The ACO’s hydrogen journey presented at Fuji with Toyota
During this weekend’s FIA World Endurance Championship round at Fuji in Japan (13-15 September), the various title battles are understandably the main talk of the paddock and amongst fans – but the future of the discipline is similarly on show...
Hydrogen, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest’s strategy to decarbonise racing and the commitment of Japanese manufacturer Toyota towards zero-emissions mobility are all presented in the form of a frieze, summarising the main dates of this pioneering programme to create a category of hydrogen-powered prototypes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
In 2023, the 6 Hours of Fuji had already offered an opportunity to showcase the potential of hydrogen, with educational activities and an exhibition of H2 prototypes, notably the LMPH2G from MissionH24, a collaborative initiative between the ACO and the H24Project, and the Toyota GR H2 Racing Concept.
This year, the spotlight is being shone on the timeline of this groundbreaking programme, which is still very new in the sport.
It was in 2018 that the ACO officially unveiled the LMPH2G with H24Project, a prototype car embodying the ambitious and socially responsible objective of decarbonising racing by creating a category dedicated to hydrogen vehicles capable of competing for victory. Since 2018, many further steps have been taken. Toyota, a manufacturer committed to the development of hydrogen, also boasts a history rich in lessons with this new technology.
The backdrop presented this weekend highlights the key moments in the very recent history of hydrogen in endurance racing in the Toyota area in the Fuji Fan Zone.
Masaya Kaji (General Commercial Director of Toyota Gazoo Racing), Matthieu Bonardel (Director of Michelin Motorsport), Pierre Fillon (President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest), Bernard Niclot (Innovation Manager for the ACO), Tomoya Takahashi (President of GAZOO Racing Company) and Frédéric Lequien (CEO of FIA WEC) visited this space, witnessing the collaboration required between the different parties to accelerate research and the fight against carbon emissions.
As a reminder, the 6 Hours of Fuji will begin Sunday, 15 September at 11:00 local time (04:00 CEST).