Toyota GAZOO Racing has intensified its campaign for a sixth Le Mans 24 Hours victory as the full 62-car field convened at Circuit de la Sarthe for the official test day ahead of the race on 14–15 June, marking the fourth round of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).
Both 2025-specification GR010 HYBRIDs completed a full day of running without incident. This year’s cars carry special liveries commemorating the 40th anniversary of Toyota’s debut at Le Mans. The team focused on refining performance in preparation for what promises to be a highly competitive Hypercar grid of 21 entries from eight manufacturers.
The #8 GR010, driven by Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa, set the fastest time of the day at 3:26.246. Meanwhile, the #7 car of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries completed a productive programme and debuted a new livery that pays homage to the iconic 1998 GT-One (TS020), placing 14th overall.
Team preparations began days earlier with the arrival of personnel from a preceding shakedown at Spa-Francorchamps. On Saturday, the team took part in the ceremonial scrutineering, with Kamui Kobayashi driving the #7 through the city centre during a public parade.
Despite cool morning temperatures of around 15°C, both test sessions were valuable. The team completed setup evaluations, tyre comparisons across soft and medium Michelin compounds, and various suspension adjustments. The morning session was briefly delayed by a safety car, while the afternoon run, held under warmer 20°C conditions, was interrupted by three red flags. Still, the team maximized available time with further setup and tyre analysis. A puncture for Buemi was handled without issue.
With the track closed on Monday and Tuesday, work continues behind the scenes. Mechanics will rebuild both cars ahead of Wednesday’s practice and qualifying sessions, while engineers and drivers analyse test data to further optimize vehicle balance, handling, and tyre strategy.
Kamui Kobayashi, Team Principal and #7 driver:
“It’s always a special feeling to return to Le Mans. This track is what these cars are built for. We made solid progress during the test sessions, though there’s still work to be done. Overall, it was a productive day.”
Mike Conway, #7 driver:
“It’s great to be back, especially since I missed driving here last year. We tested multiple setups and while we’re not where we want to be just yet, we’re heading in the right direction.”
Nyck de Vries, #7 driver:
“We faced some challenges with balance, and the red flags shortened our programme. Still, we collected important data and know what areas we need to improve.”
Sébastien Buemi, #8 driver:
“Driving a Hypercar here is always a joy. Setting the fastest lap is a nice bonus, but there’s more work ahead. We’ll review the data and be ready for changing conditions next week.”
Brendon Hartley, #8 driver:
“The car ran smoothly, and all three of us felt comfortable. It’s clear we’re facing strong competition, but we’re in the mix and focused on fine-tuning before the race.”
Ryo Hirakawa, #8 driver:
“Despite the interruptions, we achieved most of what we planned. The car felt strong, and we have more potential to unlock over the coming days.”
