Toyota Gazoo Racing Faces Harsh Reality in São Paulo WEC Round, Ends Points Streak
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing experienced one of its most difficult weekends in recent memory at the 6 Hours of São Paulo, held at the iconic Interlagos circuit. The fifth round of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) brought to a close a frustrating week for the reigning World Champions, who found themselves grappling with performance limitations that ultimately pushed both of their GR010 HYBRID hypercars out of the top 10.
It was a stark contrast to the team’s dominant performance in Brazil just one year ago. Despite entering the event with tempered expectations due to underwhelming pace in the free practice sessions, the team still hoped for a competitive showing. However, a mix of technical shortcomings, speed deficits, and unfortunate circumstances saw both Toyota entries languish at the back of the Hypercar field by the time the checkered flag fell.
The #7 GR010 HYBRID, driven by Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, and Nyck de Vries, crossed the finish line in 14th place. Right behind them in 15th was the #8 GR010 HYBRID, piloted by Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa, who had to share driving duties as a duo due to Sébastien Buemi’s absence owing to other racing commitments.
This disappointing finish marked a significant moment in TOYOTA GAZOO Racing’s WEC history, as it brought an end to a remarkable streak of 44 consecutive races with points — a run that stretched all the way back to the 6 Hours of Silverstone in 2018.
Early Optimism Quickly Erodes
The race commenced under bright skies with Brendon Hartley starting 10th and Mike Conway from a more distant 18th on the grid. Both cars were fitted with a mix of Michelin’s medium and hard compound tyres in an effort to extract the most from challenging conditions. While both drivers managed to gain some ground during the early laps, the pace deficit quickly became apparent. By the time the first round of pit stops arrived roughly one hour in, neither car had broken into the top 10.
As the stints progressed, the drivers attempted to make up ground through consistent laps and clever tyre management. Nyck de Vries and Ryo Hirakawa took over driving duties just past the two-hour mark, switching to fresh medium tyres in a bid to climb the order. Their push included setting each car’s fastest lap of the day as the race approached its halfway point.
Despite their efforts, the team continued to battle an uphill struggle. Even after successfully overtaking the #009 Aston Martin late in the fourth hour, the elusive top 10 remained out of reach. A brief red flag period caused by an unexpected hazard — a kite that had landed on the start-finish straight — momentarily paused the action, but it offered no strategic advantage to the struggling Toyotas.
Final Push Fails to Break Through
In the final hour, Kamui Kobayashi resumed control of the #7, while Ryo Hirakawa climbed back into the #8 for a last push to salvage positions. The two Toyotas were running within a few seconds of each other as the sun began to set over São Paulo, but with no clear path forward, they maintained positions in 14th and 15th, respectively — ultimately finishing three laps behind the winning Cadillac.
Drivers and Team Reflect on a Tough Outing
After the race, the mood within the team was understandably subdued. Team Principal and #7 driver Kamui Kobayashi openly acknowledged the disappointment:
Finishing 14th and 15th is not what we expect. We tried everything to find performance, but we were just too far behind. We didn’t have the straight-line speed of the others, so we couldn’t compete. We’ll need to analyze everything and work hard to improve for the next race.”
Kobayashi did, however, take a moment to offer congratulations to the AKKODIS ASP Team, who took victory in the LMGT3 category with the Lexus RC F LMGT3 — a positive note for Toyota’s broader motorsport efforts.
Mike Conway echoed the sentiment of frustration:
“It’s been a pretty tough day. We didn’t have much to fight with, but the whole team gave their best. It’s unfortunate to see both cars running at the back, but we’ll try to learn from this and come back stronger for Austin.”
Nyck de Vries also noted the sharp drop in performance compared to 2024:
“It’s a big difference from last year. We all want to be fighting at the front, but that just wasn’t possible today. We’re a strong team, and I know we’ll be back with more pace after the summer.”
For the #8 crew, Brendon Hartley summed it up succinctly:
“It was a difficult day in the office. We didn’t expect to be this far off the pace. I hope we’ll be able to challenge for podiums again soon. Everyone on the team will be pushing hard for a turnaround.”
Ryo Hirakawa shared a mixed outlook:
“It was a tough race, but we managed to optimize what we had. That said, the result is obviously not what any of us wanted. The team is doing a good job overall, so we hope the hard work pays off at Austin and Fuji.”
