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Toyota Secures WEC Manufacturers Crown with Dominant Barcelona One-Two
Toyota clinched its eighth FIA World Endurance Manufacturers Championship after a commanding one-two finish at the inaugural 6 Hours of Barcelona.
By Michael de Vries - 2026-10-18T18:31:00.000Z - 3 min read
Toyota has secured the 2026 FIA World Endurance Manufacturers Championship following a commanding one-two finish at the inaugural 6 Hours of Barcelona. The penultimate round of the World Endurance Championship season saw the Japanese manufacturer deliver a masterclass in mixed conditions at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. This latest triumph marks the eighth team title for Toyota in the championship, with five of those coming in the premier Hypercar category since 2021, cementing its status as the most successful manufacturer of the Hypercar era.
The path to victory for the championship-winning squad was established early in the race. Sébastien Buemi, sharing the #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid with Ryō Hirakawa and Brendon Hartley, put in a dominant display after seizing control on the opening lap. Starting from second on the grid, Buemi initially dropped behind local driver Dani Juncadella who surged past both Buemi and polesitter Andre Lotterer. However, the order quickly corrected itself as wet conditions caught out Juncadella during the opening corners, allowing Buemi to regain the lead.
From that moment onward, the #8 crew proved untouchable at the front of the field. They maintained a commanding pace that allowed them to lead conclusively from the very first hour through to the checkered flag. Their teammates in the sister GR010 Hybrid, featuring Nyck de Vries, Kamui Kobayashi and Mike Conway, crossed the line to secure a comfortable second place, completing the manufacturer's perfect one-two lockout.
This decisive result awards the #8 Toyota Racing crew their second consecutive victory and their third win of the 2026 campaign. More importantly, the maximum points haul establishes a solid buffer for the crew in the drivers standings as the championship prepares to head to Monza for the final round of the season next month. The team's execution in the tricky weather played a pivotal role in neutralizing their championship rivals.
Behind the dominant Toyota Hypercars, the final step of the overall podium was claimed by the #50 Ferrari AF Corse 499P entry. Antonio Fuoco, Nicklas Nielsen and Miguel Molina brought their Ferrari home in third place to round out the overall podium positions after a race defined by fluctuating weather and track evolution.
Meanwhile, the LMGT3 class witnessed its own piece of history on the Spanish circuit. Porsche claimed top honours in the GT category courtesy of Richard Lietz, Yasser Shahin and Riccardo Pera. Driving the Manthey-run Porsche 911 GT3, the trio dominated proceedings to secure their maiden victory of the 2026 season.
The LMGT3 result also extended a remarkable statistical trend for the category. With Porsche becoming the seventh different winner from the seven races held so far this year, the division has now set a record for the highest number of different winners in a single GT class across a single season, highlighting the intense and unpredictable competition within the multi-manufacturer field.