Toyota is preparing for its third year of WEC's Hypercar era and has made updates to the GR010 Hybrid, which won the last two titles. However, the team will have to adjust to new regulations for 2023 that prohibit the use of tire warmers. Porsche and Cadillac have an advantage in this regard, as they already have significant data on the performance of cold Michelin tires, which they gained from the debut of their 963 and V-LMDh cars at the Rolex 24 at Daytona last month. Cadillac also has prior experience from its time in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship's DPi .

Last week, Porsche and Cadillac were given the opportunity to test their LMDh cars at the Sebring International Speedway during a combined test arranged by IMSA. This testing session provides a significant advantage to the two manufacturers, as it allows them to further prepare for the opening round of the WEC, which will take place at the same venue on March 17.

Toyota is anticipating a tough challenge from Porsche and Cadillac at Sebring and believes it may need to catch up to its rivals. In recent years, Toyota has faced limited competition from other fully-fledged manufacturer teams in the top class of the WEC. However, with increased competition expected this year, Toyota is preparing for a more competitive season.

During an online press call for the WEC, Toyota team director Rob Leupen stated that they conducted testing last week, both with and without the use of tire warmers. According to Leupen, the team gained a lot of valuable experience during these two testing sessions.

Toyota's team director, Rob Leupen, acknowledged that Porsche and Cadillac may have a slight advantage at Sebring and that his team will need to catch up in order to compete with their rivals. Despite this, Leupen expressed confidence in his team's ability to adapt to the new regulations and put up a strong fight in the upcoming WEC season. Porsche Penske Motorsport chief, Jonathan Diuguid, admitted that competing at Daytona last month exposed technical issues with the 963 that were not evident during pre-season testing. While this experience may give Porsche a slight edge, Diuguid also believes that Toyota's past experience in the WEC will work in their favor as the two manufacturers prepare to compete against each other for the first time in four years.

Overall, the upcoming WEC season promises to be a closely contested battle between some of the biggest names in motorsports, with each manufacturer bringing their unique strengths to the table. It remains to be seen which team will come out on top, but one thing is certain: fans can expect plenty of thrilling action and intense competition in the races to come.