Home Frustration for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing at Fuji

The home round of the FIA World Endurance Championship turned into a race to forget for Sébastien Buemi and the #8 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing crew. At Fuji Speedway, the Swiss driver and his teammates Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa saw their hopes dashed within the opening laps.

Starting from eighth on the grid, the #8 GR010 HYBRID had the potential to aim for a strong result in front of Toyota’s home crowd and partners. But early in the race, Sébastien Buemi was hit by the #35 Alpine, causing a left-rear puncture. Forced to pit under Full Course Yellow, he lost significant time in the process.

Things went from bad to worse shortly after. Due to a procedural mistake during that emergency stop, the car received a costly three-minute stop-and-go penalty, dropping the crew two laps down on the leaders. From there, the race turned into a damage-limitation exercise for the #8 team.

Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa completed their stints in increasingly difficult conditions, but the gap was too large to recover. Despite multiple Safety Cars and race incidents, there was no opportunity to regain lost ground. The #8 crossed the finish line in 16th place, well outside the points.

A bitter disappointment for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing in front of its home fans, and a frustrating day for Buemi, who came into the weekend determined to deliver a strong result in Japan. All focus now shifts to the season finale in Bahrain, where the Swiss driver and his teammates will be eager to finish the year on a high.