Share
Amman, October 2018 GAZOO Racing (GR) has recently earned a one-two victory at the 6 Hours of Fuji - the fourth round of the 2018-2019 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC)- The compelling race saw the No. 7 TS050 Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, and José María López cross the line in front, only 11.440 seconds ahead of team-mates Sébastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima, and Fernando Alonso in the No. 8 TS050 Hybrid Electric Vehicle, for their first win of the season, despite starting eighth. Commenting on the victory of the GR team, Akio Toyoda, President of -Toyota Motor Corporation, saidstated- “We have achieved an excellent result of finishing the FIA World Endurance Championship 6 Hours of Fuji with a one-two finish. I would like to express our appreciation to all the fans who supported us. The 6 Hours of Fuji this year meant a lot to us; a triumphant home return following the Le Mans 24 Hours, a chance to race again after the disappointment of the previous race and the home race of GAZOO Racing. Thank you very much to all team members for this one-two finish, and congratulations on the long-awaited win for all on car No. 7.! And Ffor the fans who always believe in us, thank you very much - we appreciate your continued support.” The achievement marked Toyota's third one-two victory in the 2018 WEC and its sixth win from seven WEC races at its home circuit, while for Conway and Kobayashi, it is their first victory since a memorable triumph at Fuji in 2016. The race was particularly special for López, who set the fastest lap and earned his first-ever WEC win, having joined the team last season. The result extends GR's lead in the teams' World Championship to 14 points over its closest rival team. Buemi, Nakajima, and Alonso stretched their advantage in the drivers' standings, with Conway, Kobayashi, and López moving up to second, 13 points behind. Over the years, Toyota has been participating in several different forms of motorsports, including Formula One, WEC, and the Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance race. Toyota’s participation in these events was overseen by separate entities within the company until April 2015, when Toyota established GR, to consolidate all its motorsports activities under one in-house brand. Representing Toyota’s belief that ‘the roads build the people, and the people build the cars’ - GR highlights the role of motorsports as a fundamental pillar of Toyota’s commitment to making ‘ever-better’ vehicles. Harnessing years of experience gained under the extreme conditions of various motorsports events, GR aims to forge new technologies and solutions that bring the freedom, adventure, and joy of driving to everyone.