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Toyota's World Endurance Championship (WEC) team has dismissed rumors that Esteban Ocon will join one of their Hypercar driver line-ups for the 2027 season.
Speculation emerged in the Dutch media after Ocon announced that he would be a free agent for 2027. Earlier today, it was confirmed that the Frenchman will leave Haas at the end of the current Formula 1 season, though his future destination remains unconfirmed.
One of the contenders for his seat at Haas is current Toyota WEC factory driver Ryo Hirakawa. However, should the Japanese driver make the switch to Formula 1, it will not trigger a direct swap with Ocon. Instead, Toyota would turn to another Frenchman named Esteban—Masson, rather than Ocon.
"Obviously, Esteban (Masson) is pretty much ready to take this step. We're still discussing it, but he would be the logical choice to replace Ryo," said Toyota Technical Director David Floury.
Masson is widely regarded as one of endurance racing's next big stars, and the 22-year-old already has track time in Toyota's prototype. He first drove the GR010 Hybrid during the rookie test in Bahrain last November and tested the car again earlier this year during the official test day at Circuit de la Sarthe ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Masson is currently in contention for the European Le Mans Series title and already boasts two LMP2 podiums at Le Mans, including a third-place class finish this year (pictured above).
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