Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe race director Rob Leupen is departing the Cologne-based organisation that masterminds the Japanese manufacturer’s World Endurance Championship campaign.
The 60-year-old Dutchman, also managing director of the company, will leave the employ of TGR-E at the end of the year, but has stepped down from his operational role with immediate effect ahead of this weekend’s WEC finale in Bahrain.
The move is part of what TGR-E is calling a “renewal of its leadership structure”, which started earlier in the year when longtime technical director Pascal Vasselon was replaced by David Floury.
A short statement from TGR read: “TGR-E began a long-term update of its leadership structure earlier this year: with the end of the calendar year approaching, TGR-E announces the next phase in this ongoing process.
“Rob Leupen will officially depart TGR-E at the end of year, and by mutual agreement he will suspend his operational role with immediate effect.
“Rob has made an immense contribution to TGR-E and Toyota in motorsport over almost three decades of service and the company places on record its sincere thanks, and wishes him success in the next phase of his life.”
Rob Leupen, Toyota Director Business Operations and Mike Conway
Photo by: Toyota Racing
Leupen joined what is now TGR-E, then known as Toyota Motorsport GmbH, in 1995 in a human resources role and moved up to become general manager and then director of business operations.
He stepped up to become managing director in 2015.
Toyota has not given details of a revised management structure at Cologne, which also produces the engines for the marque’s World Rally Championship programme and earlier this month announced a technical partnership with the Haas Formula 1 team.
Masato Hirai is currently president, with former driver Kazuki Nakajima vice-chairman, a position he assumed on his retirement from the cockpit at the end of the 2021 season.
Kamui Kobayashi dovetails racing in the WEC with the position of team principal of the sportscar team.
Leupen’s departure, like that of Vasselon, has come as a surprise.
Vasselon had been expected to step down from the technical directorship he had held since 2006 and hand over to Floury at the end of this season, but was relieved of his duties at short notice before the start of the season.
The Frenchman, also 60 when the move happened, moved into a new role as vice-president of TGR strategic motorsport development focussed on its planned hydrogen combustion prototype programme.