Toyota Celebrates 1-2 Home Success and Claims 2023 Manufacturers’ Crown

Racing News
Saturday, Sep 16 1078
t was a dream result for Toyota Gazoo Racing at its home race, the WEC 6 Hours of Fuji, as the Japanese manufacturer secured a one-two result. In doing so, Toyota also sealed the Hypercar manufacturers’ championship.
 
A total of 54,700 fans attended 6 Hours of Fuji over the weekend – a record crowd number for the Japanese round of the FIA WEC. The No. 7 Toyota Gazoo Racing run GR010 Hybrid Hypercar trio of Kamui Kobayashi, Jose Maria Lopez, and Mike Conway sealed their fourth win of the 2023 season. They edged out the No. 8 sister car of Brendon Hartley, Sebastien Buemi, and Ryo Hirakawa by 39.119 seconds.
 
The No.41 Team WRT squad took their second win of the season in LMP2 and extended its championship points lead. Robert Kubica, Louis Deletraz, and Rui Andrade overhauled pole sitters and early leaders Filipe Albuquerque, Phil Hanson, and Frederick Lubin in the No.22 United Autosports car to win comfortably. In doing so, WRT scored a second consecutive Fuji win and sealed its eighth WEC success to become the second most successful LMP2 team in WEC history.
 
In LMGTE Am, Davide Rigon, Thomas Flohr, and Francesco Castellacci celebrated a conclusive win at Fuji Speedway. The No.54 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GTE Evo claimed its first win of the 2023 season as it surged to the front in the second half of the race.
 
Thomas Flohr survived an early contact with the No.33 Corvette Racing Chevrolet C8.R of polesitter Ben Keating to hand over to teammate Francesco Castellacci in the second hour. Castellacci was able to hunt down the Iron Dames Porsche 911 RSR 19 and establish the lead before handing it over to Davide Rigon who took the checkered flag. It was the No.54 AF Corse's second victory at Fuji after its 2017 success, and Rigon's first LMGTE Am category win since 2013.
 
The final round of the 2023 FIA WEC season will take place in the Middle East at the start of November for the 8 Hours of Bahrain.
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Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway more than 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of traveling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week.  

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