For the first time since 2023, Toyota has won on home soil after dramatically winning the 2026 World Endurance Championship 6 Hours of Fuji.
Sébastien Buemi, Ryo Hirakawa and Brendon Hartley in the No. 8 car had no clear pace advantage and suffered an early spin. As was the case at Le Mans, Toyota's strategy made the difference; an offset strategy meant the No.8 car was able to run in clear air, while a valiant defence from Hirakawa in the closing stages saw off the advances of Victor Martins in the No.36 Alpine and allowed the No.8 crew to take their first victory since Imola by just over half a second.
Despite the solid points haul, Alpine is likely to be disappointed.
After locking out the front row yesterday, both cars streaked away from the pack and ran largely untroubled for much of the first half.
The team faced stern pressure from Aston Martin, but the No.007 car incurred a drive-through penalty. The late-race chaos cost them track position to Toyota and BMW, and though Martins managed to reclaim second place, Hirakawa was just out of reach.
The result may bolster the team's manufacturers' campaign, but with the A424 having been the class of the field all weekend, points have been left on the table.
The No.15 BMW took the final podium spot ahead of the No.35 Alpine. Cadillac were also left wanting for raw pace, but the V-Series. R was a consistent presence in the midfield.
The No.38 car finished fifth, two places ahead of the sister No.12 car. The American outfit was split by the sole surviving No.94 Peugeot, which secured the team's best result of the season so far, while the No.7 Toyota underlined the team's lack of raw pace.
The early pitstop did not pay off, and the No.7 crew were forced to make do with eighth. Nevertheless, Toyota's lead in the manufacturer's championship has grown to 23 points with two rounds to go. Aston Martin was another major disappointment.
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The Valkyrie AMR-LMH was arguably the fastest car in the race. Both entries routinely challenged for the podium for much of the first half and arguably had the edge over the Alpine.
However, the No.007 car's hopes of victory were dashed by a drive-through penalty for crossing the white line on pit entry. It eventually finished 14th, five places behind the No.009 car. In contrast to its solid showing last time out, Ferrari lacked pace throughout.
Neither the Ferrari works team nor AF Corse challenged for the win. The highest-placed No.51 car finished tenth, the No.83 car crossed the line 12th, while the No.50 car endured a three-minute pit stop before eventually retiring and triggering the VSC.
The No.19 Genesis finished 11th, while the No.17 car dropped to 15th after a drive-through. The championship-leading No.20 BMW finished 13th, while the No.93 Peugeot retired with brake issues.
The LMGT3 drama began at the very first corner. The No.21 AF Corse Ferrari made an ill-timed lunge at turn one, which triggered a multi-car incident. The No. 88 Proton Competition Mustang and No. 61 Iron Lynx Mercedes were both eliminated.
With two of the most fancied entrants out of the running, the No. 32 BMW, No. 27 Aston Martin, No. 34 Racing Team by Turkey Corvette, and No. 33 TF Sport car emerged as the leading contenders for victory.
However, Team WRT's combination of on-track aggression and fuel strategy allowed it to claim the win by just over a second.
With this result, the No.8 Toyota crew have reclaimed the lead in the drivers' championship; Toyota has extended its lead in the manufacturer's race, while TF Sport has retained its lead at the top of the LMGT3 standings.
The 2026 6 Hours of Barcelona will take place on the 18th of October.
For the first time since 2023, Toyota has won on home soil after dramatically winning the 2026 World Endurance Championship 6 Hours of Fuji.
Sébastien Buemi, Ryo Hirakawa and Brendon Hartley in the No. 8 car had no clear pace advantage and suffered an early spin. As was the case at Le Mans, Toyota's strategy made the difference; an offset strategy meant the No.8 car was able to run in clear air, while a valiant defence from Hirakawa in the closing stages saw off the advances of Victor Martins in the No.36 Alpine and allowed the No.8 crew to take their first victory since Imola by just over half a second.
Despite the solid points haul, Alpine is likely to be disappointed.
After locking out the front row yesterday, both cars streaked away from the pack and ran largely untroubled for much of the first half.
The team faced stern pressure from Aston Martin, but the No.007 car incurred a drive-through penalty. The late-race chaos cost them track position to Toyota and BMW, and though Martins managed to reclaim second place, Hirakawa was just out of reach.
The result may bolster the team's manufacturers' campaign, but with the A424 having been the class of the field all weekend, points have been left on the table.
The No.15 BMW took the final podium spot ahead of the No.35 Alpine. Cadillac were also left wanting for raw pace, but the V-Series. R was a consistent presence in the midfield.
The No.38 car finished fifth, two places ahead of the sister No.12 car. The American outfit was split by the sole surviving No.94 Peugeot, which secured the team's best result of the season so far, while the No.7 Toyota underlined the team's lack of raw pace.
The early pitstop did not pay off, and the No.7 crew were forced to make do with eighth. Nevertheless, Toyota's lead in the manufacturer's championship has grown to 23 points with two rounds to go. Aston Martin was another major disappointment.
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Incredible stories from across the world of endurance racing
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The Valkyrie AMR-LMH was arguably the fastest car in the race. Both entries routinely challenged for the podium for much of the first half and arguably had the edge over the Alpine.
However, the No.007 car's hopes of victory were dashed by a drive-through penalty for crossing the white line on pit entry. It eventually finished 14th, five places behind the No.009 car. In contrast to its solid showing last time out, Ferrari lacked pace throughout.
Neither the Ferrari works team nor AF Corse challenged for the win. The highest-placed No.51 car finished tenth, the No.83 car crossed the line 12th, while the No.50 car endured a three-minute pit stop before eventually retiring and triggering the VSC.
The No.19 Genesis finished 11th, while the No.17 car dropped to 15th after a drive-through. The championship-leading No.20 BMW finished 13th, while the No.93 Peugeot retired with brake issues.
The LMGT3 drama began at the very first corner. The No.21 AF Corse Ferrari made an ill-timed lunge at turn one, which triggered a multi-car incident. The No. 88 Proton Competition Mustang and No. 61 Iron Lynx Mercedes were both eliminated.
With two of the most fancied entrants out of the running, the No. 32 BMW, No. 27 Aston Martin, No. 34 Racing Team by Turkey Corvette, and No. 33 TF Sport car emerged as the leading contenders for victory.
However, Team WRT's combination of on-track aggression and fuel strategy allowed it to claim the win by just over a second.
With this result, the No.8 Toyota crew have reclaimed the lead in the drivers' championship; Toyota has extended its lead in the manufacturer's race, while TF Sport has retained its lead at the top of the LMGT3 standings.
The 2026 6 Hours of Barcelona will take place on the 18th of October.
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