Akio Toyoda comment for the 8 Hours of Baharain
The “battle of athletes” that the two TOYOTA GAZOO Racing cars fought until the end was the best. Thank you to the six drivers, and the mechanics and engineers of both cars for a wonderful race. Congratulations to Sebastien, Brendon and Ryo for their second consecutive driver's title! Thank you also to Kamui, Jose, and Mike in car #7 who made it a one-two!
Today, both cars experienced challenges. I feel sorry that the drivers were not able to drive the final race comfortably. Car #7 had an accident at the start, but it quickly closed the gap and fought for the victory with car #8 in a race that could have easily been won by either car. It was a race where all competitors pushed hard in difficult conditions.
The main characters of motorsports are the people behind the wheel. That's what makes it a sport, and I believe that everyone who takes part is an athlete and a fighter. This year's WEC has seen an increase in rivals, making it the “battle field” that fans have been waiting for. At the championship finale, today's athletes showed how they are giving their all to get the result. As a fan, I was very excited to see this. We would also like to thank the organizers for creating an environment where athletes can compete.