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 beneath 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 components automobiles. A step as much as the fiercely-competitive Components Regional European Championship adopted in 2022, however outcomes proved more durable to come back by throughout two seasons, regardless of flashes of velocity.
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 grasp that untapped potential, and proved to be a turning level in his profession. Masson completed second within the European Le Mans Collection’ 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 check 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 prime LMP2 class alongside Japan’s Tremendous Components 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 subject to disclaim them within the closing phases.
#87 Akkodis ASP Workforce Lexus RC F LMGT3: Takeshi Kimura, Esteban Masson, Jose Maria Lopez
Photograph by: JEP / Motorsport Pictures
With the 2025 season now full, Masson is getting 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 group boss Jerome Policand, who has adopted Masson carefully through the years 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 happy with this as a result of the primary time he had a check in GT3, it was with us. I offered him to Toyota,” Policand informed Motorsport.com. “I do know Esteban since he was racing go-karts. He was profitable in Components 4 and FRECA.
“I do know he has the potential. That is the rationale I requested [TGR vice-chairman] Kazuki [Nakajima] to check him, after which we have been aligned that he has the potential. We tried to place a price range collectively to run him.
“For me, he has the talent to be within the large class now. We’ll see sooner or later. It is all the time good for a group.
“We did the identical with Jules Gounon [and] Raffaele Maricello; when he stopped in Components 2, his first group 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 set them with the suitable instruments, they usually develop into 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 Pictures
Breaking into Toyota’s manufacturing facility line-up is an extremely troublesome problem. The final addition to the Japanese marque’s Hypercar group was Nyck de Vries, who joined the #7 crew in 2024 after a protracted stint as its reserve driver and accumulating loads of check 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 gained’t be simple, however believes Masson has what it takes to hitch probably the most profitable group in present-day WEC.
“I believe he has the potential,” he mentioned. “You know the way it’s. I do not say WEC is like Components 1, however to achieve [there, it is difficult] as a result of the extent of the motive force in WEC is unbelievable – particularly at Toyota.
“In case you have a look at the 2 line-ups, they’re tremendous robust. However he has an opportunity, sure.”
Toyota is aware of that it has landed an distinctive expertise with Masson. The 2026 WEC season shall be essential for him, as he helms the #78 ASP crew in a automobile now able to successful races and doubtlessly 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 advised that Masson could be very a lot on the radar because the group evaluates its long-term plans.
“Esteban is principally a part of our driver growth,” the 40-year-old informed Motorsport.com. “He is been racing in ELMS and this yr he has executed Tremendous Components Lights, and he did some LMGT3 as properly. He’s performing very well and he’s progressing fairly properly.
“We now have to say we’re fortunate that now we have such a driver in our younger driver programme.
“Usually, we’re all the time open to seek out any potential new expertise. Significantly throughout the Toyota household, now we have a excessive motivation to present any potential alternative that we may give to these younger drivers, as properly to additionally discover the expertise. That is essential as a group to look forward for the long run.
“On the identical time, we’re additionally proud of 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 group. I am fairly proud of what now we have in our fingers proper now.”
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