Toyota clinched a stunning victory at the Fuji 6 Hours World Endurance Championship round after executing a clever and bold late-race strategy that caught its rivals off guard.
Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Ryo Hirakawa steered their Toyota hypercar to triumph on home soil following a perfectly timed pit stop under safety car conditions.
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SubscribeBy taking on less fuel and skipping a tyre change, Hirakawa vaulted from sixth place directly into the lead with less than an hour remaining in the race.
Toyota Racing technical director David Floury noted that the team capitalized on the lengthy barrier repairs following a major on-track incident.
Alpine Misses Out on Dominant Fuji Display
The calculated gamble allowed the Japanese manufacturer to secure its third victory of the season despite not having the fastest car on the track.
Alpine watched a potential one-two finish slip away after leading the majority of the six-hour endurance encounter at the Fuji Speedway.
The French manufacturer brought both of its leading cars into the pit lane simultaneously during the safety car period, leading to costly delays in traffic.
Alpine sporting director Nicolas Lapierre shouldered responsibility for the conservative tactical choices made during the critical closing stages of the race.