Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe race director Rob Leupen is departing the Cologne-based organisation that masterminds the Japanese producer’s World Endurance Championship marketing campaign.
The 60-year-old Dutchman, additionally managing director of the corporate, will go away the make use of of TGR-E on the finish of the yr, however has stepped down from his operational function with rapid impact forward of this weekend’s WEC finale in Bahrain.
The transfer is a part of what TGR-E is looking a “renewal of its management construction”, which began earlier within the yr when longtime technical director Pascal Vasselon was changed by David Floury.
A brief assertion from TGR learn: “TGR-E started a long-term replace of its management construction earlier this yr: with the top of the calendar yr approaching, TGR-E proclaims the following part on this ongoing course of.
“Rob Leupen will formally depart TGR-E on the finish of yr, and by mutual settlement he’ll droop his operational function with rapid impact.
“Rob has made an immense contribution to TGR-E and Toyota in motorsport over virtually three many years of service and the corporate locations on document its honest thanks, and desires him success within the subsequent part of his life.”
Rob Leupen, Toyota Director Enterprise Operations and Mike Conway
Picture by: Toyota Racing
Leupen joined what’s now TGR-E, then referred to as Toyota Motorsport GmbH, in 1995 in a human assets function and moved as much as turn out to be normal supervisor after which director of enterprise operations.
He stepped as much as turn out to be managing director in 2015.
Toyota has not given particulars of a revised administration construction at Cologne, which additionally produces the engines for the marque’s World Rally Championship programme and earlier this month introduced a technical partnership with the Haas Components 1 workforce.
Masato Hirai is at the moment president, with former driver Kazuki Nakajima vice-chairman, a place he assumed on his retirement from the cockpit on the finish of the 2021 season.
Kamui Kobayashi dovetails racing within the WEC with the place of workforce principal of the sportscar workforce.
Leupen’s departure, like that of Vasselon, has come as a shock.
Vasselon had been anticipated to step down from the technical directorship he had held since 2006 and hand over to Floury on the finish of this season, however was relieved of his duties at quick discover earlier than the beginning of the season.
The Frenchman, additionally 60 when the transfer occurred, moved into a brand new function as vice-president of TGR strategic motorsport growth focussed on its deliberate hydrogen combustion prototype programme.
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