Ryô Hirakawa replaces Kazuki Nakajima at Toyota

The announcement of the retirement of Kazuki Nakajima between the last two rounds of the 2021 season of WEC in Bahrain surprised everyone. Even the main person concerned was not able to say what his future would hold. Toyota announced this Monday his new role: he will occupy the new position of vice president at TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Europe (TGR-E) in Cologne, Germany. His mission will be to improve the organization and optimize the approach to the WEC, alongside management responsibilities for the team and drivers. The Japanese's successor at the wheel will be his compatriot Ryô Hirakawa. At 27 years old, the latter distinguished himself in his career with his Super GT title in 2017. The native of Kure already has two participations in 24 Hours of Le Mans to his credit in the LM P2 category with TDS Racing in 2016 and G-Drive Racing in 2017.

“I am delighted to join the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing family in the WEC, particularly to work alongside Sébastien (Buemi. Editor’s note) and Brendon (Hartley. Editor’s note) on car number 8, rejoices the person concerned. I have already tested the GR010 HYBRID three times and I am becoming more and more familiar with the car. There is still a lot to learn and I am looking forward to the start of pre-season testing so I can continue my development. The 24 Hours of Le Mans is an important goal for me in my career and I have already participated twice in LMP2. Now I can't wait to drive a Hypercar there and fight for victory. Thank you to everyone at Toyota and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing for their trust and support. I am honored to have this opportunity to replace Kazuki-san, who is a true endurance legend. »

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The rest of the line-up remains unchanged for 2022 within the Japanese team, but Kamui Kobayashi inherits a double role as main team of the TGR, with the aim of helping the development of the Japanese Hypercar: “Thank you to President Akio Toyoda, President of GR Sato and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing for trusting me. I will give everything to succeed in my new role, which is a great challenge and a great opportunity. I look forward to fighting for the world championship as a driver and team leader. I will bring all my racing experience to my new job, and I know I have a fantastic team who will support me in my mission. We are preparing for a new era of Hypercar competition in WEC, where many new manufacturers will join the competition, and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing is evolving to prepare for this new challenge. This new team structure is an important step in keeping us sharp and ready for the next battle. I am happy that Kazuki will be able to remain part of our team and this prospect will strengthen the TGR-E management team. I look forward to working alongside him to design even better cars. With Ryo we welcome the next generation of endurance drivers and, with the support of the team and his fellow drivers, I know he will have great success in the WEC. »