Lopez: Kobayashi team principal appointment won't change Toyota dynamic in WEC

Together with Mike Conway, Lopez and Kobayashi clinched their second consecutive WEC title in 2021, adding a long-awaited first Le Mans 24 Hours victory in the first season for the new GR010 HYBRID Le Mans Hypercar.

Following the season, Toyota revealed that Kobayashi will combine his duties driving the #7 car with the team principal role, replacing Hisatake Murata.

PLUS: Why Le Mans didn't decide Toyota's WEC title outcome in 2021

Toyota Gazoo Racing technical director Pascal Vasselon and team director Rob Leupen will report to Kobayashi, who will also be supported by Kazuki Nakajima - the three-time Le Mans winner having retired from driving and stepped into the newly-created role of Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe vice-chairman.

Speaking to Autosport, Lopez said he viewed the changes as "a plus" for Toyota ahead of Peugeot's expected arrival into the WEC this year.

"I think it’s a positive thing, bringing a driver with a big experience, probably a different view, maybe different ideas, I think it’s a plus," said Lopez.

"We are very happy that person is Kamui, because we’ve known him for so long, we know how close he is with Akio [Toyoda, Toyota CEO] and how close he’s been with Toyota in these years.

"It’s a big challenge for him, definitely, but we’re all going to be there to help him. We as team-mates, Pascal, Rob, everyone in the team involved is going to be there also, helping and making things altogether better."

#7 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 - Hybrid Hypercar: Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, Jose Maria Lopez

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

Asked if he expected that Kobayashi's new position would give the #7 crew any advantage over their sister car, in which Ryo Hirakawa will replace Nakajima alongside Sebastien Buemi and Brendon Hartley, Lopez said he expected "everything is going to be the same".

"It’s not going to change, he’s still the same Kamui," said Lopez.

"The only difference now is that he can fire me!

"In terms of if it's going to influence him on driving, Kamui is a very particular person, one of his virtues is how he manages to separate when he jumps in the car from the rest.

"He’s able to isolate everything very easy, so I think he will do just fine.

"I think it will be a matter of time that at one point he will say, 'I will have to commit 100% to one or the other things'. But today I think he can do it no problem.

"Even if I can see definitely that now he’s busier, you can see he’s talking with people, of course he has lots of things to do, I think it’s a good thing and we will help him as a team as well to make things better."