- Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Ryō Hirakawa lead TOYOTA RACING one-two finish
- Toyota claims eighth FIA WEC manufacturers’ title with one round remaining
- TOYOTA RACING crews set to contest drivers’ championship at season finale
Dubai, UAE – 21 October 2026: TOYOTA RACING seized its eighth FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) manufacturers’ title with a triumphant one-two victory at the 6 Hours of Barcelona. Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Ryō Hirakawa claimed top podium position in the No. 8 TR010 HYBRID, while teammates Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, and Nyck de Vries finished second in the No. 7 TR010 HYBRID to complete a memorable result for the team in its first FIA WEC season under the TOYOTA RACING name.
The result marks the team’s fourth victory of the 2026 season and secures the manufacturers’ championship with one round remaining. It also guarantees that a TOYOTA RACING crew will claim the drivers’ title, with the No. 8 crew extending its championship lead over the No. 7 crew to 17 points.
Hiroki “Giano” Nakajima, Executive Vice President, commented: “By winning round seven in Barcelona, we won TOYOTA RACING’s first manufacturers’ World Championship title with one race still remaining. This was the result of a true team effort. To all our fans who fought alongside us throughout this journey, to everyone who came to the circuit and supported us from the grandstands, and to all those who cheered us on from around the world, thank you very much.
Nakajima added: “The TOYOTA RACING challenge began with a promise to Akio Toyoda (Morizo). Through motorsport, we develop people and technology, creating an environment where our team-mates can think for themselves and carve out their own paths. Because that foundation was established for us, we can pursue our philosophy of “For the Engineering Race” and keep pushing our challenge forward. Please continue to support our team and our drivers as we head into the final race of the season.”
The 6 Hours of Barcelona began in difficult conditions at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, where both TOYOTA RACING crews made rapid progress on wet tyres. Starting from second, Buemi took the lead early in his 100th WEC race, while de Vries climbed from ninth on the grid to second place towards the end of the opening hour.
The No. 8 crew also overcame a five-second penalty for a starting procedure offence, which Buemi served at his second pit stop. By the halfway point, Hartley led Kobayashi by 10 seconds, with the remaining competitors more than 20 seconds behind.
A safety car with two hours remaining brought the field back together, but the two TR010 HYBRIDs responded by setting new fastest laps and rebuilding their advantage. Both crews maintained their positions through the closing stages, with Hirakawa crossing the finish line 0.583 seconds ahead of de Vries to secure TOYOTA RACING’s first one-two finish since Bahrain in 2025.
The victory adds to a landmark debut season for the TR010 HYBRID, during which TOYOTA RACING has also claimed victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and its home event, the 6 Hours of Fuji. With the manufacturers’ championship secured and only its two crews remaining in the drivers’ title battle, Toyota is now guaranteed to finish the season with both World Championships.
Toyota’s history in motorsports dates back more than 60 years, competing worldwide across various disciplines. Guided by the concept “roads build people and cars,” the knowledge and technologies gained through motorsports support the development of “ever-better” cars. In endurance racing, TOYOTA RACING competes in top-level categories such as the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), supporting vehicle and technology development under extreme conditions.
The eighth and final round of the 2026 FIA WEC is the 6 Hours of Monza (6-8 November) at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Italy, where the drivers’ championship will be decided.
Race Notes:
- No. 8 Toyota TR010 HYBRID (Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Ryō Hirakawa)
- Position: 1st
- No. of Laps: 198
- Best lap: 1:32.420
- Elapsed time: 6:01:20.906
- No. 7 Toyota TR010 HYBRID (Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, and Nyck de Vries)
- Position: 2nd
- No. of Laps: 198
- Best lap: 1:32.379
- Elapsed time: 6:01:21.489 (+0.583 secs)