Race and classic pictures

Reign in Spain: Toyota seals WEC manufacturers’ title

Under the unpredictable, shifting skies of Catalonia, Toyota Gazoo Racing delivered a masterclass to storm to an emphatic 1-2 finish at the end of the World Endurance Championship’s inaugural appearance in Barcelona on Sunday.

And the dominant performance locked up the manufacturers’ title in the series’ Hypercar class with a round to spare.

Navigating a circuit caught between sudden downpours and drying asphalt, Toyota’s crews proved that absolute composure is the ultimate winning strategy.

Cruising through six grueling hours with unflappable focus, Brendon Hartley, Sebastien Buemi and Ryo Hirakawa took the checkered flag at the wheel of their #8 TR010 Hybrid ahead of their sister car steered by Kamui Kobayashi, Nyck de Vries and Mike Conway.

With the ultimate team prize safely back in the cabinet, the narrative now takes a thrilling turn.

As the WEC paddock prepares for the season finale at Monza, all eyes shift to a fierce internal rivalry: a 17-point gap separates Toyota’s top two crews, setting up an electrifying intra-team showdown to crown the drivers' champion.

Michael Delaney

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