TOYOTA GAZOO Racing team celebrates.

KUWAIT CITY, Nov 27: TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) has secured the top podium position at 8 Hours of Bahrain, the final race of the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) season. Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Ryo Hirakawa raced to victory in the No.8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid Electric Hypercar thanks to their incredible team effort and a dominant driving performance. TGR’s relentless determination has also helped Toyota achieve its sixth successive manufacturers’ World Championship title.

Nobuyuki Takemura, Chief Representative of the Middle East & Central Asia Representative Office, Toyota Motor Corporation, commented: “Buemi, Hartley, and Hirakawa, thank you for ending this season on such an incredibly high note with your first-place victory in the Toyota GR010 Hybrid Electric Hypercar! Your dedication, masterful performance, and team spirit is what made this year such a success for TGR as well as for Toyota by achieving the manufacturers’ World Championship title. We look forward to returning to racetracks around the world next season to showcase our ongoing advancements in electrified vehicle technology and continue our pursuit of ‘ever-better cars’, as well as strengthening our commitment to providing sustainable mobility for all, with no one left behind. Thank you to every member of TGR for making this year yet another success, and to our fans and supporters worldwide for cheering us on every step of the way.”

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.

The race kicked off with Buemi leading confidently from the pole, setting a strong pace for the team. He showed impressive resolve after sustaining an early rear collision, quickly recovering several positions before Hartley took over late in the second hour. Hartley and Hirakawa then demonstrated determination in managing tyre wear, working diligently to keep the No.8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid Electric Hypercar within reach of the front runners.

Two safety car periods in the second half of the race closed the gaps throughout the Hypercar field and set up a thrilling final stage. When racing resumed, Buemi was in 10th, just 15 seconds behind the leader. He mounted an extraordinary charge, overtaking multiple competitors to claim second place following his final pit stop.

With only half an hour left in the season, Buemi completed an astonishing comeback to seize the lead. He extended his advantage, crossing the finish line comfortably to win by 27.539 seconds, marking the No.8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid Electric Hypercar’s second win of the season and the team’s 10th in Bahrain.

Over the years, Toyota has been participating in many different forms of motorsports, including Formula One, the World Endurance Championship (WEC), and the Nürburgring 24 ‎Hours endurance race. Toyota’s participation in these events was overseen by separate entities within the company until April 2015, when Toyota established TGR, ‎to consolidate all of its

motorsport activities under one in-house brand. Representing ‎Toyota’s belief that ‘the roads build the people, and the people build the cars,’ TGR highlights the role of motorsports as a fundamental pillar of Toyota’s commitment to ‎making ‘ever-better’ cars. Harnessing years of experience gained under the extreme conditions of various motorsports events, TGR aims to forge new technologies and solutions that bring the freedom, adventure, and joy of driving to everyone.