Toyota reveals hydrogen-powered Le Mans prototype; Stroll returns for Canadian GP; Toprak to MotoGP in 2026

Toyota Unveils New Prototype

Toyota has pulled the covers off its boldest vision yet: the GR LH2 Racing Concept, a hydrogen-powered prototype that could one day reshape the future of endurance racing. Unveiled this week at Le Mans, the GR LH2 is Toyota’s next major step toward racing with liquid hydrogen not just experimenting in backrooms or test tracks, but going all-in on a path toward the 24 Hours itself.

The car was developed at Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe in Cologne, Germany, and it uses the chassis from the GR010 HYBRID Le Mans Hypercar the same platform that’s helped Toyota dominate the World Endurance Championship in recent years. But everything else is a departure. While Toyota hasn’t shared specifics about the engine or hybrid setup, both are being developed in Japan at the company’s Higashi-Fuji Technical Centre. The purpose right now isn’t to race yet but it’s to learn.

Kazuki Nakajima, chairman of TGRE, made the company’s goals clear: test the hydrogen combustion engine, understand how to build the refueling infrastructure, and expand the possibilities of liquid hydrogen in motorsport. There’s no confirmed debut date yet, but Nakajima said testing is “not far off.”

Since 2021, it’s been running a modified Corolla in Japan’s Super Taikyu series using hydrogen combustion, and in 2023, a second-gen version debuted using liquid hydrogen a more energy-dense but more challenging form of the fuel. The GR LH2 brings that learning to the world stage.

Back in 2023, Toyota first revealed the GR H2 Racing Concept and announced plans to race hydrogen at Le Mans. Originally aiming for 2024, the official debut has now been pushed back to 2028, partly due to regulation delays. But those hurdles are starting to clear. This week, the FIA approved its first safety regulations for liquid hydrogen use in racing, setting standards for refueling systems, leak detection, and pressure-tested compartments.

Stroll Is IN For The Canadian GP

Lance Stroll will be back in action this weekend at his home Grand Prix in Montreal, with Aston Martin confirming the Canadian has recovered from a hand injury that forced him to miss the Spanish Grand Prix two weeks ago. After experiencing worsening pain in his right hand during qualifying in Barcelona, Stroll withdrew from the race and immediately sought medical treatment. It’s now been revealed that he underwent a procedure to address lingering issues from a wrist injury he originally sustained in a cycling accident two years ago.

Following the successful surgery, Stroll returned to the track earlier this week for a test session at Paul Ricard in France, where he completed laps in an older-spec F1 car. It was enough to convince both the team and medical staff that he was fit to race again. “I am excited to get back behind the wheel with the team for my home Grand Prix this weekend,” Stroll said. “I was always going to fight hard to be ready to race in front of the Montreal crowd. I’m feeling good after my procedure and put some laps in at Paul Ricard this week to prepare.”

Aston Martin had already scheduled the test, and it turned out to be the perfect opportunity to evaluate Stroll’s condition ahead of the Canadian GP. The team clarified that his withdrawal from Spain was purely a medical decision, shutting down speculation that frustration over a tough qualifying or procedural missteps had played a role. Head of trackside engineering Mike Krack emphasized that Stroll, like most drivers, had likely been pushing through more pain than he let on. “Drivers want to drive. They do not want to be out,” Krack said. “We have seen it with Lance in 2023, when he fought his way back.”

With Stroll now officially back, reserve driver Felipe Drugovich is off standby duty and free to compete in the Le Mans 24 Hours with Cadillac as originally planned.

Is Colapinto In Trouble?

Alpine’s game of revolving doors has reached another dizzying chapter. After just three underwhelming Grands Prix, Franco Colapinto’s place in the team has gone from promising to precarious, with advisor-turned-de facto team boss Flavio Briatore already casting shadows over the Argentine’s future. Despite the original announcement that Colapinto would be in the car for five races, Briatore quickly walked that back, claiming he never committed to any number at all. “If Colapinto is performing, he's driving the car. If not, we will see,” he told reporters in Spain a statement that left little to the imagination.

It hasn’t helped that Colapinto’s start with Alpine has been rough. At Imola, his debut saw him misinterpret a radio call and breach pit lane procedure, resulting in a penalty before he even began a flying lap. That was followed by a costly mistake at Tamburello where a simple misjudgment left him parked in the barriers. In Monaco, he never escaped Q1 and spent the race struggling from the back, his pace muted and his result masked by strategy complaints. Spain brought more issues a technical glitch in qualifying and a race that ended with a 15th place finish, despite a Safety Car that offered an outside shot at points.

The pressure is obvious, and Briatore has done little to ease it. Alpine, already a team mired in executive shakeups and murky direction, seems intent on keeping everyone including its own drivers guessing. Jack Doohan, who started the season in the car, is still in the mix, and the paddock rumor mill has only accelerated talk of replacements. One speculative link to Sergio Perez has surfaced, though sources suggest it's more fantasy than fact. Perez is said to be focused on a future with Cadillac, not battling in Alpine’s midfield muddle for the rest of the year.

Toprak Makes The Jump

After years of speculation and mounting fan anticipation, it’s finally happening—Toprak Razgatlioglu is headed to MotoGP. The Turkish star, a two-time World Superbike champion, will step up to the premier class in 2026, riding for the Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Team. The announcement arrived earlier than expected, landing on Tuesday rather than during the upcoming Italian Grand Prix weekend. But given the gravity of the news, Yamaha clearly couldn’t wait.

Razgatlioglu has long been one of the sport’s most electrifying riders, a showman with a daring style and a relentless drive that’s carried him to 63 WorldSBK wins and two titles—first with Yamaha in 2021, and then again in 2024 after a short stint with BMW. His return to Yamaha marks a full-circle moment and finally delivers on a move that fans and insiders alike have been calling for since his breakout season nearly five years ago.

Yamaha confirmed the signing in a statement that praised his extraordinary talent and framed the move as a pivotal piece of their MotoGP strategy. “Having Razgatlioglu step up to MotoGP and join the factory-supported Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Team… is a strategic decision that allows the Turkish rider to showcase his unique talent at the pinnacle of motorcycle racing,” the announcement read.

Toprak’s time in WorldSBK, particularly during his four-year run with Yamaha between 2020 and 2023, was nothing short of dominant. He racked up 37 wins and took Yamaha to the top of the championship in 2021, ending Kawasaki’s reign and dethroning Jonathan Rea. He became the most successful Yamaha rider in Superbike history in the process, which made his decision to leave for BMW in 2024 all the more surprising yet even there, he returned to the top of the standings.

For Yamaha, getting him back is more than just a personnel move. It’s a statement of intent. Paolo Pavesio, Yamaha’s managing director, made that clear: “His transition to MotoGP is both a 'homecoming' and an exciting new challenge… His fighting spirit and determination are a perfect fit for both the Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Team and Yamaha's bold MotoGP strategy.”

Still to be confirmed is who will line up alongside the 28-year-old in 2026. All signs point to Jack Miller who is currently riding for Pramac as Razgatlioglu’s likely teammate, with Miguel Oliveira expected to make way. That pairing would give Pramac a fascinating blend: the aggressive, hard-braking Toprak alongside the more calculating but quick Australian, both gunning to bring Yamaha back to prominence in a class it once dominated.

There’s a lot to unfold between now and 2026, but one thing’s for certain: Toprak Razgatlioglu’s long-awaited MotoGP debut is coming, and it’s going to be worth the wait.