P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Long-time Toyota technical director replaced
Pascal Vasselon, the technical chief of Toyota’s World Endurance Championship program, has been temporarily succeeded by David Floury as part of Toyota’s commitment to developing the next generation of company leadership and making better motorsport-bred cars. Vasselon will remain with Toyota Gazoo Racing – Europe (TGR-E), formerly known as Toyota Motorsport GmbH, but his day-to-day operations are currently paused. However, it is expected that he will resume an active role soon, contributing his knowledge and experience to enhance TRG’s strategic approach to global motorsport. Vasselon joined Toyota in 2005 and oversaw Toyota’s entry into the WEC and their Le Mans victories. He has also been linked to a role in Toyota’s program to introduce a hydrogen combustion engine prototype in the WEC in 2027. David Floury, who has been involved with the Toyota WEC program as chief race engineer and technical director of ORECA, will now serve as the acting technical director of TGR-E. This reshuffle is the first step in an updated management organization led by TGR-E president Misato Hirai and managing director Rob Leupen, with input from former driver Kazuki Nakajima.
