We reported from the Paul Ricard Prologue that Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) had made a major shift toward putting motorsport at the heart of its road car R&D efforts.
That decision has had an unexpected effect on the branding of Toyota’s global motorsport activities which will progressively be re-branded under the Gazoo Racing banner.
Gazoo is perhaps an unfamiliar name to many European and North American race fans but those familiar with the recent Lexus efforts at the Nurburgring will have seen the name of the Japanese tuning outfit and grassroots motorsport promoter prominently displayed as the entrant of a number of Lexus GT and Touring cars.
The LMP1 team for 2015 will remain under the Toyota Racing brand, as this was the name on the entry for the FIA World Endurance championship and cannot be changed, but the Toyota GAZOO Racing brand will be visible on the team’s trucks and cars post Silverstone.
Toyota explain that the change is part of an effort to improve motorsport vehicle development, technical support and marketing efforts.
