Toyota #8 TR010 Hybrid Wins Imola WEC Opener After Bold Tyre Strategy

Toyota won the World Endurance Championship Imola opener as the #8 Toyota TR010 Hybrid driven by Sébastien Buemi, Ryo Hirakawa and Brendon Hartley took victory on the manufacturer's 100th WEC start.

The race became a two-car duel with the pole-sitting #51 Ferrari 499P driven by Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi early on. Toyota pitted the #8 without changing tyres, putting Ryo Hirakawa into the lead, a move that gained extra benefit when Hypercar debutant Nick Cassidy beached the #93 Peugeot 9X8 on cold tyres and triggered a virtual safety car.

Sébastien Buemi took the chequered flag by 13 seconds, with the #51 Ferrari finishing second and the #7 Toyota, driven by Kamui Kobayashi, Nyck de Vries and Mike Conway, third.

The result was Toyota's second consecutive WEC victory following the #7 car's win in the Bahrain finale, and the first win for the #8 crew since 2024.

This report is based on information originally published by Motorsport.

Read the full article at Motorsport.

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