WEC 2024: Nyck de Vries arrives at Toyota
The announcement is no longer a surprise: Dutchman Nyck de Vries, after a brief stint in F1, will bounce back to the highest level of endurance racing: he will take the place of José Maria Lopez behind the wheel of the GR010 No. 7 starting from the upcoming season.

He had shined during his stint at Williams and then experienced a hellish start to the season this year at AlphaTauri. Life hasn’t been easy for Nyck de Vries, being swiftly dismissed by the Red Bull staff.
But the Dutchman will once again acquire the status of a factory driver: as expected, the former Formula E world champion will join the ranks of Toyota, the reigning world champion in both drivers and constructors in WEC this year. He will take the place, starting next year, of José Maria Lopez, behind the wheel of car number 7, alongside Kamui Kobayashi and Mike Conway.
It will be a new major step for him as he will be entering the Hypercar category for the first time in his career in endurance racing. His contribution will be even more significant as the competition will intensify with the arrivals of Alpine, Lamborghini, and BMW, while we wait to see what will happen with Isotta Fraschini.
(I) I am really excited about returning to endurance racing, especially with Toyota. Former AlphaTauri F1 driver (I) stated ». (I) was already more or less part of the team, in different roles, but (I) hadn’t had the chance to race with them. (I) am happy to be a part of the team with Kamui and Mike, two super talented drivers. (I) feel like we are going to make a great team!
Jose Maria Lopez still in the Toyota fold
The Argentinian, double endurance world champion with Toyota, will still remain within the Japanese manufacturer. Following the announcement regarding Nyck De Vries, José Maria Lopez has been announced as a driver for Lexus, in the LMGT3 category.
The French stable, led by Jérôme Pollicand and based in the Tarn region, is heading to Lexus for the upcoming world championship, with the RC GT3, which will have to compete against nine other manufacturers. The battle promises to be intense, and the expertise of Toyota’s premium brand heralds a major showdown!