The FIA World Endurance Championship roared back into action over the weekend with the return of the 6 Hours of São Paulo at the iconic Interlagos Circuit, Round 5 of the 2025 season, and the first event since June’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.
For Kiwi endurance racing star Brendon Hartley, it was a weekend of reunion and adaptation, returning to the #8 Toyota Gazoo Racing entry alongside Ryō Hirakawa in a two-driver configuration for the first time. Regular teammate Sébastien Buemi was unavailable due to other racing commitments.
Meanwhile, fellow New Zealander Earl Bamber was back in the #38 Cadillac Hertz Team Jota entry, reunited with teammates Sébastien Bourdais and Jenson Button.
Hartley and Hirakawa’s weekend began with a challenge, adapting to a revised driver format while chasing pace around a resurfaced track. Practice results were mixed for the #8 Toyota, with the duo placing 14th and 16th before surging to the top in the third session.
In contrast, the #38 Cadillac trio logged 6th, 9th, and 16th in their respective sessions.
“It’s nice to be back in São Paulo; I really enjoy this track,” Hartley said.
“We experienced the resurfaced track and had two smooth sessions with no issues. We are clearly in a tight midfield battle, so we will work hard overnight to find more pace. It was a new experience for me, having only two drivers in our crew. The positive aspect is we get more laps, but we do also miss the input from Séb.”
Qualifying set the stage for an intense battle up front. The sister #12 Cadillac of Alex Lynn, Norman Nato and Will Stevens secured the top time in regular qualifying (1:22.829), while Bamber’s #38 entry advanced to Hyperpole in 8th with a 1:23.537 lap.
The #8 Toyota entry, driven by Hirakawa, scraped through in 10th place with a 1:23.673, just 0.037 seconds clear of the cut-off.
Hyperpole proved decisive. The #12 Cadillac clinched pole position thanks to a blistering lap of 1:22.570 from Lynn. Bourdais, driving the #38 Cadillac, looked set to secure a front-row lockout but was penalised for blocking Team Peugeot’s Paul di Resta, dropping the car to third.
Hirakawa could do no better than 10th, matching their qualifying position.
“We made it through to Hyperpole, which I think was the maximum result for us, considering the performance we have and what we have seen from the competition so far here,” Hirakawa reflected.
“It’s been a tough week, and it’s going to be a very challenging race, but starting from 10th isn’t too bad. We will try to move forward and push for our first podium of the year.”
Race Day:
As the 6 Hours of São Paulo got underway on a sun-soaked Sunday, both Kiwi drivers took the opening stint for their respective teams. Hartley held onto 10th place off the line in the #8 Toyota, while Bamber quickly found himself in the thick of the action.
Early on, Bamber fought hard with Porsche’s Julien Andlauer into Turn 2 but was forced to slot into third. Ahead of them, the #12 Cadillac briefly led before Andlauer muscled through into first.
The Kiwis fightback was relentless. As the race developed, Bamber locked into an intense multi-lap battle with the #5 Porsche Penske Hypercar, stalking Andlauer before making the race-winning move with just over four hours remaining.
From there, Cadillac seized control. The #38 Cadillac, shared between Bamber and Button, and the pole-sitting #12 entry traded stints at the front, building a commanding lead.
In the closing stages, Norman Nato extended the #12 Cadillac’s advantage to 56 seconds. With Bourdais bringing the #38 home in second, it was a commanding double podium for Cadillac Hertz Team Jota, and another trophy for Bamber.
Toyota Off the Pace and Out of the Points
In stark contrast to Cadillac’s celebrations, Toyota endured one of its most difficult race weekends in recent memory. Both GR010 HYBRIDs struggled for performance from the outset, never managing to find a competitive pace around the Brazilian circuit.
Hartley and Hirakawa’s #8 Toyota crossed the line in 15th, one place behind their teammates Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries in the #7 car.
It marked Toyota’s first non-points finish in WEC competition since the 6 Hours of Silverstone in 2018, ending a remarkable 44-race streak.
“A difficult day in the office and not the result that we were hoping for,” said Hartley.
“It’s disappointing to have both cars out of the top 10 on pure pace. I hope we can fight for wins again in the next races. I know everyone will be pushing very hard to achieve that.”
Despite valiant stints from all four Toyota drivers, including solid pace on used tyres and flawless pit work, neither car came close to cracking the top 10.
With the WEC now heading into a summer break, teams have time to regroup before the next event, the Lone Star Le Mans at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, on 7 September.
For Earl Bamber and Cadillac, momentum is on their side. For Brendon Hartley and Toyota, the focus is now on recovery, reflection, and finding answers to the questions posed by a brutal weekend in Brazil.
Header Image: Julien Delfosse / DPPI
