Toyota forced to miss Six Hours of Spa after Paul Ricard testing crash
Toyota has been forced to delay the racing debut of its new LMP1 car following a crash during testing at Paul Ricard
The Japanese manufacturer was scheduled to compete with its new TS030 HYBRID in the Six Hours of Spa on 5 May, but a crash at Paul Ricard last week has made Toyota change its plans.
Frenchman Nicolas Lapierre was driving the car, and the team did not specify the cause of the accident.
Toyota said the damage to the car was too severe to be repaired, and that a new monocoque cannot be produced and sufficiently tested to ensure reliability within the limited time available.
The team will now make its first racing appearance at the Le Mans 24 Hours in June.
"We are deeply saddened to announce this decision and our sympathies are with the drivers, team members and fans who have been anticipating the Spa race so eagerly," said Toyota racing president Yoshiaki Kinoshita.
"Since the accident we have looked into all options but unfortunately there is no alternative course of action open to us."
The team said it will now urgently prepare a new monocoque to resume testing ahead of Le Mans.
Previous article
Conquest to run Nissan engines in ALMS until the end of the season
Next article
James Rossiter gets World Endurance Championship chance as Lotus expands to second LMP2 entry
About this article
| Series | WEC |
| Teams | Toyota Racing |
| Author | Pablo Elizalde |
How 'Brilliant' Bob Wollek lived up to his nickname
Sportscar racing lost one of it's greatest talents 20 years ago today when Bob Wollek was knocked from his bicycle prior to the Sebring 12 Hours. The enigmatic Frenchman never won the Le Mans 24 Hours, but many still remember today why 'Brilliant Bob' became a legend
Top 10 moments of an underrated British great
Brian Redman was one of the best sportscar drivers of the 1960s and 1970s, as well as a three-time champion on the fearsome American Formula 5000 scene. To celebrate his 84th birthday Autosport contacted him about his best races – and he decided to write the piece himself…
How an endurance racing boom could help one of LMP2's top teams
The G-Drive squad has been a mainstay of endurance racing in recent years, and has linked up with Russian manufacturer Aurus in recent years to promote its brand. With a change of rules in endurance racing's top tables, the team could be well-placed to take advantage of a potential boom...
How Ferrari’s Hypercar project could bolster Leclerc’s legacy
OPINION: Ferrari's planned return to the top category at the Le Mans 24 Hours has further heightened anticipation for the 2023 race. Few concrete details are currently known, but already it has a high-profile superstar angling for involvement, which would make a refreshing change
Why Ferrari is ending its 50-year top-flight sportscar exile
Making a return to top-flight sportscar racing after 50 years away, Ferrari will enter the Le Mans Hypercar ranks in 2023. The Italian marque denies the link with Formula 1's new cost cap that frees up resources, but it's certainly no coincidence...
The ground-up refresh behind Toyota's new Le Mans challenger
Toyota's new GR010 contender for the World Endurance Championship's Hypercar era has little in common with the LMP1 TS050 that preceded it. But within the confines of the scaled back new rules, its latest challenger will be no less formidable a prospect
The Porsche icon that forged sportscar racing's greatest era
Porsche is returning to the top class of Le Mans with an LMDh prototype that it hopes will write its next successful chapter in sportscar racing. But it will have to go some to emulate its 956/962, a car which defines the Group C age more than any other
How Kristensen forged the Mr Le Mans legend
He is synonymous with success at the Circuit de la Sarthe, but Tom Kristensen's sportscar legacy amounts to much more than his record-breaking nine Le Mans wins, as the most successful driver ever at Sebring and a world champion to boot
