The drivers’ title for Toyota in the WEC was already considered decided before the 6-hour race in Monza, according to hints from the Japanese brand. This conclusion comes after both of its units failed to stay within the top ten throughout the race, preventing its drivers from competing for the championship.
Before the last test, only Toyota teams were competing for the Hypercar title, following an evident dominance with a 1-2 victory in the Barcelona race, which eliminated their rivals from the title fight. Drivers Brendon Hartley, Ryo Hirakawa, and Sébastien Buemi led the standings aboard the #8 TR010 Hybrid, with a 17-point lead over the sister team consisting of Kamui Kobayashi, Nyck de Vries, and Mike Conway.
Only 25 points could be added at the end of the season, after the previous Bahrain race, originally scheduled as an eight-hour event, was replaced. This limited the chances for an exciting conclusion between the two Toyota vehicles. Nevertheless, during the race, Toyota lacked the speed to compete at the front, both in wet and dry conditions, leaving the title practically decided in favor of the #8 before the race started.
Toyota’s technical director, David Floury, suggested that the lack of speed during the race was an issue beyond their control, despite regulations preventing public discussion about the Balance of Performance. In response to whether they knew they wouldn’t be in a position to win at Monza before the event, Floury remarked: “Yes, we knew. It was a bit sad to come and think that, except under exceptional conditions or something like Fuji, where you can take risks and it works, we had no chances. The fight between our two teams would be difficult”.
Toyota has regained its status as a benchmark in the WEC in 2026 with the introduction of a totally revised LMH prototype, which has proven to be very versatile across various circuits. This underlying speed, combined with sound strategic decisions, has allowed it to achieve great results and also return to victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans after three consecutive defeats against Ferrari.
Despite the disappointing result in Monza, where Toyota only secured one point after the penalty of the #007 Aston Martin, Floury indicated that this does not detract from what has been a memorable year for the Cologne-based team. “I prefer to look back and be happy with every team member. Happy and proud of them, because they have worked incredibly hard to get here”, said Floury.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
