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.
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