Amman, September 2022: Gazoo Racing (GR) secured a dominant one-two finish at the Fuji Six Hours endurance race, celebrating the FIA World Endurance Championship’s (WEC) return to Japan in spectacular fashion. Fuji Speedway hosted the WEC for the first time since 2019, and Gazoo Racing boosted its title hopes, marking a historic home debut with a victory in its Japanese debut with the Toyota GR010 Hybrid Electric Supercar. This win brings Toyota significantly closer to retaining its World Manufacturers’ Championship title, extending its lead to 26 points.
Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Rio Hirakawa delivered a stunning performance in the No. 8 GR010 Hybrid-Electric Supercar, securing their second victory of the season, adding to their Le Mans 24 Hours win and giving the team an eighth win in nine races at Fuji Speedway. World champions Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, and José María López finished second in their No. 7 GR010 Hybrid-Electric Supercar, completing a dominant performance in the penultimate round of the 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship season.
A large crowd packed the grandstands at Fuji Speedway and watched as the GR010 hybrid electric cars dominated the race from the start. Although Kamui initially controlled the race, Sebastian gradually closed the gap and took the lead on lap 64. With two hours remaining, Kamui handed over the No. 7 car, which had been running in second place, to José. A lap later, Brenden took over the No. 8 car and resumed the race with a six-second advantage. Brenden began to extend his lead, reaching 10 seconds ahead of José at subsequent pit stops. By the time of the next driver change, with just under two hours left, Brenden held a commanding 30-second lead.