Regular driver Mike Conway is out injured

Toyota has to make last-minute changes to its plans before the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Mike Conway is out of the race after an accident with broken bones. A replacement is already on standby.

Robert Seiwert07.06.2024, 16:52

Robert Seiwert

Head of Motorsport

Robert was already writing for sports media before his time at MSM. He has been reporting on DTM, Daytona, Le Mans and other events directly from the racetrack since 2011.MORE

Mike Conway drops out of the #7 Toyota for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Photo: LAT Images

Bitter news for Toyota just one week before the 24 Hours of Le Mans (June 15-16, 2024): Regular driver Mike Conway is out due to injury. According to the Japanese carmaker, the Briton broke his collarbone and suffered broken ribs in a bicycle accident. This means that the 2021 Le Mans winner will be missing from the #7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid, which he shares in the WEC with Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries.

Toyota has already nominated a replacement for Conway for the most important car race of the year: Jose Maria Lopez is returning to the Hypercar. The Argentinian competed for Toyota in the World Endurance Championship from 2017 to 2023, but was replaced this year by former Formula E champion and Formula 1 driver de Vries.

Lopez was instead transferred to the Lexus RC F GT3 of Akkodis ASP, and thus to the ‘2nd league’ of the WEC. The 41-year-old is now unexpectedly celebrating his comeback in the overall-winning Hypercar class and is aiming for his second Le Mans triumph. In 2021, he won the classic together with Conway and Kobayashi. It is not yet officially known who will step in for Lopez at Akkodis-Lexus.

While Conway begins his rehabilitation program under the supervision of Toyota personnel and is expected to return to the #7 Hypercar as soon as possible, Lopez’s first outing is imminent: This Sunday is the official test day for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The teams and drivers will then stay in France and prepare for the fourth race of the 2024 WEC season, which has long been sold out with 300,000 spectators.