Confirming the 2023 WEC Manufacturers World Champion Title, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Wins Podium 1 and 2 at the 6 Hours of Fuji
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) achieved a thrilling one-two win on home soil in the 6 Hours of Fuji to claim the World Manufacturers' Championship title in the race towards the end of the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) season.
Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and José María López claimed victory in the #7 GR010 HYBRID after an epic Hypercar battle with Porsche, ultimately taking maximum points and securing TGR's fifth consecutive manufacturers' World Championship.
In front of a record crowd of 54,700 people, Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa completed a perfect result by taking second place in the GR010 HYBRID #8, just 39.119 seconds behind. TGR #7's fourth win of 2023 keeps their chances alive heading into the final race, where the #8 crew now holds a 15-point lead and a maximum of 39 remaining.
A one-two win after locking out the front row of qualifying did not reflect the full story of the very tight race ahead. TGR together with GR010 HYBRID struggled in the field and managed to take the lead in the fifth hour of the race.
At the start, Mike was pushed to third place and Sébastien dropped to sixth. He was hit by the #50 Ferrari in a chaotic first corner. When the race resumed after the first safety car lap, Mike then went off track while battling for second and dropped to fourth, while Sébastien overtook the #2 Cadillac for fifth.
An exciting battle between TOYOTA GAZOO Racing and Ferrari resulted in the GR010 HYBRID as the winner. Mike and Sébastien both struggled to pass the two Ferraris. When the leading #6 Porsche pitted for fuel, the #7 took the lead from the #8 after the first hour.
The pressure at the front increased after the first driver change which took place around two hours. José immediately set the fastest lap of the race and closed in on the #6 Porsche during a charging stint, with Ryo also closing the gap in third.
José relentlessly looked for ways to get past the leader. Soon the top three were just one second apart as Ryo finally passed José before making a bold overtake to take the lead at the end of the fourth hour.
A few minutes later, a final rider change saw Brendon take over the lead, and Kamui was second. Kamui was the fastest car on track and immediately took the lead, extending his lead as Brendon held off short pressure from the #6 Porsche until the final hour of the race.
Kamui controlled the final stages and finished after 229 laps to claim TOYOTA GAZOO Racing's ninth win in 10 races at Fuji Speedway. He extended the team's undefeated streak since 2016. Brendon crossed the finish line in second place for the #8 crew.
After leading the team throughout the weekend, Toyota President and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Europe Chairman Koji Sato joined the drivers to celebrate their hard-earned victory along with the 2023 WEC Manufacturers' World Champion title on the podium. The season will conclude with the 8 Hours of Bahrain on November 4, 2023.
