Toyota Racing secured a home victory at the 6 Hours of Fuji on Sunday, with drivers Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Ryo Hirakawa taking first place in the No. 8 TR010 HYBRID. The win marked Toyota’s tenth triumph at Fuji Speedway and extended the team’s lead in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) manufacturers’ standings to 23 points. The No. 8 crew also ascended to the top of the drivers’ championship with two races remaining in the season.

The race, held in front of a crowd of 72,326 spectators at Fuji Speedway, faced challenging conditions as qualifying was canceled due to adverse weather, leaving the No. 8 car to start in eighth position. Buemi quickly advanced two places early on, and the team gradually moved into the top six by mid-race.

However, the second half of the event brought difficulties when Hartley spun the car during the fifth hour, dropping the team back to sixth when Hirakawa took over driving duties. As the race approached its conclusion, the crew was still outside the podium positions.

A pivotal moment came with a safety car deployment 55 minutes from the finish for barrier repairs. Anticipating a prolonged interruption, the Toyota team opted for a strategic pit stop, refueling the hybrid without changing tires. When the race resumed with about 20 minutes to go, Hirakawa emerged in the lead.

Despite rain returning in the final stages and mounting pressure from competitors, Hirakawa maintained his position, crossing the finish line just 0.591 seconds ahead of the nearest rival. This narrow margin secured the team’s victory and reinforced Toyota’s dominance in the championship standings.

Hiroki “Giano” Nakajima, Executive Vice President of Toyota Racing, praised the team’s collective effort and resilience. He emphasized that the success was not solely due to speed but the result of ongoing skill development, open communication, and teamwork guided by the team’s philosophy, “For the Engineering Race.”

Following this race, the No. 8 trio leads the drivers’ championship, while the No. 7 Toyota team, consisting of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, and Nyck de Vries, sits second, trailing by 10 points. The next event on the WEC calendar will be the inaugural 6 Hours of Barcelona, scheduled for October 18 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Toyota’s motorsport legacy spans over six decades, with the company leveraging racing experience to enhance vehicle technology and performance. The team’s participation in endurance events like the WEC serves as a testing ground for innovations under extreme conditions, aligning with its mission to develop “ever-better” cars.