Toyota Could Consider Third Full-Season Entry for 2025

Toyota Gazoo Racing says it may have to consider a third full-time entry for the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2025 to combat the increased presences of Hypercar competitors Ferrari and Porsche.

Team director Rob Leupen believes that the Japanese manufacturer may have to react to the fact that its two biggest rivals in the top class have upped their car counts for the new season with additional entries outside of its two-car factory teams.

It follows the expansion of the Ferrari effort to three 499Ps, with the addition of the satellite No. 83 AF Corse car, and Porsche adding a fifth car to its roster thanks to customer squad Hertz Team JOTA expanding its operation to run a second 963.

While Leupen feels that the changes to Toyota’s driver line-up and technical structure made 2024 the wrong time to introduce a third car, he says that the Cologne-based outfit will continue to evaluate its options to add a third GR010 Hybrid to its stable.

“You always have it on your mind,” Leupen told Sportscar365 when asked about the possibility of Toyota adding a third car in response to Ferrari and Porsche. “But we have to ask ourselves what we want to focus on.

“To have a third car with the changes we have made [would have been difficult]. With all the [new] teams coming this year, we want to concentrate on our two cars [this year]. Nyck [de Vries] will have big shoes to fill with Jose [Maria Lopez] leaving.

“Maybe next year, maybe the year after… let’s see.”

When pressed further on the possibility of a third Toyota becoming a reality as soon as 2025, Leupen added: “We have to keep our eyes open. I don’t think you should deny [the possibility]. It’s something we review and discuss every season.”

Leupen added that in the event of Toyota introducing a third car, it is more likely it would do so with a Ferrari-style satellite operation run in-house than selling a car on a pure customer basis.

“You see Porsche operating multiple cars in different teams,” he said. “Ferrari does it in that way [with a single team]. Maybe we would prefer the Ferrari side.”

Toyota has a history of running a third car for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, notably doing so in 2017, but since then it has always stuck to its two full-season entries.

Although manufacturers such as Porsche and Cadillac have brought over cars from the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for the WEC showpiece, Leupen indicated that Toyota has been informed that a one-off entry for Le Mans would not be accepted.

“We understand that from this year onwards, you have to do the whole season with three cars, not only Le Mans and Spa,” said Leupen.

“This is something we need to consider. For us that information came too late [for 2024] and we need to focus on the two cars we have.”

Ferrari’s No. 83 car, shared by factory drivers Yifei Ye and Robert Shwartzman as well as Robert Kubica, was the best of the LMH runners in this month’s Qatar 1812km season opener, finishing in fifth ahead of the best of the Toyotas.

“Very strong line-up and a very good professional team,” said Leupen of the No. 83 Ferrari. “I think they [Ferrari] want to increase their chances.

“The drivers don’t all have Hypercar experience, but they will be there. We saw Ye last year doing some amazing things. All three cars will be very strong.”