Toyota can't "relax" with Peugeot arrival in WEC – Lopez
Jose Maria Lopez says Toyota cannot afford to "relax" ahead of Peugeot's entry into the 2022 World Endurance Championship and is predicting a "strong challenge" from the French manufacturer.


Together with team-mates aboard the #7 Toyota GR010 HYBRID Kamui Kobayashi and Mike Conway, Lopez claimed a second straight WEC title in 2021 as the crew secured their long-awaited maiden Le Mans 24 Hours victory.
But with Peugeot set to join Toyota in the Le Mans Hypercar class this year and a renewed assault to come from Glickenhaus, plus the grandfathered Alpine LMP1 to pick up the scraps if the Hypercars are unreliable, Lopez insists Toyota can't afford to relinquish its efforts.
Asked by Autosport whether he would be driving more freely this year with the Le Mans jinx lifted, the Argentinian said: "When you win races and win championships, you build up confidence every time and that’s very important for sure.
"But at the same time, we have very strong team-mates, we’re going to have a strong competition and at this level of sport you can’t really relax. You always have to push yourself 150%.
"I feel like if you relax or if you just leave a little bit, you find yourself always in difficult situations. Especially in these races, you can’t really relax any second.
"Everything is changing constantly, it’s not a routine like sprint racing where you find your apex and your braking point and you repeat until the point that you nail it every lap.
"You pass cars, with different approach speeds in the corners every time, things changing, weather changing, you have to communicate with the team, the car has a lot of technology. That’s something you have to be 100%, you can’t really relax.
"Yes, we won Le Mans, but are we going to get there this year and it’s easy for us? No, I think it’s going to be always hard."

#7 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 - Hybrid: Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, Jose Maria Lopez
Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images
The team has undergone an organisational shakeup this year, with Kobayashi assuming the team principal role alongside his driving duties, while three-time Le Mans winning team-mate Kazuki Nakajima has stepped out of the cockpit of Toyota #8 and taken up a new role as vice chairman of Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe.
Lopez told Autosport that he didn't expect the changes would make any difference to the dynamic of the #7 team and that he has every confidence in his team-mate to be a success in the role.
But having won three World Touring Car Championship titles on the bounce with Citroen between 2014 and 2016, and raced for DS Virgin in Formula E, he is expecting that sister company Peugeot will be competitive from the off on its return to prototype racing for the first time since 2011.
"I worked with the group before in WTCC, I think many things have changed now, but still some people, even some friends are still there," said Lopez.
"I know they are very capable and I know they’re going to be a strong challenge for us as well.
"They are going to push us harder and I think it’s going to be very nice for us, for everyone, for the series.
"I’m looking forward to it, I really hope they can make it as soon as possible to have them on track as soon as they can."
Related video

Nurburgring expert Pittard becomes Aston Martin factory GT racer
Yifei Ye to make Porsche debut in ALMS

Latest news
Why WTR Acura lacked pace to beat MSR in Daytona 24 showdown
Filipe Albuquerque admits that he knew it would be a tall order for Wayne Taylor Racing to overcome sister Acura squad Meyer Shank Racing in last weekend's Daytona 24 Hours.
How MSR took Acura to the first win of sportscar racing's new era
After much anticipation, the new dawn for sportscar racing got underway with a result that mirrored last year's IMSA SportsCar Championship's season-opener run to the previous DPi rules. Here's how Acura once again took top honours in the Daytona 24 Hours with a 1-2 led by Meyer Shank Racing, as the new GTP class for LMDh hybrid prototypes made its bow
Alonso's pushy trait a boost for me in 2023 F1 season, says Stroll
Aston Martin Formula 1 driver Lance Stroll says Fernando Alonso's pushy nature will be a boost to both him and the squad this year.
Porsche aims to “learn quick” from Daytona 24 Hours disappointment
Porsche’s director of factory racing Urs Kuratle says his team will gain valuable answers from its disappointing results in the Daytona 24 Hours.
Why the WEC should make space for modern garagistes in 2023
OPINION: There is plenty of excitement over the glut of manufacturers tackling the Hypercar class of the World Endurance Championship this season. The selection committee is set to face headaches over who it decides to admit and who gets turned away from the 2023 entry list, but history tells us that the smaller entrants have a place
Autosport writers' most memorable moments of 2022
The season just gone was a memorable one for many of our staff writers, who are fortunate enough to cover motorsport around the world. Here are our picks of the best (and in some cases, most eventful) from 2022
Is Qatar the price motorsport fans have to pay?
OPINION: Fresh from hosting a controversial 2022 football World Cup, Qatar has added its name to the 2024 World Endurance Championship calendar. Although questions may be asked about its presence on the calendar, is it simply the price to pay for having a healthy racing championship?
How Toyota defeated Alpine for the 2022 WEC title
Toyota #8 trio Brendon Hartley, Sebastien Buemi and Ryo Hirakawa outscored their rivals in the last season before the World Endurance Championship’s top class gets ultra-competitive. Here's how their Hypercar battle with Alpine and the remaining class tussles played out in LMP2, GTE Pro and GTE Am
The long road to convergence for sportscar racing's new golden age
The organisers of the World Endurance Championship and IMSA SportsCar Championship worked together to devise the popular new LMDh rule set. But to turn it from an idea into reality, some serious compromises were involved - both from the prospective LMDh entrants and those with existing Le Mans Hypercar projects...
How Porsche's Le Mans legend changed the game
The 956 set the bar at the dawn of Group C 40 years ago, and that mark only rose higher through the 1980s, both in the world championship and in the US. It and its successor, the longer-wheelbase 962, were voted as Autosport's greatest sportscar in 2020 - here's why
Why BMW shouldn't be overlooked on its return to prototypes
OPINION: While the focus has been on the exciting prospect of Ferrari vs Porsche at the Le Mans 24 Hours next year, BMW’s factory return to endurance racing should not be ignored. It won't be at the French classic next year as it focuses efforts on the IMSA SportsCar Championship, but could be a dark horse in 2024 when it returns to La Sarthe with the crack WRT squad
The problem sausage kerbs continue to cause
Track limits are the problem that motorsport doesn't seem to be able to rid itself of. But the use of so-called 'sausage kerbs' as a deterrent has in several instances only served to worsen the problem, and a growing number of voices want to see action taken
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.