Toyota intends to race its hydrogen-powered car alongside its current GR010 Hybrid in the 2028 FIA WEC.
The Japanese manufacturer will take advantage of the move announced in June, which grants a two-year extension to the current Hypercar and LMDh, by gradually introducing a vehicle built to the hydrogen rules, which have been delayed since they are now due to be introduced in 2028.
Toyota plans to race a car developed from ideas showcased in the 2023 GR HY Concept in the WEC 24 Hours of Le Mans and no more than twice in its first season on the track.
John Litjens, head of the Hypercar development project at Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe, said: “We planned to start with the hydrogen car and run it in a couple of races first, not a full season.”
“The Automobile Club de l’Ouestha talked about three races in the first year, so there will be a transition. It all depends on what the regulations allow us to do.”
ACO boss Pierre Fillon has confirmed plans to gradually introduce hydrogen technology to the Hypercar class by 2028, with the first cars powered by the alternative fuel appearing at Le Mans in June.
“The plan is to have them at Spa (which traditionally takes place in late April or early May) and Le Mans for the first year,” he explained.
FIA Liquid H2
Photo by: FIA
Asked whether the cars might race again in ’28 after Le Mans, Fillon said a participation in the Japanese round at Fuji was a possibility, in a clear nod to Toyota’s aspirations.
Litjens stressed that there remains uncertainty about the timing of Toyota’s hydrogen project, in the absence of a firm set of rules, but reiterated that a hydrogen-powered Toyota prototype could enter the race in 2028 “if we have the rules published in time”.
FIA technical director Xavier Mestelan Pinon explained: “The first step for the governing body is to define what we call the generic regulation for liquid hydrogen,” following its announcement in February that it would prioritise and promote this form of storage for motorsport applications.
“We will then launch a dedicated technical working group with the FIA, the ACO and IMSA (whose GTP class is subject to the same rules as the Hypercar in the WEC) to define the regulations for the manufacturers.”
Mestelan Pinon and his ACO counterpart Thierry Bouvet have outlined a vision that sees the new 2030 regulations for the Hypercar class introduced by 2028.
This will allow hydrogen cars to compete on equal terms with conventionally fuelled cars, a key tenet of the ACO and FIA’s philosophy for alternative technology.
Alpine H2 car
Photo by: Marc Fleury
There is, however, a desire to give manufacturers the chance to win in the WEC and at Le Mans, given the high costs of developing a hydrogen prototype, whether it is a combustion car or one powered by fuel cell technology.
Toyota has no plans to build a conventional car under the 2030 rules, Litjens explained: “Developing two new cars in parallel is not possible.”
The ACO and the FIA have highlighted the difficulties of introducing hydrogen into the WEC’s premier class.
“We are starting from a blank sheet of paper and we have many challenges ahead of us,” said Mestelan Pinon.
