Toyota retains its six drivers for the 2023 season

Never change a winning team. Toyota has understood this well and will not change its crews for the 2023 season of the world championshipEndurance. Titled among the drivers (with the n°8 of Buemi, Hartley and Hirakawa) and among the manufacturers, the Japanese firm is playing the stability card for the next campaign. The 2023 financial year will be marked by the arrival of many large manufacturers such as Porsche, Ferrari or even Cadillac, as well as the Centenary of 24 Hours of Le Mans.

We will therefore find in GR010 n°7 Mike conway, Kamui Kobayashi et Jose Maria Lopez. In the No. 8, victorious at the 24 Hours of Le Mans last June and holder of the world title, the champions Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa will still be behind the wheel.

🚨 2023 DRIVER ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨

The line-up remains unchanged from our double title-winning 2022 season.

Kamui will also continue in his role as Team Principal. #ToyotaGAZOORacing #GoHyper #DriverLineup pic.twitter.com/7dU3SLRT5a

— TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WEC (@TGR_WEC) November 25, 2022

No changes therefore, even if the trend was for a time towards the arrival of new faces within Toyota. Nyck de Vries should have been a starter for 2023 with the Japanese manufacturer in WEC, but the opportunity at Alpha Tauri en F1 disrupted the Dutchman's plans. Kamui Kobayashi will therefore retain the role of driver-team director which he has held for almost a year. José María López, in the hot seat after a complicated season, still has the confidence of his team.

“We achieved all our goals this year by winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 6 Hours of Fuji and both world titles, thanks to the strong support of Toyota and our partners”, confided Toyota Team Principal Kamui Kobayashi. “We are leaving in 2023 with even stronger competition. We must progress by making our team and our car even stronger. The drivers are an important part of our team and I am happy to play again alongside Mike [Conway], José [López], Séb [Buemi], Brendon [Hartley] and Ryo [Hirakawa]. We have a strong team spirit, especially among the drivers, and we race together like a family. This is a great strength for our team and we must trust each other, support each other, to be as strong as possible against the great competition in Hypercar. »

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