Toyota Gazoo Racing plays a key role in pushing the limits on the racetrack to develop carbon neutral mobility solutions and make ever-better cars. Since 2021, the team has also been racing with internal combustion engines that run on hydrogen.
Racing towards a carbon neutral society
Toyota Gazoo Racing as a test ground for the development of carbon neutral fuels
24/08/2023
Gazoo Racing for better cars
We all know the GR badge on our cars stands for Gazoo Racing but have you ever wondered how much the team influences the design of Toyota’s passenger cars? Although Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) started as a side project for Akio Toyoda, it has transformed into a testing ground for innovation. Winning race after race on some of the most challenging tracks on earth, TGR has always given its best, usually achieving a podium. The achievements of GR racing cars are transferred to various GR series models and contribute to the company’s goal of developing multi-powertrain solutions towards carbon neutrality.
Hydrogen combustion racing
The members of our Gazoo Racing team share a drive to challenge and push, always going a step further. Beyond the many victories, their accomplishments also contribute to achieving carbon neutral mobility. TGR has been developing H2 fuelled race cars for some time now, and as a real leader, our Chairman Akio Toyoda, aka “Morizo”, has always been the first to jump behind the wheel. By doing so, he demonstrates the car’s safety and reliability and that “The future is shaped by who acts and where” (Akio Toyoda, 2023).
“While many people around the world talk as though BEVs are the only option, I’ve kept competing to help create a hydrogen society, believing that hydrogen offers another way forward.”
Said Toyota’s “Master driver” Akio Toyoda
A co-challenge to create the future of cars
The ENEOS Super Taikyu Series held since 2021 at Fuji International Speedway enables not only Toyota, but various other manufacturers to join the "co-challenge” to expand the carbon-neutral options. In 2021 our H2 Corolla kicked off the Super Taikyu’s carbon neutral efforts, however the field has now grown to six cars from 5 different companies: Toyota, Mazda, Subaru, Nissan, and Honda. ST-Q class serves as a testing ground for new energy sources where carmakers can race their under-development vehicles. By competing together, we are developing diverse options tailored to the needs of each country.
“Given the limits to what a single company can do, we hope to come together in exploring ways to support customer motorsport and turn this into concrete action… There is much to be done, but as the next step, I believe my role is to move the process from honing the technology here to making it publicly available in preparation for mass production.”
Said Toyota President Sato at one of the Super Taikyu races
Milestones for a carbon neutral future
In 2022, Morizo drove the GR Yaris H2 in a demonstration run during Rally Belgium, the 9th round of the World Rally Championship. It was the first time Toyota presented an ‘under-development’ hydrogen-engine vehicle on public roads outside Japan. Later that year, the H2 Corolla joined the Fuji 24h Race, completing 478 laps - 120 more than last year. And this year, the team took to the track the world-first internal combustion engine running on liquid H2 with the GR Yaris in the 2023 Super TEC 24h race at Fuji Speedway. In June, the new GR H2 concept car was introduced for the Le Mans H2 class in the future.
“Akio’s driving was great. And the hydrogen engine put out solid torque, making it no different from a gasoline engine. Because they emit zero CO2, I believe hydrogen engines will become one of the options for achieving carbon neutrality not only in the world of motorsports but also in the world of everyday cars.”
Said Akio’s Copilot Juha Kankunnen during Rally Belgium
E-fuels to maintain motorsport’s emotion
In July 2023, at the Goodwood festival of Speed, Rowan Atkinson, famously known for playing Mr. Bean, also had the opportunity to jump behind the wheel of our H2 GR Yaris, showing his skills as a race driver. The actor praised Toyota for keeping the internal combustion engine alive and expressed his support for alternative fuels. He described his experience onboard of the hydrogen Yaris as “tremendous fun” and referred to the car as a “pocket rocket”.
“Motorsports pure electric racing cars are tricky, because they do sound like a washing machine, you know moving on to spin cycle… and it’s sort of hard, you know… A lot of people are trying to retain the emotion which only a piston engine car can really give you… “
Said Rowan Atkinson at Goodwood 2023 festival
