So Close to the Podium at Spa, But Toyota Takes the Points

Over 100,000 fans packed Spa-Francorchamps for round two of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship, and TOYOTA RACING delivered a race full of fighting spirit, securing a double points finish despite a cruel twist of fate in the closing stages.

Starting from 16th on the grid, the #8 TR010 HYBRID of Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryō Hirakawa had a bold strategy up their sleeve. An early pit stop launched Hartley into second place, and the car held that position with confidence for much of the race. Buemi himself ran second for long periods, a podium looking well within reach.

Then, with less than an hour to go, a fuelling issue during a pit stop forced an unplanned additional stop. In an instant, all those hard-earned positions were lost. The #8 dropped out of the top 10 before fighting back to claim a single point for 10th in a frantic finale.

For the #7, Conway, Kobayashi and de Vries made steady progress from 12th to take fifth at the flag after a thrilling late battle, finishing just 6 seconds behind the race-winning BMW.

The frustration is real, particularly for Buemi and his crew who had genuinely been on course for the podium. But TOYOTA RACING takes the lessons and moves forward with one goal in mind: Le Mans, on 13 and 14 June.