Toyota has overhauled its traditional blue and white livery for the 2016 FIA World Endurance Championship season in favor of a striking new design.
The Japanese manufacturer endured a difficult campaign in 2015 that yielded not a single victory and just two podium finishes as rivals Porsche and Audi got the jump in the development race.
As a result, Toyota has had to squeeze two years of development into one ahead of the 2016 season when it will once again field a pair of cars for the entire WEC season.
Although the new car won’t be unveiled until next month, Toyota has revealed the livery it will be running in for 2016 after putting the design on last year’s car.
Gone is the blue and in comes the red for a striking new look, albeit one not too dissimilar to that of Audi’s LMP1 car.
The redesign comes as part of an ongoing adoption of the Toyota Gazoo Racing name, under which banner the team will race in the WEC this year.
“The name first appeared as a logo on the TS040 Hybrid at last year’s Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps and was carried for the remainder of the 2015 season,” a statement from the team read. “Now it is the team’s official name, meaning it will appear on all official WEC communication, including entry lists and television graphics.
“Toyota Gazoo Racing reflects a Toyota Motor Corporation philosophy to emphasise motorsport as a tool to make ever-better road cars.
“This philosophy is already embraced by the WEC programme, with hybrid technology and knowledge transfer from the race track benefiting road car development and engineers since the beginning of the project in 2012.
“The Toyota Gazoo Racing name is also used for Toyota new World Rally Championship project, as well as in various grassroots motorsport activities in Japan and the Nürburgring 24 Hours.”
