’s Scouts of America 145 IMSA Prototype Challenge as well as a new feature – Sunday’s Motul Pole Award 100 qualifying race. Results from that event will set the starting grid for the Rolex 24 the following week.

As a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Rolex 24 will be conducted in accordance with enhanced safety protocols and procedures to provide a safe environment for guests, IMSA competitors, employees and the local community. All guests will be screened before entering the facility and will be required to wear face coverings while maintaining six feet social distancing throughout their visit.

For a schedule of on-track activities and protocols, logo onto www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com. Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for the latest news and updates.

 Dynamic driving fun in a small bundle of energy: The sport version of the Yaris amazes motorsport fans. With a remarkable 261 hp and a torque of 360 Nm, the Yaris GR has rightly made a name for itself as a small car. The Toyota WRC rally team has packed a lot of extra power under his hood. A great incentive for the tuning experts at DTE to elicit even more power from the power dwarf.

In order to get more out of the 1.6-liter turbo three-cylinder, DTE has also pimped up PowerControl X for the Yaris GR. The innovative chip tuning increases performance and driving dynamics for that extra racing feeling. The system uses multi-map technology to optimize the key engine parameters in real time. Overall, the small car with PowerControl X has 310 hp with a torque increase of + 45Nm. It can even outperform its competitor, the Honda Civic Type R.

Another advantage of PowerControl X is the app control, which enables the driver to conveniently switch between the Sport, Dynamic and Efficiency programs from the cockpit. Live instruments with the most important engine data such as boost pressure, intake manifold pressure and acceleration complete the package and turn the small athlete into a full-blown racing car.

DTE brings more driving fun into the car at the push of a button - even with the fast Yaris GR. In addition to PowerControl, DTE now also has the matching PedalBox: more dynamic acceleration, improved throttle response and the final touches for individually configurable sportiness for that extra kick when starting and overtaking.

And for everyone who wants maximum performance: If you combine PedalBox and PowerControl X, you get an unbeatable power duo for the perfect driving experience.

PowerControl X is available in the DTE Systems online shop or through certified resellers.

DTE Systems GmbH is a market-leading manufacturer of tuning products in Germany. Since 1996, the company based in Recklinghausen has been developing, producing and marketing high-performance chip tuning boxes for passenger cars, trucks and tractors. The accelerator tuning with the PedalBox continues the great success of the brand. DTE Systems is a member of the VDAT (German Association of Automotive Tuning Industry) and is certified by TÜV Austria. The DTE chip tuning modules PowerControl and accelerator tuning PedalBox are including a comprehensive guarantee. A TÜV part certificate is available for more than 3,900 vehicles.