TOYOTA GAZOO Racing ended the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) season on a high with a stunning one-two result in the 8 Hours of Bahrain, the championship finale, as Kiwi driver Brendon Hartley and his co-drivers in the #8 GR010 HYBRID claimed second place.
The race win went to the #7 GR010 HYBRID, driven by Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, and Nyck de Vries, who had also taken pole in qualifying, extending Toyota’s dominance at the Bahrain International Circuit to nine consecutive victories.
Toyota set the tone from qualifying, locking out the front row in Hyperpole for only the second time this season.
Kamui Kobayashi set a lap of 1:46.826 in the #7 car to claim pole, just 0.151 seconds ahead of Hartley, who lined up alongside him in the #8. It was Toyota’s best qualifying performance of 2025 and gave both crews a strong platform for race day.
“A very nice qualifying from the whole team. We are very pleased with the performance. I did a pretty tidy lap, although there were a couple of small mistakes and I was a bit conservative in places,” said Hartley
“Kamui nailed it and pipped me to pole. I was desperate to get it, but congratulations to him. I am happy to start from the front row, which gives the best possible chance of finishing on the podium.”
At the drop of the green flag, both GR010 HYBRIDs held their positions, with Conway and Hartley maintaining the front row advantage.
The first hour of the race saw the two cars split strategies during the initial pit stops: Hartley took only fuel while Conway changed tyres. This tactical divergence allowed Conway to build a slight lead while the #8 briefly lost momentum.
Brendon handed over the #8 to Sébastien Buemi after the first stint, but a surge from the #51 Ferrari saw the car slip down the order, highlighting the tense, strategic nature of the opening half of the race.
Despite the setbacks, Buemi quickly recovered, moving the car back into third position as rivals pitted, keeping the #8 in contention for a podium.
As the race progressed into the middle stages, Kamui and Ryo Hirakawa took over the #7 and #8 cars, respectively. The #8 crew incurred a drive-through penalty for a yellow flag infringement, dropping them to ninth place.
Hirakawa responded with a blistering stint, overtaking multiple competitors to climb back to sixth by the sixth hour. His early fuel stop allowed him a clear track to push hard, setting lap times that brought the car closer to the leaders.
One of the standout moments was Hirakawa’s late-race battle with the #94 Peugeot, overtaking them for third in the sixth hour and showing Toyota’s pace advantage despite being off-strategy.
However, on older tyres, the #8 car was unable to immediately fend off the charging #51 Ferrari, highlighting the tense nature of endurance racing at Bahrain.
With the final driver change, Brendon Hartley rejoined the car for the closing laps. He and Buemi managed to consolidate second place, fending off challenges and capitalising on flawless pit work and strategic tyre choices.
Meanwhile, the #7 car remained out front, with Nyck de Vries controlling the lead over the final 80 minutes.
A late safety car in the final hour bunched the field and allowed final pit stops, setting up a tense conclusion.
Hartley and Buemi held position on the restart, maintaining the #8 car in second while Conway, Kobayashi, and de Vries cruised to victory by 19.378 seconds, completing a perfect one-two for Toyota.
“I am very happy to finish the season with a one-two. It was our goal today, but at some point, it looked like it would be difficult. It had been looking positive in the first half of the race, and we were off strategy, meaning we would have new tyres at the end,” said Hartley
“The fight back after our penalty was phenomenal from all three drivers, along with the flawless pit work and the strong strategy. Car #7 did a great job to win, congratulations to them.”
“Congratulations to car #7 and the whole team. To finish first and second is a fantastic result, and I think everyone deserves to enjoy the moment because we have all worked so hard to get back to the front.” said Buemi
“Considering the season we had up to now, finishing second in the World Championship is a nice boost for everyone’s morale going into next season, when we hope to come back stronger and fight for the title.”
The one-two finish in Bahrain provided a perfect conclusion to a season that had been challenging for Toyota, while securing maximum points in the Manufacturers’ Championship.
The team now turns its focus to 2026, with the same driver line-ups and an updated GR010 HYBRID. Conway, Kobayashi, and de Vries will continue in the #7 car for a third consecutive season, while Buemi, Hartley, and Hirakawa return for a fifth season together in the #8.
Despite mid-race penalties and strategic challenges, Hartley and his teammates showed resilience, pace, and skill to deliver a strong finish and set the tone for a competitive 2026 campaign.
Header Image: Toyota Gazoo Racing
