Toyota in 2024: De Vries new factory driver, Lopez joins Akkodis ASP in LMGT3

Text & Images: Rick Kiewiet

Toyota has confirmed its WEC driver lineups for 2024. As expected, José Maria Lopez is replaced by former Toyota reserve driver (2020-2022) Nyck de Vries. The now 40-year old Argentinian, who's been with Toyota since 2017, switches to Toyota's LMGT3 partner Akkodis ASP to drive the Lexus RC F GT3 in next years' WEC season. In 2021, Lopez won both the 24hrs of Le Mans and the World Championship title, which he successfully defended in 2022.

Lopez at Le Mans 2021, where he won the race with Kamui Kobayashi and Mike Conway

De Vries was already a reserve driver for Toyota before he switched to the Alpha Tauri F1 team at the beginning of 2023. The 28-year old Dutchman won the FIA F2 title in 2019 and the FIA Formula E title in 2020-2021 with Mercedes. De Vries has endurance experience with Racing Team Netherlands and TDS Racing at Le Mans, in WEC and ELMS.

De Vries at Le Mans in 2022, where he jumped in at the last moment to replace Philippe Cimadomo