MOTORSPORT – IT’S race week once again in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and Toyota Racing aim to strengthen their title challenge with victory on home ground in the Six Hours of Fuji.
The team is ready to respond following a cruel finish to the previous WEC race in Austin, Texas earlier this month, when a technical issue snatched victory from their grasp with just 11 minutes remaining. Despite that, Toyota extended their advantage in the manufacturers’ world championship to nine points going into the sixth round of the WEC’s 2026 season, which takes place at the renowned Japanese track on Sunday.
Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway, and Nyck de Vries, who came so close to victory in Austin in their #7 TR010 Hybrid, are tied on points at the top of the drivers’ standings. Teammates Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Ryo Hirakawa recovered from misfortunes in Austin to finish a battling sixth in their #8 TR010 and close the gap to just 11 points with three races remaining.
Victory at Fuji Speedway to complement their Le Mans win in June is the target for the team’s home event, at a venue with particular significance. The Higashi-Fuji Technical Centre – where the TR010’s powertrain is designed, developed, and built – is just a short drive from the circuit.
Every year, many team members from Higashi-Fuji, as well as Toyota colleagues and team partners, visit Fuji Speedway to show their strong support. Since the start of its hybrid WEC project in 2012, the team has rewarded their home fans with results to celebrate, including nine wins from 12 races – among them being six one-twos.
“We are expecting a lot of Japanese fans supporting us and we are very much looking forward to coming home,” said Kobayashi, who is also the team principal. “It’s an important race, not only for the world championship, but because it’s our home race and the second most important of the season, after Le Mans.
“Obviously, we want to fight for the win, particularly in front of all our Toyota colleagues, partners, and fans. It’s always a big target for us at the start of every season and we’ll give everything to achieve it.”
Buemi added: “Fuji is a big race for us and winning there is always one of our priorities. It’s an amazing week with the support we get, and the different activities we do.
“Driving a Hypercar there is fun too, because you have a mix of high-speed and low-speed corners, with the long, wide straight.
“Traffic is tricky, and it’s not easy on the tyres, so it’s a challenging circuit.”
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