Toyota has no scarcity of junior drivers inside its roster, each in Japan and abroad, however one younger protege has begun to face out: Esteban Masson.
The Canadian-born Frenchman has simply accomplished his first season below Toyota’s TGR Driver Problem Program, and his early progress suggests a promising future in endurance racing.
Like many drivers, Masson began his profession in single-seaters, successful the French F4 title in his first full yr in system vehicles. A step as much as the fiercely-competitive Formulation Regional European Championship adopted in 2022, however outcomes proved tougher to come back by throughout two seasons, regardless of flashes of pace.
However there was clearly a variety of underlying potential in Masson, as highlighted by his championship-winning marketing campaign in Eurocup, a brand new championship launched as an alternative choice to FRECA and Euroformula Open.
Switching to sportscar racing in 2024 allowed him to understand that untapped potential, and proved to be a turning level in his profession. Masson completed second within the European Le Mans Sequence’ GT class aboard a Kessel Racing Ferrari, whereas additionally contesting a parallel programme within the World Endurance Championship with ASP because the silver-graded driver within the #87 Lexus RC F GT3.
Though the Lexus struggled for competitiveness in LMGT3’s inaugural season, the marketing campaign allowed him to forge nearer ties with Toyota and earn a take a look at of the GR010 Hybrid at Bahrain.
For 2025, Masson was formally built-in into Toyota’s younger driver scheme and launched into one other twin programme, contesting ELMS within the high LMP2 class alongside Japan’s Tremendous Formulation Lights championship.
As soon as once more, he emerged as one of many star performers within the European championship, successful the general title with Oliver Grey and Alpine Hypercar driver Charles Milesi with CDS Panis Racing. The trio additionally got here agonisingly near victory on the Le Mans 24 Hours, just for a late technical situation to disclaim them within the closing levels.
#87 Akkodis ASP Crew Lexus RC F LMGT3: Takeshi Kimura, Esteban Masson, Jose Maria Lopez
Photograph by: JEP / Motorsport Photos
With the 2025 season now full, Masson is making ready for his return to the WEC, having been named in ASP’s LMGT3 line-up for 2026, this time because the designated professional driver within the #78 Lexus.
It’s a duty he appears prepared for, having substituted for manufacturing facility driver Ben Barnicoat at Imola this yr, the place he helped ship a podium end. ASP has additionally managed to show the RC F GT3 right into a race winner, placing Masson in a a lot stronger place than he was in his rookie season.
Few persons are higher positioned to guage that development than ASP crew boss Jerome Policand, who has adopted Masson carefully over time and has a eager eye for younger expertise. Policand described the 21-year-old as “one thing particular” and believes he’s ripe for a transfer as much as the Hypercar class.
“I am fairly pleased with this as a result of the primary time he had a take a look at in GT3, it was with us. I offered him to Toyota,” Policand instructed Motorsport.com. “I do know Esteban since he was racing go-karts. He was profitable in Formulation 4 and FRECA.
“I do know he has the potential. That is the explanation I requested [TGR vice-chairman] Kazuki [Nakajima] to check him, after which we had been aligned that he has the potential. We tried to place a funds collectively to run him.
“For me, he has the talent to be within the huge class now. We’ll see sooner or later. It is at all times good for a crew.
“We did the identical with Jules Gounon [and] Raffaele Maricello; when he stopped in Formulation 2, his first crew was us, with Mercedes [when ASP was a Mercedes customer].
“We received used to looking for drivers with excessive potential however a little bit of unhealthy luck. You place them with the appropriate instruments, they usually turn out to be skilled drivers.
“However for certain, for me, Esteban has one thing particular.”
#7 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 – Hybrid: Esteban Masson
Photograph by: JEP / Motorsport Photos
Breaking into Toyota’s manufacturing facility line-up is an extremely troublesome problem. The final addition to the Japanese marque’s Hypercar crew was Nyck de Vries, who joined the #7 crew in 2024 after a protracted stint as its reserve driver and accumulating loads of take a look at miles within the GR010 LMH.
Previous to de Vries’s signing, the final time Toyota made a change to its line-up was in 2022, when Ryo Hirakawa stepped up from Tremendous GT to exchange the retiring Nakajima.
Policand is conscious that touchdown a plum Toyota seat received’t be simple, however believes Masson has what it takes to hitch probably the most profitable crew in present-day WEC.
“I believe he has the potential,” he stated. “You understand how it’s. I do not say WEC is like Formulation 1, however to achieve [there, it is difficult] as a result of the extent of the motive force in WEC is unimaginable – particularly at Toyota.
“Should you have a look at the 2 line-ups, they’re tremendous sturdy. However he has an opportunity, sure.”
Toyota is aware of that it has landed an distinctive expertise with Masson. The 2026 WEC season can be essential for him, as he helms the #78 ASP crew in a automotive now able to successful races and probably mounting a title assault. How he fares in 2026 might go a good distance in shaping his long-term future and figuring out whether or not he’s ripe for a Hypercar promotion.
Toyota’s driver line-up for 2026 is already set, however Nakajima steered that Masson could be very a lot on the radar because the crew evaluates its long-term plans.
“Esteban is principally a part of our driver improvement,” the 40-year-old instructed Motorsport.com. “He is been racing in ELMS and this yr he has performed Tremendous Formulation Lights, and he did some LMGT3 as effectively. He’s performing rather well and he’s progressing fairly effectively.
“We now have to say we’re fortunate that we’ve got such a driver in our younger driver programme.
“Typically, we’re at all times open to seek out any doable new expertise. Significantly throughout the Toyota household, we’ve got a excessive motivation to offer any doable alternative that we may give to these younger drivers, as effectively to additionally discover the expertise. That is vital as a crew to look forward for the long run.
“On the similar time, we’re additionally pleased with our present drivers, so it is only a matter of how lengthy [it takes before we need to change our line-up] – however we have to be ready as a crew. I am fairly pleased with what we’ve got in our palms proper now.”
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