Conway Edging Towards Toyota Exit

Photo: Florent Gooden/DPPI

Mike Conway appears increasingly likely to leave Toyota Racing at the end of the current FIA World Endurance Championship season, in a move that would put an end to a relationship with the marque that stretches back more than a decade.

Conway has been a full-time member of the Toyota WEC stable since the 2015 season, having made his first outings for the Cologne-based organization in 2014.

In that time, he has been part of the 2019/20 and 2021 title-winning crews, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the latter year with Kamui Kobayashi and Jose Maria Lopez.

However, Conway has for some time been regarded as the most likely member of the current Toyota roster to depart in the event that it elects to make a change for the 2027 season amid a driver market that has swung into action earlier than normal.

The 42-year-old has been linked with a move away from Toyota, with Ford and McLaren believed to be among his potential destinations.

Asked what his future could look like in the run-up to Le Mans this weekend, Conway told Sportscar365: “I can’t quite say yet. I have my plans of things I’m going to do, but I can’t reveal anything until later in the year.”

Queried on whether the plan was set, he replied: “Kind of in my mind, yeah.”

Conway was equivocal when asked if his plans involved a move away from Toyota, the Briton only saying: “We’ll wait and see”.

Nakajima: 2027 Driver Puzzle “Nice Headache to Have”

Conway’s remarks come at a time that Kevin Estre has been linked to a move to Toyota, as part of a loan deal with his current employer Porsche, while Esteban Masson is also considered to be a candidate to race for the Japanese marque in the coming years.

Masson made his second public outing in Toyota Hypercar machinery in last weekend’s test day, enabling him to step in for this weekend’s WEC blue riband if required.

Team director Kazuki Nakajima said that Masson joins Jose Maria Lopez in its pool of reserve drivers, but denied it was a sign that that the 21-year-old — previously described by the team as “special” — is poised for an imminent graduation.

“We gave Esteban five laps on Sunday, and for us it’s just part of the preparation, to have two drivers in our pocket we can call on in case something happens,” said Nakajima.

“Of course he is part of our family as a development driver, and what he has been doing in the LMP2 and the GT3 is quite promising. But it’s a bit too early to say.”

Nakajima acknowledged that a highly active WEC driver market in the wake of Ford and McLaren joining the Hypercar field next year and the pending withdrawal of Alpine would necessitate making relatively quick decisions, but added: “Making decisions and making announcements is always a different story.

“I have to say that all of our drivers are doing a good job, but at the end of the day we need to evaluate all the different possibilities. This is where we are.

“Luckily, including Esteban, we have many good drivers in the family, so it’s a nice headache to have. But at the moment we are committed to our current drivers.”

Pressed specifically on Conway’s future, Nakajima replied: “He has been quite fast this weekend, so that’s also why I said all of our drivers are doing a good job.”

Another possible variable at Toyota is Ryo Hirakawa’s ambitions of stepping up from his current Formula 1 reserve role with Haas to a race seat next season.

“Personally I fully support his dream, but at the same time it’s something we cannot influence; it’s fully Haas’s decision,” said Nakajima on the topic.

“It’s also one part the headache we have. We have to be prepared for many scenarios.”

Source: Sports Car 365