WEC GRID HEADS TO INTERLAGOS FOR 6 HOURS OF SÃO PAULO
Toyota arrives at the 6 Hours of São Paulo as the leader of both the Hypercar Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ Championships. The team gained an important advantage after the #7 car won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, while the #8 also finished on the podium. BMW is Toyota’s closest rival, with Ferrari sitting third in the manufacturers’ standings, 70 points behind.
Interlagos has not been a strong circuit for Ferrari’s 499P in recent years, while Cadillac returns to the track where it claimed a memorable one-two finish last season. The American team has shown strong speed throughout the year but has not converted that pace into enough points.
Toyota heads to Brazil full of confidence after its Le Mans success. The Japanese manufacturer has won at Interlagos before, in 2012 and again in 2024, and the circuit is expected to suit the GR010 Hybrid once more. BMW also looks competitive after a strong start to the season, with the #20 Team WRT car consistently delivering better results than its sister #15 entry. Cadillac is also expected to be among the front-runners thanks to the good balance of its V-Series.R, especially after its dominant performance at São Paulo in 2025.
Ferrari knows that São Paulo is one of the most difficult races on its calendar, alongside Fuji. The technical characteristics of the 499P have not worked well on the tight and technical Brazilian circuit in previous years, so the Italian team will focus on scoring as many championship points as possible. Although the #51 retired at Spa and the #50 failed to finish Le Mans, podium finishes earlier in the season have kept Ferrari in the title fight. The #51 crew is 36 points behind the championship leaders with 156 points still available, while Ferrari remains third in the manufacturers’ standings.
Cadillac has the pace to fight for victory but needs to turn speed into results. The improved aerodynamics of the V-Series.R have made the car competitive at every type of circuit, but accidents, mechanical problems, penalties and a disappointing Le Mans have prevented the team from achieving its full potential. Jota and Cadillac hope São Paulo will be the race where everything comes together, whether that means securing their first podium of the season or taking victory.
In LMGT3, the TF Sport Corvette #33 leads the championship, although its driver line-up will change after São Paulo. Daniel Juncadella, Ben Keating and Jonny Edgar have shared the car this season, but schedule conflicts and injuries mean Edgar will be the only driver to have competed in every race.
Ferrari AF Corse #21, driven by Alessio Rovera, Simon Mann and François Hériau, sits third in the standings and is still searching for its first victory after losing a likely win at Spa because of an unsafe release penalty. The Lexus Akkodis ASP #78 follows closely after finishing second at Le Mans, while the Garage 59 McLaren #10 and the Manthey Porsche #92 are also aiming to recover after disappointing results in France.
The entry list includes several changes. Alex Lynn remains absent as he continues to recover from neck surgery, so Cadillac Jota’s #12 will once again be driven by Will Stevens and Norman Nato. The #38 Cadillac keeps its regular trio of Earl Bamber, Sébastien Bourdais and Jack Aitken.
In LMGT3, Nicky Catsburg will miss São Paulo because he is racing in IMSA for General Motors. His place in the TF Sport Corvette will be taken by Nico Varrone, the 2023 GTE-Am world champion and Le Mans class winner. Dudu Barrichello also misses his home race because of IMSA commitments and will be replaced in the Aston Martin by junior driver Kobe Pauwels. Meanwhile, Esteban Masson returns to the Lexus Akkodis ASP #78 after competing in the Le Mans LMP2 race, replacing Jack Hawksworth, who is racing in IMSA this weekend.
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