TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Triumphs at 6 Hours of São Paulo

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) secured a first-place victory in the 6 Hours of São Paulo, marking a strong start to its 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) title campaign in front of over 73,000 enthusiastic Brazilian fans. World Champions Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Ryo Hirakawa clinched their first win of the year in the No. 8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid Electric Hypercar through impeccable driving, exceptional teamwork, and a superior tire strategy.

Akio Toyoda, TGR-WRT Chairman, celebrated the victory, saying, “Congratulations to Séb, Brendon, Ryo, and everyone in the No. 8 vehicle for winning! Ryan K. Dingle, who stood on the podium with the drivers as the engineer of the No. 8 vehicle, congratulations on your first podium! His presence has brought the WEC team and me even closer together. There was a big cheering section in Brazil, where Toyota friends gathered at the circuit for the first time in 10 years.”

Toyoda added, “South America is some distance from Japan, making it difficult for me to visit, but I often feel the warmth of my friends in South America, who call me Morizo instead of Akio. The support of these friends was undoubtedly the driving force behind vehicle No. 8's victory. Thank you so much for your enthusiastic support, my Brazilian friends! Although the race was held at a distance, I felt as if I was fighting right beside the team.”

Hartley initiated the race strongly, settling into second after running wide into the first turn and maintaining his position. Hirakawa then took the wheel, advancing the team’s victory challenge and soon moving to the front. By mid-race, he had extended his lead to 30 seconds, utilizing a strategic tire change to maintain temperature and manage degradation.

Hirakawa built a lead of over 40 seconds before handing over to Buemi, who maintained the No. 8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid Electric Hypercar’s speed at the front. After a final fuel stop with an hour remaining, Buemi resumed with a clear lead and protected it until the chequered flag, finishing with a comfortable margin of 1 minute and 8.811 seconds.

Over the years, Toyota has participated in various motorsports events, including Formula One, the World Endurance Championship (WEC), and the Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance race. In April 2015, Toyota consolidated all its motorsport activities under the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing brand. Representing Toyota’s belief that “the roads build the people, and the people build the cars,” TGR highlights the role of motorsports as a fundamental pillar of Toyota’s commitment to making “ever-better” cars. Through extreme motorsports conditions, TGR aims to develop new technologies and solutions that bring the freedom, adventure, and joy of driving to everyone.

The team’s bid to retain its World Championship titles continues in North America for the next race at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, for the Lone Star Le Mans on 1 September.

Race Notes:

• No. 8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid Electric Hypercar (Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Ryo Hirakawa)
  • Position: 1st
  • No. of Laps: 236
  • Best lap: 1:25.340
  • Elapsed time: 6:01:02.554