Toyota Gazoo Racing, the racing division of the Japanese car giant, has unveiled a hydrogen-powered sports prototype at Le Mans, the GR H2 Racing Concept.
In Japan, Toyota GR Corolla H2 Concept sports cars with such engines are already competing in the Super Taikyu Series, the national endurance racing championship. But in 2026, hydrogen power plants should also appear on sports prototypes made for the WEC.
On Friday, such a car was shown to the press and the public for the first time, tomorrow it must make a symbolic circle around the Sarte ring road and will be driven by Akio Toyoda himself, the 67-year-old president of Toyota Corporation.
“One of the main advantages of hydrogen fuel compared to petrol is that it is very light, and this, as we know, is one of the main advantages that race car makers are aiming for,” he said. “Actually, a few weeks ago I drove a Corolla powered by liquid hydrogen in the 24-hour Super TEC race at Fuji Speedway. And we not only successfully crossed the finish line, but also learned a lot.
My personal goal is to achieve CO2 neutrality in motorsport without compromising aspects such as speed or spectacle. We wouldn’t invest in hydrogen technology if I didn’t think it would help us win. I want to say that I also have my priorities.
I really want our rivals to think about switching to hydrogen technologies too – and not just because it benefits the environment, but also because it’s interesting.
We are grateful to the ACO Automobile Club and the Le Mans circuit for the unique opportunity to share the results of our efforts with the whole world, we are already looking forward to our new car GR H2 participating in Le Mans in the future. Mans in a new category of hydrogen.”
Technical specifications for Toyota’s hydrogen concept car are scarce, so far it is only known that it is equipped with a hydrogen power plant and a hybrid system.
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
