Walkinshaw discusses Toyota Supercar project progress
Ryan Walkinshaw discusses Toyota Supercar project progress
WAU tasked with homologating Toyota GR Supra for 2026
Toyota Australia, US, Japan arms involved in project
Walkinshaw Andretti United owner Ryan Walkinshaw says the Toyota Supercar project is “progressing well” ahead of a big second half of the year.
Announced last September, Japanese giant Toyota will join the Repco Supercars Championship in 2026, with the GR Supra its model of choice.
WAU has been charged with the homologation of the Supra, with Toyota hunting a second team.
The major project will not only see the Supra adapted to Gen3 Supercar specification, but also the 2UR-GSE engine.
Walkinshaw assured the project is on track, saying there has been significant input from Toyota’s Australian, United States and Japanese arms, as well as Supercars.
"Everything is going to plan at the moment,” Walkinshaw told media in Sydney.
"We should have something to show everyone towards the second half of the year, but it's progressing well.
"Toyota have been very, very helpful, from Toyota Australia to Toyota US and in Japan as well, so things are moving forward.
"We're pretty happy with where we are. Supercars have obviously been very, very helpful in the background as well."
WAU bolstered its engineering ranks in 2025 with ex-Dick Johnson Racing Race Engineer Richard Harris, who will lead Ryan Wood’s Ford Mustang this season.
Harris’ arrival sees Adam Austin, former Race Engineer for Wood and Nick Percat, tasked to oversee WAU’s Toyota project.
Regardless, WAU faces a balancing act — steering the Toyota project with an eye on 2026, all while trying to win the 2025 championship.
"It's one of those difficult things, because the race team doesn't expand and you don't suddenly have lots of resource that you didn't have yesterday," Walkinshaw said.
"As particularly [incumbent General Motors homologation team] Triple Eight would know, the workload increases is pretty dramatic,” Walkinshaw said.
“So it is hard to ensure that you're able to put your all into developing these new cars while also ensuring you're competitive on-track.
"But Triple Eight manage to do a good job at that and we're confident we can do the same."
Chaz Mostert and Wood are third and 14th heading to the Melbourne SuperSprint, which will feature at the Formula 1 Louis Vuitton Australian Grand Prix 2025 on March 13-16.
