If the Car Membership de l’Ouest has its method, hydrogen will play a major function on the 24 Hours of Le Mans within the close to future. Toyota Gazoo Racing unveiled its GR LH2 Racing Idea on Wednesday on the Circuit de la Sarthe in France forward of this yr’s version of the French endurance basic. Toyota’s new racing check mattress is being exhibited by the ACO alongside three different hydrogen-powered sports activities automobiles. Nonetheless, it will likely be years earlier than any hydrogen machine takes the beginning on the 24-hour race.
The GR LH2 Racing Idea is an operational check automotive primarily based on the GR010 Hybrid Hypercar, its present Le Mans entry. Toyota is tight-lipped concerning the full capabilities of the liquid hydrogen-fueled sports activities prototype, but it surely builds on the Japanese automaker’s earlier endeavors lately utilizing the choice gas in motorsport. Toyota has been creating and racing a hydrogen-powered Corolla in Japan’s Tremendous Taikyu Collection since 2021. Akio Toyoda races the hatchback below his nom de course Morizo. The experimental Corolla was dropped at Le Mans in 2023 and ran a demo lap.
Le Mans’ hydrogen future is coming, ultimately
Whereas the GR LH2 Racing Idea is meant to symbolize a possible future hydrogen class, it is not clear when the delays on the category debut will finish. The ACO initially focused a 2024 debut, however plans had been derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic. A second delay pushed the debut to 2026 as a result of the group wished extra time for its in-house idea group to show that hydrogen-powered automobiles may very well be aggressive in opposition to present gasoline-fueled machines. Seemingly, it wasn’t sufficient time. The 2027 24 Hours of Le Mans is now scheduled to be the debut after a 3rd delay.
Toyota is assured that it’ll win Le Mans at some point with hydrogen energy, however this yr’s version can be a commemorative one. It is the fortieth anniversary of Toyota’s first entry at Le Mans in 1985. To have a good time, this yr’s No. 7 Toyota is in a livery reminiscent of the TS020 that raced within the 1998 version of the French endurance basic. The No. 8 will probably be operating the present matte black Toyota Gazoo Racing livery, so collectively the three prototypes symbolize the previous, current and way forward for Toyota at Le Mans.
