8 Hours of Bahrain: Victory and world title for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing completed a thrilling fightback to overcome challenges and retain its FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) title when the 2024 season came to a dramatic conclusion in the 8 Hours of Bahrain.
Starting from one-two on the grid, and knowing a win would secure the manufacturers’ title, each car led at different points, but the team entered the final stages of the race with only one car on track, down in 10th place after suffering setbacks.
An incredible team effort and a dominant driving display saw Sébastien Buemi cut through the field to win the race in the #8 GR010 HYBRID he shares with Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa, securing the team’s sixth successive manufacturers’ World Championship, by six points from Porsche.
The #7 GR010 HYBRID had victory in its sights when it led at half distance, but a fuel pump issue forced Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries into retirement. That ended the slim drivers’ title hopes of Kamui and Nyck, who needed a win to have any chance.
The chequered flag in Bahrain concluded a 2024 season which featured 72 hours of racing, at eight rounds on four continents over almost 10 months. TOYOTA GAZOO Racing’s season record stands at five podiums, including three wins, and two pole positions, earning 190 World Championship points. After an exciting year, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing congratulates new drivers’ World Champions Kévin Estre, Andre Lotterer and Laurens Vanthoor, and thanks all WEC competitors for their contribution to a memorable season.
A dramatic and challenging race had started strongly for the team when Sébastien led away from pole. But after 18 minutes its hopes suffered a blow when Sébastien was hit from behind by a GT car and spun down to seventh. He recovered to fifth before Brendon took over late in the second hour.
Brendon and Ryo then battled against tyre degradation on their stints but made a determined effort to keep the #8 in the top six and still in the hunt. The race turned on two safety car periods early in the second half of the race, which closed the gaps throughout the 18-strong Hypercar field.
When racing resumed with just over an hour remaining, Sébastien was 10th but only 15secs from the lead, and he began an incredible fight back to revive the team’s World Championship dream. A heroic charge through the field saw him overtake several rivals to move into second after his final pit stop.
With just over half an hour of the season remaining Sébastien completed a remarkable comeback drive by passing the #5 Porsche for the lead. He soon established a comfortable advantage and reached the chequered flag to win by 27.539secs for the #8 GR010 HYBRID’s second win of the season, and the team’s 10th in Bahrain.
For much of the race, the #7 car had looked the most likely GR010 HYBRID to challenge for victory. Mike moved up from fourth at the end of the first lap to be in the top three when Kamui took the wheel for what would be a dramatic stint. As the sun set in the fourth hour, Kamui’s bold overtaking elevated him to second.
However, the #7 was hit by a fuel pump issue which intermittently reduced performance. Drivers, engineers and mechanics looked for a solution and, initially, appeared to have succeeded when Kamui closed the gap and Nyck took the lead via a fast pit stop. But the trouble returned and the #7 slipped down the field.
Considering the problem would require a lengthy repair, the team prioritised victory and the championship. It decided to retire the #7 with just over two hours to go, in order to allow its crew members to support the #8 car’s challenge, expressing their solidarity and ensuring today’s title triumph was a genuine team effort.
Kamui Kobayashi (Team Principal and driver, car #7): “First of all, a big thank you for all the support we have had this season from all over the world. Winning the manufacturers’ World Championship is a great achievement and it’s the result of a huge team effort from everyone, including our Toyota colleagues and our partners, who are a big part of this success. This is the result everyone in the team wanted and they gave everything to achieve it, so thank you for all that work. Car #8 deserved the win today after an incredible race. Obviously on our car we had some issues and had to retire. We will analyse that and aim to come back even stronger next season.”
Mike Conway (Driver, car #7): “It was obviously a disappointing outcome for our car. We were very strong at some points and looking good to win, then we ran into the issue which unfortunately took us out of the race. But at least car #8 won and that means we achieved our target of winning the manufacturers’ World Championship. I am very happy for the team and for Toyota, and I’m also pleased for car #8 to win the race with such a strong drive at the end. We’ll all enjoy this moment.”
Nyck de Vries (Driver, car #7): “It’s great to end the season on a high for the team by winning the manufacturers’ World Championship with an amazing victory for car #8. Obviously, it’s bittersweet for our car to see our title rivals not score any points, considering we were in a winning position. Without the technical issue we had the chance to win both championships but that’s part of the game and we have to take it on the chin. Overall, I am just so happy for the team to get their reward today because they really deserve it after an eventful and challenging season.”
Sébastien Buemi (Driver, car #8): “It’s crazy to think we won the race considering how it was going at some point. Against all the odds, with issues, penalties and bad luck it’s an amazing feeling for the team to win the World Championship. That was our target here and we’ve achieved it thanks to a brilliant effort from the team. When our car was down in 10th, we were going to the back of the Hypercar field during the pit stops and I thought we were done. But my team-mates did a good job hanging on with the old tyres and that meant I had a tyre advantage at the end. When it mattered today, we did a good job together and I am so pleased for the whole team.”
Brendon Hartley (Driver, car #8): “I am so happy for everyone in the team and at Toyota. The race didn’t go as smoothly at the beginning as it could have done. We tried the medium tyres, but it didn’t work. Then at the end Séb did an unbelievable stint. He was the star; it was an incredible drive. Thanks to everyone in the team, at Toyota and all our partners. We really had to fight for this win and championship, so it means a lot. For our car to end the season with a victory is fantastic going into the winter break.”
Ryo Hirakawa (Driver, car #8): “What a day. It was an up and down race, but we never gave up and we fought as one team. We started from pole, then got hit by a GT car but still tried our best and put everything behind Séb for a maximum push at the end. On the #8 car, we have had some difficulties this season, so I am happy to finally get a bit of luck. It’s fantastic to finish the season with a win and I am so grateful to the team, as well as to everyone at Toyota and all our partners, for their big efforts to win this manufacturers’ championship.”
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