Will the 2023 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans signal the end of playtime for Toyota?

Facts : Toyota a remporté dimanche sa cinquième victoire consécutive aux 24 Hours of Le Mans at the end of a race largely dominated by the Japanese manufacturer, author of a new double. The arrivals of Cadillac, Ferrari, Peugeot et Porsche pour le Centenaire en 2023, will they signal the end of playtime for Toyota?

YES, by Gonzalo Forbes

Since Porsche's withdrawal at the end of the 2017 season, Toyota has never really been worried during recent editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The numbers speak for themselves. The Japanese manufacturer has just achieved a 5th consecutive success in the Sarthe, further confirming this lack of competition in the double round of the clock. Rebellion, Alpine or even Glickenhaus have all tried but none have managed to dethrone, or even shake up, the Japanese steamroller.

In 2023, the situation will be significantly different for Toyota. Next season will mark the beginning of the LMDh era and therefore the arrival of new manufacturers, or the return, to the field such as Cadillac and Porsche who plan to enter several cars. Enough to predict a multi-person battle for victory. Something that has no longer happened at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in recent years. In addition, Ferrari will make its comeback in Endurance via the LMH category, thus competing with the Japanese firm on its own territory.

Faced with the growth of the premier category field, Toyota will no longer be alone, or at least will no longer be able to dominate as easily as in the last 5 years when everyone who tried their luck failed. Pascal Vasselon and his gang will also have to keep an eye on Glickenhaus who took his first podium at Le Mans last weekend and above all showed signs of considerable progress even if the American team still has to take a step forward to be at the level of this that it is best done in Endurance.

The day after his 5^e victory in the Le Mans classic, Toyota knows that the centenary edition will be a completely different story. Facing Porsche, Cadillac and Peugeot, the fight will be tougher and the Japanese team is aware that it will not be a cakewalk as was the case over the last five years when it was almost alone. It is up to the Japanese GR010 to now show that all its victories are not due to a lack of competition but to hard work which allowed it to reign uncontested in Sarthe.

By winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the fourth time, Sébastien Buemi entered the legend of the event. © Alexandre Guillaumot / DPPI

NO, by Valentin Glo

Toyota has dominated the premier class of Endurance and the 24 Hours of Le Mans for five years. The Japanese team is the only one to play the game since the introduction of Hypercars and is bearing the brunt of the new regulations while the others bide their time to join the fray. It is therefore a well-established team, which knows how to steer its boat safely, even when the wind is unfavorable. The operation of the GR010 is optimized, as is the racing experience of the drivers and the entire team.

Led by Sébastien Buemi, now a four-time winner of the Le Mans classic, the Japanese manufacturer is always preparing one step ahead and the arrival of the competition is already anticipated. Even when it is successful, the Aichi Prefecture firm never rests on its laurels. Toyota has thus refined its copy for this 2022 season, modifying its tire dimensions and requiring it to make some aerodynamic adjustments. The fifth Le Mans title was not yet in the bag, as the team was already preparing for the 2023 deadlines. Toyota always has a few tricks up its sleeve, and this could result in a new Hypercar or even a third car in competition next year.

Competition, for its part, will have to be rehearsed. It will certainly be able to benefit from the ground cleared by Toyota, but experience cannot be bought. In this area, the Japanese team will always have a clear advantage against its opponents. Next year, for the Centenary of Le Mans, the Peugeot 9X8s will potentially only have five races behind them, while Porsche, Cadillac or Ferrari will not have entered competition until 2023, and Acura could finally wait until 2024 to point in Sarthe, like BMW, Lamborghini or Alpine. This seems a bit tight to thwart the plans for a perfectly oiled machine from next year, even with the Performance Balance. The end of playtime may not be anytime soon for Toyota.

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