Toyota clinch WEC title after exciting eight hours of Bahrain

The Bahrain International Circuit hosted the final WEC race of the season, with Porsche and Toyota battling for the title. The #6 Porsche seemed already sure of the drivers' title with a sizeable lead, while Toyota had to go on the attack to clinch the team championship.

During the race, both Toyotas had problems. Kamui Kobayashi lost speed and the #7 Toyota with Nyck de Vries retired due to a fuel pump failure. Ferrari took the lead as a result, but in the end it was Buemi in the #8 Toyota who won the race, securing the title for Toyota.

How Toyota reacted to the title win

Sébastien Buemi was delighted with the win. “It’s crazy to think we won the race considering how it was going at some point. Against all the odds, with issues, penalties and bad luck it’s an amazing feeling for the team to win the World Championship. That was our target here and we’ve achieved it thanks to a brilliant effort from the team," Buemi said.

"When our car was down in 10th, we were going to the back of the Hypercar field during the pit stops and I thought we were done. But my team-mates did a good job hanging on with the old tyres and that meant I had a tyre advantage at the end. When it mattered today, we did a good job together and I am so pleased for the whole team," the former F1 driver added. Hartley and Hirakawa also expressed their delight after having some difficult moments earlier in the year.

In the LMGT3 class, the championship title was already won by #92 Manthey Racing. The #55 Ferrari of Vista AF Corse won the race, with Morris Schuring fifth in his #91 Manthey Racing car, placing second in the championship.

This article has been created in collaboration with Matt Gretton