In the lead-up to the final race of the season of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) in Monza, Toyota faces a difficult challenge after achieving its worst result in the 2026 qualifying. Ryo Hirakawa, one of the drivers of the #8 Toyota TR010 Hybrid, has expressed his concerns about the performance gap with their rivals.
The two Toyota vehicles finished in the last places of the grid, specifically in 15th and 16th positions, only ahead of the BMW M Hybrid V8. The qualifying session was complicated due to weather conditions, as few representative laps were able to be completed because of the persistent rain during practice.
Hirakawa acknowledged that both he and his team-mates felt “too slow”, and pointed out that the characteristics of the circuit have changed since its reclassification, affecting the car’s ability to heat the tires. ‘In both situations, both wet and dry, we haven’t shown a good pace,’ he stated.
After a dominant season, with unexpected victories such as Fuji, the pressure now falls on Toyota to demonstrate both its strategic and technical strength in this final competition of the season.
Despite the difficulties, the #8 maintains a 17-point lead in the championship, but its success depends on significantly improving its speed on the track. Only 25 points are up for grabs in the final race, meaning that the other Toyota team, the #7, would need to finish at the front to secure the championship.
David Floury, technical director of Toyota, commented that the poor performance in qualifying is due to a combination of factors, including a lack of voltage in dry conditions, and emphasized the importance of being creative against the competition in Sunday’s race.
Thus, with the manufacturers’ title already secured, Toyota is preparing for a race where strategy will play a key role, but where they will need to improve their vehicle’s performance to have a chance at a good result.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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