6 Hours of Monza: Preview - World Champions TOYOTA RACING ready for season finale
TOYOTA RACING will bring the curtain down on a spectacular 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) season with a shoot-out for the drivers’ title in the 6 Hours of Monza on 8 November.
A one-two victory in the penultimate round in Barcelona secured the manufacturers’ World Championship for the team in its first season competing as TOYOTA RACING. It also guaranteed that one of its crews will become drivers’ champions in Italy.
Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryō Hirakawa won the Barcelona race in their #8 TR010 HYBRID and hold the advantage in the title race, leading by 17 points. A top-five finish will ensure the trio win their third World Championship together, having previously triumphed in 2022 and 2023.
Le Mans winners Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries are aiming for their first title together in the #7 TR010 HYBRID but they must overcome a 17-point deficit to take the crown. Mike and Kamui already have two titles to their name after wins in 2019-20 and 2021, while Nyck is chasing his first.
Regardless of the result, the 6 Hours of Monza will be a milestone for TOYOTA RACING. It marks the end of the TR010 HYBRID’s debut season, which has already delivered both World Championships and four race wins, including the Le Mans 24 Hours and the team’s home race at Fuji Speedway.
Monza will also see Mike’s last race, prior to his retirement from full-time competition. It will be his 86th race with the team since joining in 2014. Since then, he has won 20 races – including two Le Mans victories – and finished on the podium 47 times.
Two of Mike’s wins have come at Monza, the legendary Temple of Speed located in parkland close to Milan in northern Italy. In three WEC races there, the team has won twice – in 2021 and 2023 – and finished on the podium four times.
Like the Circuit de la Sarthe, Monza is famed for its long straights and tight chicanes, requiring good top speed and braking stability. The team will start its on-track preparations on Friday 6 November with two practice sessions before Hypercar qualifying the following day (3pm CET). The 6 Hours of Monza starts at 11am local time on Sunday 8 November.
Quotes:
Kamui Kobayashi (Team Principal and driver, car #7): “It’s been a special year for the team and a fantastic first season with the TR010 HYBRID. We have achieved our targets: Le Mans win, both World Championships and winning our home race. Now there is one race to go, and we want to finish on a high. The drivers’ World Championship is still to be decided and on the #7 car we’ll push hard to win it. The points gap is pretty big, but we’ll do our best. We can only concentrate on our race and see what happens. I hope we can win the race for the perfect end to the season, and the best farewell to Mike.”
Mike Conway (Driver, car #7): “It’s the last one for me at Monza but there’s still lots to play for in terms of the drivers’ title. It obviously got a lot harder for us, but we’ve still got a shot, so we’ll give it our all and do our absolute best. I’ve had 12 seasons with the team, and I’ve enjoyed every single one of them. It’s coming to an end but it’s the close of one chapter and the start of another for me. A big thank you to TOYOTA, and personally to Morizo-san, for giving us all this amazing opportunity. Thank you also to everyone in Cologne, at Higashi-Fuji and all those involved in the programme for their hard work over the years together. It’s been a real fun ride, and I wish everyone the best for the future.”
Nyck de Vries (Driver, car #7): “I’m looking forward to racing at Monza for the first time in a Hypercar. It’s a very high-speed track, a bit like Le Mans, and we saw how strong our TR010 HYBRID was there, so I hope we can fight at the front. The drivers’ title isn’t in our hands. We can only do our best, aim to win the race and see what happens, but we’ll give everything to do that.”
Sébastien Buemi (Driver, car #8): “I enjoy racing in Italy – I spent a lot of time there earlier in my career and the fans are always so passionate about motorsport. So, it feels like a perfect place to finish a special season for us. Obviously, on car #8, we want to complete the job and win the drivers’ title. We’re in a strong position but the competition will be tough, and it won’t be an easy race.”
Brendon Hartley (Driver, car #8): “It’s exciting to be going into the last race of the season fighting for the drivers’ title, and it’s nice to be able to do that with the manufacturers’ World Championship already in the bag. Even though we have a decent gap over the sister car, championship deciders are always stressful, and you never know what will happen. So, we’ve got to be on top of our game all weekend.”
Ryō Hirakawa (Driver, car #8): “The team has worked really hard to be in this position and it was great to celebrate the manufacturers’ World Championship together. Now there’s one race left and we will try to grab the drivers’ title for car #8. Unlike Barcelona, we have raced a Hypercar at Monza relatively recently, although it’s our first time there with the TR010 HYBRID and this year’s tyres. There will be plenty to learn but the whole team is very motivated to end the season with a big result.”
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