Toyota Gazoo Racing Dominates the 6 Hours of São Paulo in WEC 2024
Toyota’s Dominant Display in Brazil
Toyota Gazoo Racing have clinched a resounding victory at the 6 Hours of São Paulo, the 5th round of the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) season. The #8 Toyota, driven by the formidable trio of Sebastian Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Ryo Hirakawa, put on a dominant display to secure their first podium finish of the year in triumphant fashion.
The championship-leading #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 claimed second place, returning to the podium once again, while the sister #5 Porsche completed another strong result for the German outfit.
“We had a good weekend with the 1-2 in qualifying and now winning the race. It’s a shame for the #7 car. They had a great car and were fast today. It was still good that they managed to recover to p4. For us, it was good to finally nail the weekend with no issues. One of the strengths of the car is that we are quite kind on the tyres, which meant we could use the mediums throughout the race, which helped for sure.” – Sebastian Buemi, #8 Toyota
Early Drama and Impressive Comebacks
Toyota’s Japanese squad looked dominant in qualifying, locking out the front row of the grid. Unfortunately, early drama for the #7 Toyota knocked them out of contention for the win, but the car managed a remarkable comeback to finish fourth after a daring late lunge against the #51 Ferrari AF Corse.
“We haven’t had the best start to the year. We led a lot of Le Mans but only ended up with 5th, the way it fell in the end. This victory feels nice. We came here going we’re going for p1 or nothing! We ended with first place, and right now, that’s all that matters.” – Brendon Hartley, #8 Toyota
The championship-leading #6 Porsche faced a setback due to contact between Laurens Vanthoor and Will Stevens, resulting in a puncture for the #6 car. Vanthoor had to pit for repairs and new tires, dropping the car to the back of the Hypercar pack, but the crew put in a remarkable recovery drive to secure a podium finish.
LMGT3 Class Dominance
In the LMGT3 class, Manthey PureRxcing continued their dominant run of form, claiming another victory and extending their championship lead. The Heart of Racing Team took second position, followed by a great performance by the United Autosports McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo car.
The race was an enthralling affair, with battles up and down both classes throughout the event, from start to finish. Fans of Car Racing News, WEC, and GT enthusiasts will undoubtedly be eagerly anticipating the next round of this thrilling championship.
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