TOYOTA BEATS FERRARI IN ITALY TO WIN WEC SEASON OPENER
The 2026 season of the FIA World Endurance Championship opened with a strong win for Toyota at the 6 Hours of Imola. The #8 crew of Ryo Hirakawa, Brendon Hartley, and Sébastien Buemi secured victory after building a decisive gap in the second half of the race.
They beat the Ferrari #51 driven by Pier Guidi, Calado, and Giovinazzi, even though James Calado had led the early stages while holding off pressure from Toyota. The lead changed after pit stops and a Virtual Safety Car, helping Toyota move ahead.
The race featured key strategy moments and interruptions. Two Virtual Safety Cars mixed up the order: the first due to technical problems for both Lexus cars, and the second after Nick Cassidy went off track at Tamburello.
Around this moment, Toyota made a bold call by not changing tires, gaining time in the pits and taking the lead. At the same time, the Cadillac #12 and Ferrari #50 lost their chances for a podium after penalties for not respecting yellow flags.
From there, Toyota increased its advantage. The #7 car, driven by Kamui Kobayashi, also passed the Ferrari thanks to a similar tire strategy. Antonio Giovinazzi tried to fight back on fresh tires but could not get past Kobayashi.
Ferrari regained second place only after the final pit stop, when the #7 finally changed tires, but Buemi controlled the race at the front without mistakes. This win marked Toyota’s 50th victory in the championship, achieved in its 100th race in endurance racing.
Behind the podium, there was a close fight among the other teams. Alpine finished fourth with the #35, ahead of BMW and the Ferrari #50. Antonio Fuoco pushed hard in the final stages but ended sixth after his earlier penalty.
Other points positions went to BMW, Cadillac, Aston Martin, and AF Corse. Peugeot had a disappointing race, finishing outside the points, while the new Genesis cars showed some potential but also faced technical problems.
Ferrari showed good speed and a solid race overall, especially in the early stages, but their more cautious strategy did not work as well as Toyota’s. The #50 had a tougher race with penalties, while the #51 lost ground in the second half despite its strong start.
In the LMGT3 class, BMW took victory with the #69 car from Team WRT, driven by Anthony McIntosh, Parker Thompson, and Dan Harper, all making their debut in the series. The win came after a late problem for the McLaren #10, which had been leading before suffering an electrical issue with just 30 minutes to go. BMW then held off strong pressure and won by only half a second over the Corvette of TF Sport.
The podium was completed by the Porsche #92 from Manthey, with Riccardo Pera among the drivers. Ferrari’s #21 had a difficult final part of the race due to an extra pit stop, but Alessio Rovera managed a strong comeback to finish sixth after an important overtake in the closing laps.
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