Imola: Determined Buemi delivers strong finish to keep TOYOTA GAZOO Racing in the title fight

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing collected vital championship points after an intense and unpredictable 6 Hours of Imola, the second round of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).

In a race marked by changing strategies, light rain and fierce competition across the Hypercar field, Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa brought the #8 GR010 HYBRID home in fifth place, while the #7 car of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries finished seventh.

The race began with both Toyotas jostling for position inside the top five, with Brendon and Mike swapping places during the first stint. Traffic and early lapping of LMGT3 cars required precision driving on the narrow Imola layout.

A dramatic twist came late in the second hour when contact from the #20 BMW forced the #7 to pit for repairs. During the full course yellow that followed, both cars changed drivers—Ryo took over the #8 but was penalised for speeding under FCY, costing the crew valuable time.

As strategies diverged, Sébastien Buemi took the wheel in the final two hours. The #8 had dropped to ninth but was still within 10 seconds of the lead, prompting a bold fuel-only stop to gain clean air. That move allowed Buemi to unleash the car’s potential, vaulting into provisional lead before defending strongly against the #50 Ferrari.

In the final hour, Sébastien absorbed the pressure, made up ground on worn tyres, and overtook the #15 BMW in the closing laps to seal fifth place—minimising damage on a weekend where Ferrari clearly had the pace edge.

“It was an eventful race with some contact and the penalty. Maybe the podium was possible, but considering everything, we collected solid points. We weren’t on Ferrari’s level this time, but I’m happy with how we executed. Congrats to the whole team.” – Sébastien Buemi

Car #8 now sits sixth in the drivers’ standings, while TOYOTA GAZOO Racing holds third among manufacturers, trailing Ferrari by 39 points. The season continues on May 10 at Spa-Francorchamps.