The#8 Toyota Gazoo Racing trio of Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa go into the season finale of the 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship with the Hypercar title on the line, and all three drivers are looking to end the season on a massive high.
Two wins in the past three races, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, has moved the #8 to the top of the championship standings heading into this weekend’s Eight Hours of Bahrain, although they go into the event level on points with the #36 Alpine Elf Team trio of Nicholas Lapierre, André Negrão and Matthieu Vaxivière.
Buemi, a former FIA Formula 1 World Championship driver and current ABB FIA Formula E World Championship racer, says all eyes are on the prize this weekend at the Bahrain International Circuit as he bids to claim his third World Endurance Championship title with Toyota.
“Clearly our focus in Bahrain will be to win both World Championships,” said Buemi. “For car #8 this means we need to finish ahead of the Alpine so the most important thing is to stay calm and manage the race without risks or mistakes.
“It is not straightforward because the competition in Hypercar is pretty close. But we have the experience of winning World Championships and I am confident our GR010 HYBRID will be competitive in Bahrain.
“It should be an exciting week; let’s see what will happen.”
“There’s no margin for error” – Brendon Hartley
Like Buemi, Hartley is going for his third title in the World Endurance Championship but only his second with Toyota, the New Zealander having claimed his maiden title with the Porsche LMP Team back in 2017.
Hartley says there is no margin for error this weekend as Toyota fight Alpine for the title, and even though their car was suited to the track last year, there is no guarantee that will be the case this time around.
“It’s pretty cool for the fans that the World Championship fight comes down to the last race, with two crews level on points,” Hartley said. “There’s no margin for error so we need to hit the ground running from the start of the event and work hard to get the most out of our car.
“The GR010 HYBRID was well suited to Bahrain last year but that’s no guarantee for this year, and eight hours is a long race so a lot can happen. Title deciders are always a bit nerve-wracking but I am looking forward to it.”
“It has been a close competition all season” – Ryo Hirakawa
For Hirakawa, this weekend offers the chance for him to secure his first World Endurance Championship title, and the Japanese racer is excited to showcase his skills once more on board the GR010 Hybrid.
Hirakawa says the battle within the Hypercar class has been close all season long, and he expects it to be a similar story this weekend in Bahrain.
“Although I have not raced in Bahrain before, I did drive the GR010 HYBRID there last year in a test at the end of the WEC season,” said Hirakawa. “It was important for me because it was the first time I felt at home in the car and could show my performance.
“So I am optimistic for this weekend. It has been a close competition all season and I am sure it will be the same in Bahrain, but our team is strong.
“There is only one race to go and we are in a big fight for the World Championship, so let’s go for it.”
