Toyota Gazoo Racing dominated the 6 Hours of Fuji with an iron fist to achieve a crushing one-two finish with the #8 ahead of the #7. Great victory for ORECA #31 from WRT in LMP2 and Ferrari #51 in LMGTE-Pro.
Toyota Gazoo Racing has achieved an incontestable double in the 6 Hours of Fuji, penultimate round of the WEC and home race for the Japanese firm. Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa have achieved the win for the #8 Toyota ahead of the #7 with a solid performance that takes them to the co-leadership of the WEC. Alpine can’t hold her pulse in a race with victory of the ORECA #31 of WRT in LMP2 and of the Ferrari #51 in LMGTE-Pro.
The #7 Toyota with Kamui Kobayashi held first position at the start after achieving pole. The Japanese retained the lead of the race during the first hour, but the #8 emerged from the pits ahead after the first stint. This was going to be the only move that was going to occur in the lead, since Sébastien Buemi began to stretch the advantage from #8 progressively in the second stint.
outstanding
The difference between the two Toyota GR010 Hybrids after the first two stops was greater than six seconds. With Brendon Hartley at #8 and ‘Pechito’ at #7, the rent was over half a minute. The final double relay of Ryo Hirakawa and Mike Conway happened to have very little crumb, among other things because the two Toyota hybrid prototypes entered the last hour with a minute difference.
Although there has been no real battle between #8 and #7 to achieve this double, it is fair to say that Toyota has also not had any kind of pressure. The pace of the GR010 Hybrids has been simply crushing and Alpine’s LMP1 has not been able to hold its own as it has done in previous tests. Without any Safety Car period that could have regrouped the race, André Negrao, Nico Lapierre and Matthieu Vaxivière have only been able to secure third place in the #36 Alpine.
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Flashes and realities in Peugeot
The Peugeot 9X8s have started the 6 Hours of Fuji with a bang. The French brand wanted to ‘be part of the game’ and the #94 has slipped ahead of the Alpine #36 after the first stint. A strategic move that kept the car of Loïc Duval, Gustavo Menezes and James Rossiter in third position throughout the second hour of the race. Flashes of good work from the wall and rhythm that have quickly evaporated.
In the third hour of the race the Peugeot #94 has suffered a non-terminal engine failurewhich has taken him to the pits for 20 minutes after traveling the entire track fuming from behind. The #93 has not been spared from problems either at the close of the fourth hour, in addition to having a spin in the penultimate stint. The #93 of Paul Di Resta, Mikkel Jensen and Jean-Eric Vergne was at least able to finish fourth overall, just ahead of the LMP2 winner.
LMP2 and GTE
A victory in LMP2 that has finally been for ORECA #31 of Team WRT, prototype by Robin Frijns, Sean Gelale and Dries Vanthoor. The weight of the race has been shared with the ORECA #38 OF JOTA, reaching the final stint with an advantage over the prototype of António Félix Da Costa, Roberto González and Will Stevens. In the exchange of short stops in the last 15 minutes, the win went to #31. The podium has been completed by the other JOTA LMP2, the #28.
In LMGTE-Pro the race has had little crumb. The #51 Ferrari took the lead at the start and although the #92 Porsche regained the lead in a beautiful battle in the first stint, from then on the pace of the Ferrari 488 GTEs made the difference. In fact, The Ferrari #51 of James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi has achieved victory on #52 by Antonio Fuoco and Miguel Molina. The podium has been completed by #92.
Finally, LMGTE-Am has moved in a strange calm. Far from what has been seen in other races, the GTEs in the amateur class have not caused any noteworthy incidents, leaving the Fuji 6 Hours without any ‘FCY’ or Safety Car period. TF Sport’s #33 Aston Martin has achieved victory thanks to the efforts of Ben Keating, Henrique Chaves and Marco Sorensen. The podium was completed by the Ferrari #85 of the Iron Dames girls and the Aston Martin #777.
Photos: Toyota Gazoo Racing / Ferrari