Toyota has publicly rejected speculation linking Esteban Ocon to its World Endurance Championship program. Advisor Alexander Wurz told Formel1.de’s YouTube channel, a Motorsport.com sister outlet: “There’s nothing to these rumours.” He added that Toyota plans “relatively far ahead” for Le Mans and the WEC and has no changes planned to its current six-driver lineup.
Toyota adviser: ‘Nothing to these rumours’
Speaking on the channel, Wurz said the roster stability is deliberate. “Because when you put three alpha personalities in one car, it takes time for them to accept each other, to find the right set-up and the right way of working together, and to reach a point where they don’t compete against each other internally but actually bring out the best in one another. That’s a very important distinction,” he explained.
“That’s one of Toyota’s strengths: we have this team structure and this team culture, and you can’t simply change that overnight,” Wurz said. “First of all, we have long-term contracts. And secondly, you can’t just bring in another driver from the outside and slot him into the line-up. That would risk disrupting exactly the culture we’ve been building and nurturing since 2012.” He added: “Whichever way you look at it, the contracts are long-term and our line-up for next year is 100% full.”
The current Toyota roster—and a recent win
According to the source material, Toyota’s two WEC Hypercar crews are Mike Conway, Nyck de Vries and Kamui Kobayashi in one car, with Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa in the other. The team just won its home race at Fuji, with Hirakawa driving the decisive stint, per the same report.
What sparked the Ocon chatter
The source report says Ocon’s Formula 1 options are narrowing after Haas “officially announced” it will end its partnership with the 30-year-old Frenchman after 2026, and that—with Aston Martin retaining Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll—Cadillac “effectively remains Ocon’s last realistic option” in F1. On that backdrop, the report notes Ocon has been linked with a possible WEC switch “potentially with Toyota”—a move Wurz has now dismissed.
The same source also states Toyota junior Esteban Masson is the frontrunner for Ryo Hirakawa’s seat should the 32-year-old move to F1 with Haas. That scenario is presented as conditional and is not attributed to Wurz.
