Drivers give their opinion on the Toyota GR010

Toyota unveiled on Friday the GR010 which will compete in the category Le Mans Hypercar from the upcoming season. The brand's official drivers were able to test it for several days at Portimao and Paul Ricard.

While fans were surprised to see the car look so much like an LMP1 from the outside, some drivers also imagined a different car on the inside.

“I actually didn’t expect it to be so pleasant to ride,” commented Sébastien Buemi. “I thought the sensations would be more those of a GT. But we learned a lot from the LMP1 days and we used that knowledge to improve this new car, so it feels more like a prototype and I really enjoy driving such a fast car...”

Brendon Hartley also appreciated this mix between GT and prototype. “Fans will be pleasantly surprised by this new GR010 Hybrid, it is a combination of LMP1 and road car. It's great to drive, especially in hybrid four-wheel drive mode. The big difference is the extra weight and having a little less power.

Hartley especially appreciates being able to attack hard all the time. “Overall the car won't be much different to drive. But the obvious fact is that without needing to save fuel, you brake by jumping on the brake pedal. This is what we've done for almost our entire career so it's almost a step back. It will therefore be necessary to find the old automation systems. »

To do this, the drivers will have a third day of testing in the coming weeks at Motorland in Aragon. It was supposed to take place this weekend, but was canceled due to snow.

“We will be back very soon” confirms Brendon Hartley. "So we'll have another endurance test to sort out the little issues you can always expect with a new car."

Then, it's time to open the WEC scheduled for Sebring in mid-March.