Toyota TS050 Hybrid

Lore & Background

The TS050 was revealed at the Circuit Paul Ricard on 24 March 2016 due to Toyota's two-year cycle policy. An initial shakedown was performed at Aragon in late February 2016, with the car having covered over 22,000 km in testing prior to its public unveiling. For the 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship, the TS050 underwent a substantial redesign, with the monocoque being the sole piece of bodywork carried over. The hybrid system was upgraded with smaller and lighter motor-generator units, whilst the lithium-ion battery pack was also modified.

In Their Own Story

The rain lashed against the carbon fiber bodywork as the #8 Toyota TS050 Hybrid roared through the Mulsanne Straight, its V8 engine screaming in harmony with the whine of its electric motors. Inside the cockpit, the drivers' hands were steady, eyes fixed on the fading taillights of the Porsche ahead. The track was a slick mirror, reflecting the floodlights of the grandstands, but the car's hybrid system allowed for precise throttle control that kept them glued to the asphalt. It was the final hour, the tires worn thin, and the victory hung in the balance between man and machine.

Reader's Guide

Toyota started the 2016 season with a second place and points finish at Silverstone, and followed up with a good performance at Spa-Francorchamps only to have engine trouble hit both cars. At the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans, Toyota qualified 3rd and 4th behind the two Porsche 919 Hybrids. The #5 Toyota led late in the race but suffered a severe loss of power; Kazuki Nakajima stopped the car just after the finish line with 3:25 remaining, and the #5 was not classified. For 2017, Toyota entered 3 cars at Le Mans; the No. 8 car finished 8th overall, while the No. 9 and No. 7 cars retired. In 2018, Toyota became the second Japanese car manufacturer to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans after Mazda in 1991, scoring a 1–2 finish. Toyota dominated the 2019 half of Super Season by finishing 1–2 in Sebring and the 2019 24 Hours of Le Mans. At the 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans, the #8 won for the third straight year. The last race for the TS050 was the 2020 6 Hours of Bahrain, where the #7 took victory and Conway, Kobayashi and López secured the World Endurance LMP Drivers' Championship.

Did You Know?

• Drivers that have tested the TS050 include Sam Bird, Thomas Laurent, Pipo Derani, Kenta Yamashita, and Nyck de Vries.
• On 15 June 2017, a TS050 driven by Kamui Kobayashi set a lap time record of 3:14.791 during a qualifying session for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the fastest lap ever set at Circuit de la Sarthe since chicanes were added to
• Prior to the 2017 WEC Prologue, Toyota revealed the car had undergone 30,000 km in testing, including four 30-hour endurance tests.