GR GT3 Won’t Race at N24; 2026 Debut Still on Cards

Photo: Yuya Konishi

Toyota will not debut its GR GT3 in next month’s Nurburgring 24, but a first outing for the much-anticipated challenger still appears to be on the cards for later in the year.

Revealed last December after years in development, the GR GT3 is set to replace the Lexus RC F GT3 as Toyota’s flagship GT3 when it makes its worldwide debut in 2027.

However, it has long been speculated that the car would make its first race appearances before then in the hands of Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda’s Rookie Racing team.

A debut in this year’s N24 had in particular been thought of as a possible target event given Toyoda, who also races in the event as ‘Morizo’, has publicly set out the goal of conquering the overall classification Eifel classic in the near future.

But with just more than a month to run until this year’s N24, Rookie appears set to focus on running a refined version of the GR Yaris DAT Concept it ran in last year’s race.

Appearances later in the year in NLS and in Japan are believed to be among the options under consideration, although a recent sighting of the car testing on the Nordschleife suggests that the NLS is the most likely option for the car’s debut.

Giving an update on the situation, Toyota global motorsport director Masaya Kaji told Sportscar365: “We were always planning to decide where and when the car would debut, and in what kind of race, based on how development progresses.

“I don’t think we were ever fixated on a particular target race to debut the car. So I wouldn’t say there has been a major change of plans.

“But we are still in the process of working out what the most advantageous place would be for the car to debut development-wise.”

Although the GR GT3 will not race in the N24 this year, Toyota is still in the process of preparing its drivers to bid for overall victory in the race in the coming years.

Sho Tsuboi and Nirei Fukuzumi, who represent the brand in SUPER GT as well as Super Formula, were both in action for last month’s NLS2 at the wheel of a KCMG-run Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, making their top-class debut at the Nordschleife.

“We wanted the pair of them to prepare properly,” said Kaji when asked why Tsuboi and Fukuzumi joined KCMG.

“Morizo-san’s goal is to eventually score overall victory at the N24, so of course you can’t do that without preparing. We also need the team, as well as the drivers to be ready.

“Tsuboi and Fukuzumi are the current top drivers in GR. Whether they will actually be part of the race lineup in future, I don’t know, but it’s important that we get them up to speed.”

Tsuboi and Fukuzumi are among a number of Toyota-affiliated drivers to have earned their ‘A Permit’ licenses in recent years, with the likes of Yuichi Nakayama, Giuliano Alesi, Miki Koyama and Kazuto Kotaka having also accumulated Nordschleife experience.

SUPER GT veterans Hiroaki Ishiura and Kazuya Oshima were also part of the N24 lineup for Rookie last year and will reprise their roles this season, making them obvious candidates to be part of a future Toyota lineup aimed at overall victory.

While not ruling out the possibility of making use of more established Nurburgring experts, Kaji stated that Toyota’s desire is to use its own drivers as much as possible.

“It’s not an easy race to win,” said Kaji. “But we certainly want to make sure Japanese drivers are involved.

“As we are aiming for an overall victory with a Japanese car, we want this to be a good boost for the Japanese motorsport industry.

“It’s not like we absolutely have to have a 100 percent Japanese driver lineup, but equally we want to fly the flag for Japan. That’s our intention.”

Source: Sports Car 365