TOYOTA RACING began the 2026 WEC season on a victorious note, securing a double podium in a tight battle at the Six Hours of Imola. In its 100th race in the Hybrid-powered World Endurance Championship, the team claimed its 50th victory thanks to the TR010 HYBRID number 8 driven by Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa. Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries finished third in the No. 7 car to complete an impeccable team performance.
During a weekend that drew 92,175 spectators to the grandstands—a new WEC attendance record at Imola—what unfolded was an exciting race, interrupted by two brief Safety Car periods, followed by a light shower and strong winds. In the opening race, both TR010 HYBRIDs and their drivers displayed a consistent racing pace, which proved fully effective with fuel and tire strategies to gain positions over their Hypercar rivals during an intense six-hour battle.
The No. 8 TR010 HYBRID started from the front row, and Hartley sat in third place in his opening stint. The gains after the early pit stops propelled the car back into second, before Hirakawa took the lead at the start of the third hour. He opened a small margin over the pursuing rival, a gap Buemi widened in the final two hours. The Swiss driver managed the challenging track conditions during a light rain to maintain the lead until the finish.
The TR010 HYBRID No. 7 started sixth, but dropped to seventh. Conway pushed to rejoin the battle among the top six during his stint, before De Vries advanced. The Dutchman was in fourth before halfway and climbed to third place in the fourth hour. Kobayashi then rose to second and, with significantly worn tires, allowed the No. 8 car to extend its lead, keeping the rivals at bay until the final hour when tire changes were made.
When the checkered flag waved after six hours, Buemi crossed the finish line 13.352 seconds ahead of the second-placed car, with Kobayashi bringing the No. 7 Toyota home in third, 27.835 seconds behind the runner-up.
“Today we tried everything we could to deliver the best possible result. It was a fairly smooth race, but it wasn’t easy to find opportunities to gain positions. It was a challenge for us, but we managed to get both cars on the podium and start the season with a victory, so I’m very happy,” said Kamui Kobayashi, driver and leader of TOYOTA RACING in the WEC.
“The most important thing is that our car seems strong, which gives us confidence for the rest of the season. Congratulations to the whole team who worked so hard on the TR010 HYBRID and on today’s race execution. Now we head to Spa with a long season ahead. We’ll work hard and do our best to achieve all our goals,” Kobayashi added.
Following their second consecutive victory, after last year’s Bahrain finale triumph, TOYOTA RACING leads both the World Constructors’ Championship and the Drivers’ Championship. The team aims to defend these leads at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps on May 9, the final race before the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
