Toyota Gazoo Racing ended the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship on familiar ground - the top step of the podium. The #7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid of Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway, and Nyck de Vries led from pole to claim victory at the 8 Hours of Bahrain, extending Toyota’s remarkable streak to nine consecutive wins at the venue.
Kobayashi set the tone early, taking Toyota’s first pole of the season with a 1:46.826 lap in Hyperpole, edging teammate Brendon Hartley by just 0.151 seconds. The #7 converted its front-row start into a commanding lead, with Kobayashi’s pace in the closing stints sealing the win by more than 30 seconds.
The sister #8 Toyota, driven by Ryo Hirakawa, Hartley, and Sébastien Buemi, faced a more complicated run. A mid-race drive-through penalty for a yellow flag infringement dropped them down the order, but Hirakawa’s recovery drive helped claw back crucial ground. The crew ultimately completed Toyota’s perfect night with a second-place finish, securing maximum points and second place in the manufacturers’ standings.
Ferrari AF Corse’s #83 entry, led by China’s Yifei Ye, delivered a consistent showing to finish fifth overall. Ye’s early pace — including second-fastest in FP1 and third in FP3 underlined Ferrari’s continued competitiveness even as Toyota controlled the front of the field.
Elsewhere, Proton Competition’s Neel Jani led significant portions of the LMGT3 race but faded late to finish 17th. United Autosports’ duo of Ritomo Miyata and Sean Gelael in the #95 rounded out their LMGT3 programme with a gritty ninth-place finish.
