6 Hours of Fuji: Preview - TOYOTA RACING sets high target for home race
TOYOTA RACING aims to strengthen its FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) title challenge with victory on home ground in the 6 Hours of Fuji on 27 September.
The team is ready to respond following a cruel finish to the last race in Austin earlier this month, when a technical issue snatched victory from its grasp with just 11 minutes remaining. Despite that, TOYOTA RACING extended its advantage in the manufacturers’ World Championship to nine points going into the sixth race of the season.
Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries, who came so close to victory in Austin in their #7 TR010 HYBRID, are tied on points at the top of the drivers’ standings. Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryō Hirakawa recovered from misfortunes in Austin to finish a battling sixth in their #8 TR010 HYBRID and close the gap to just 11 points with three races remaining.
Victory at Fuji Speedway to complement its Le Mans win in June is the target for the team’s home event, at a venue with particular significance. The Higashi-Fuji Technical Center – where the TR010 HYBRID’s powertrain is designed, developed and built – is just a short drive from the circuit.
Every year, many team members from Higashi-Fuji, as well as TOYOTA colleagues and team partners, visit Fuji Speedway to show their strong support. Since the start of its hybrid WEC project in 2012, the team has rewarded its home fans with results to celebrate, with nine wins from 12 races – including six one-twos.
Fuji Speedway is also a demanding circuit for car and driver. The 1.475km start-finish straight – on which cars exceed 315km/h – contrasts with the tight third sector, which requires aerodynamic and mechanical grip, as well as strong traction out of the corners. To optimise set-ups, engineers and drivers have worked intensively on the driving simulator at the team’s base in Cologne, Germany.
Away from the on-track action, a wide range of TOYOTA RACING brings the history and spirit of endurance racing to Japanese fans. A fan zone display features the 2026 Le Mans-winning #7 TR010 HYBRID alongside a 2025 GR010 HYBRID in its commemorative Le Mans livery and the 1998 TS020 which inspired the design. Also on show will be the GR GT sportscar and GR GT3 race car. Meanwhile, fans can experience the pressure of a WEC pit stop themselves via a tyre change experience using a genuine Hypercar. Driver appearances and photo opportunities with the Le Mans winners’ trophy, as well as exclusive merchandise, allow visitors to engage further with the team.
Away from the on-track action, a range of activities are offered to visitors in the fan zone, including vehicle displays and interactive attractions. At the ‘Mechanic Experience’ area, visitors can experience the pressure and excitement of a WEC pit stop via a tyre-change challenge on an actual Hypercar. Other highlights include photo opportunities with the Le Mans winner's trophy, driver appearances, and official merchandise sales, helping fans enjoy their time at the circuit even away from on-track sessions. For more information, visit the dedicated website: https://toyota-racing.com/jp/fuji-special-2026/
Live onboard camera streams will also be available during qualifying and the race via the website. Hypercar qualifying begins at 2.40pm local time (7.40am CEST) on Saturday 26 September, while the race starts at 11am (4am CEST) the following day.
Quotes:
Kamui Kobayashi (Team Principal and driver, car #7): “We are expecting a lot of Japanese fans supporting us and we are very much looking forward to coming home. It’s an important race, not only for the World Championship, but because it’s our home race and the second most important of the season, after Le Mans. Obviously, we want to fight for the win, particularly in front of all our TOYOTA colleagues, partners and fans. It’s always a big target for us at the start of every season and we’ll give everything to achieve it.”
Mike Conway (Driver, car #7): “We all look forward to Fuji because it’s our home race and being in Japan is so cool. It's always a lot of fun to catch up with our partners and our colleagues at TOYOTA. Driving a TR010 HYBRID around Fuji will be a lot of fun too because it's a very technical circuit, not easy to get right. We've had great results there in the past, and I hope we can do so again this year.”
Nyck de Vries (Driver, car #7): “It's a special week for us because it’s a true home race. We obviously have a lot of colleagues, friends and support in Japan and it's an opportunity to share time with them and hopefully make them proud. I like the track, it’s fun to drive around, and the location is fantastic. So, I'm excited about this race, when hopefully we can put Austin behind us.”
Sébastien Buemi (Driver, car #8): “Fuji is a big race for us, and winning there is always one of our priorities. It’s an amazing week with the support we get, and the different activities we do. Driving a Hypercar there is fun too, because you have a mix of high-speed and low-speed corners, with the long, wide straight. Traffic is tricky, and it’s not easy on the tyres, so it’s a challenging circuit.”
Brendon Hartley (Driver, car #8): “Fuji is a unique race for us. It's a week that I really enjoy and cherish. We have the home crowd and our colleagues there, so we feel the pride of Japan behind us. It’s a great motivation to perform well. I also enjoy the track. It's quite quirky with a nice high-speed section at the start, then the last sector with connecting long corners.”
Ryō Hirakawa (Driver, car #8): “I grew up as a racing driver at Fuji. Since my first year in Formula Challenge Japan in 2010 I have driven there, so I really know and like the track. It's just an important event for us and for me personally. It’s my only race of the year in Japan, and it’s very special to compete in front of the Japanese fans. I'm really excited and looking forward to it.”
For all the news and more like, share, follow or subscribe to TOYOTA RACING social media channels.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ToyotaRacingWEC
Instagram: www.instagram.com/toyotaracing.wec
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Toyota.Racing
