Sébastien Buemi has credited his passion for endurance racing and the stability within Toyota Racing for his continued success after celebrating his 100th FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) appearance with victory at the inaugural 6 Hours of Barcelona. The Swiss driver secured his 29th career WEC victory alongside Brendon Hartley and Ryō Hirakawa, extending his record as the championship’s most successful driver.
The milestone came during a particularly significant weekend for Toyota, which claimed its eighth Hypercar Manufacturers’ Championship following a dominant one-two finish at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Buemi, Hartley and Hirakawa controlled much of the six-hour contest in the #8 Toyota TR010 Hybrid, finishing ahead of teammates Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries in the sister #7 entry.
Having secured his third victory of the 2026 season, Buemi now has an opportunity to claim an unprecedented fifth WEC Drivers’ Championship at the 6 Hours of Monza on 6–8 November. However, the 37-year-old emphasised that his motivation extends beyond championship records, highlighting his enjoyment of working with Toyota and the relationships he has developed throughout his endurance racing career.
Buemi celebrates 100th WEC appearance with Barcelona victory
Buemi entered the Barcelona weekend already holding several of the championship’s most significant records, including the highest number of overall victories and four Drivers’ World Championship titles. His 100th appearance therefore represented another milestone in a career that has developed alongside Toyota’s emergence as the dominant manufacturer in modern endurance racing.
Having competed exclusively with Toyota throughout his WEC career, the Swiss driver has played an important role in the manufacturer’s development since the championship’s introduction in 2012. His achievements include multiple world titles, victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and consistent performances across several generations of Toyota prototype machinery.
The 2026 campaign has added another successful chapter to that record. Buemi, Hartley and Hirakawa secured their first victory of the season at Imola before returning to the top step at Fuji, where a late strategic decision allowed Toyota to overcome Alpine despite lacking outright pace.
Their Barcelona victory subsequently completed a second consecutive win, extending Buemi’s career total to 29 victories from 100 appearances. It also secured Toyota’s fifth Manufacturers’ title in six seasons of Hypercar competition, reinforcing the manufacturer’s position as the most successful organisation in WEC history.
Although the achievement marked an important personal milestone, Buemi remained focused on the collective performance that allowed Toyota to secure the championship with one round remaining.
Buemi reflects on challenging conditions and early penalty
Toyota’s Barcelona victory came after a demanding six-hour contest in which changing weather conditions, repeated neutralisations and strategic decisions influenced the competitive order.
Rain left the circuit wet before the start, despite teams having completed practice and qualifying in dry conditions. Consequently, drivers entered the opening laps without representative experience of the car’s behaviour on the wet track surface.
Buemi nevertheless made an impressive start, moving into the lead after the Genesis Magma Racing entries encountered difficulties during the opening lap. However, the Swiss driver subsequently received a five-second penalty for a starting procedure infringement, adding an early complication to Toyota’s race.
Reflecting on the opening stages, Buemi acknowledged both the uncertainty surrounding the conditions and his own mistake.
“Having not done any laps in the wet in Barcelona until the race began, it was always going to be difficult to know if we would be fast or not,” Buemi explained.
“I then picked up a penalty straightaway for moving out before the start-line, which obviously wasn’t great and was my own mistake, but I managed to avoid the various first lap incidents – the two Genesis cars seemed very keen to brake late, so I was happy to stay on the track.”
Despite the penalty, Buemi established a competitive advantage during the opening stint. His pace allowed Toyota to maintain control as de Vries progressed through the field in the sister #7 entry, eventually moving into second to establish a manufacturer one-two.
However, the interruptions repeatedly reduced Buemi’s advantage, while the drying circuit introduced further uncertainty surrounding the timing of the switch from wet-weather tyres to slicks.
Buemi praises Hartley and Hirakawa for securing victory
Although Buemi established Toyota’s advantage during the opening stages, the race remained closely contested between the manufacturer’s two entries as the conditions continued changing.
Hartley took over the #8 Toyota during the second round of pit stops, when the crew served Buemi’s five-second penalty. The delay temporarily promoted Conway in the sister #7 entry into the lead, creating an opportunity for the two Toyotas to race directly for the advantage.
However, Hartley quickly recovered the position as the circuit continued drying. The New Zealander demonstrated strong pace on slick tyres, overtaking Conway before building a substantial advantage over the chasing field.
Buemi subsequently highlighted the importance of his teammates’ performances, particularly as Toyota navigated the changing conditions and multiple race interruptions.
“After that, we had a lot of pace, but we didn’t know when the circuit would be ready to switch to slicks and the safety car interventions kept reducing the gap we had established.”
“We also lost quite a bit of time during one of the Full Course Yellows, but Brendon put in an amazing couple of laps to get back ahead of the #7 car and Ryō did a similarly amazing job at the end.”
Hirakawa ultimately brought the #8 Toyota home ahead of de Vries, completing a formation finish that saw the two TR010 Hybrids separated by just 0.583s at the chequered flag.
The result also completed an important recovery for Toyota following a difficult 2025 campaign. Having introduced the TR010 Hybrid for 2026, the manufacturer secured its eighth WEC title during the car’s debut season, with Buemi and his teammates contributing three of the team’s victories.
Passion continues to motivate Buemi after 13 WEC campaigns
Despite his extensive experience and considerable achievements, Buemi insists that his enthusiasm for endurance racing remains unchanged. Now approaching the conclusion of his 13th WEC campaign, the Swiss driver continues to enjoy the competition, teamwork and relationships that have characterised his career.
When asked what continues to motivate him after reaching 100 appearances, Buemi immediately identified the enjoyment he derives from racing and working with Toyota.
“It’s the passion,” he said. “I love what I do. I love going to the track, sharing the car with my team-mates and working with the team. I’ve only been with Toyota in endurance racing and I really enjoy it here. I’ve known everyone for a very long time, including people who have been here since 2012.”
His comments reflect the continuity within Toyota’s endurance programme, where several drivers, engineers and senior personnel have worked together across multiple seasons.
Although the championship has undergone significant technical changes since 2012, Toyota has maintained a consistent presence at the highest level, progressing through several generations of hybrid prototype machinery before introducing the TR010 Hybrid for 2026.
Buemi believes those long-standing relationships have contributed to Toyota’s ability to remain competitive, particularly during races where strategy and execution prove more important than outright performance.
His continued motivation also reflects the challenges presented by the increasingly competitive Hypercar category, which now features several established manufacturers capable of contesting victories.
Buemi credits Toyota’s stability for strategic success
Toyota’s experience and continuity have played an important role in its 2026 championship success, particularly during races where the manufacturer has struggled to match its rivals on outright pace.
The 6 Hours of Fuji provided one of the clearest examples, with Buemi, Hartley and Hirakawa recovering from a difficult competitive position to secure victory through a late strategic gamble.
After struggling for pace throughout much of the Japanese event, Toyota capitalised on a Safety Car period by prioritising track position over fresh tyres. The decision promoted Hirakawa into the lead before the final restart, although the Japanese driver subsequently faced considerable pressure from Alpine’s Victor Martins.
Despite the Alpine’s stronger pace and fresher tyres, Hirakawa successfully defended his position to secure victory by just 0.591s.
Buemi believes that Toyota’s experience and long-standing relationships allow the team to make decisive strategic decisions, even when circumstances appear unfavourable.
“I feel like together, we’ve grown as a very strong entity and I guess that stability has given us an advantage when it comes to fighting for wins.”
“When you look at the performance we had in Japan last month, we were not fast but we won the race on strategy and making the right calls at the right time. I feel that only a team that has experience and continuity can achieve something like that.”
The Fuji victory proved particularly significant for the #8 crew’s championship ambitions, moving Buemi, Hartley and Hirakawa into the Drivers’ Championship lead with two rounds remaining.
Their subsequent Barcelona victory strengthened that advantage, demonstrating Toyota’s ability to win through both strategic execution and outright performance as the season approached its conclusion.
Buemi reflects on significance of winning in modern WEC
Although Buemi has accumulated more victories than any other driver in WEC history, he believes the increasing competitiveness of the championship makes each success particularly meaningful.
The introduction of the Hypercar regulations has attracted a growing number of manufacturers, creating a field in which several organisations possess the technical resources and driver line-ups required to challenge for victories.
Consequently, Buemi considers Toyota’s ability to consistently convert opportunities into successful results an important achievement. Even when the manufacturer lacks the strongest car, its understanding of race strategy and ability to execute under pressure can provide a decisive advantage.
Reflecting on the Fuji victory, Buemi explained why successes achieved through collective effort continue to provide considerable satisfaction.
“To be able to win in FIA WEC today is something special. The opportunity doesn’t come around very often, so when you do manage it, and you do it in style like we did at home at Fuji with a very good final few laps from Ryō to hold back the Alpine, it feels amazing.”
His comments underline the significance of Toyota’s 2026 resurgence following the difficulties it encountered during the previous campaign.
Although the manufacturer’s eighth title represents another achievement for the organisation, Buemi’s assessment suggests that individual victories remain equally important, particularly when they require strong teamwork and carefully executed strategic decisions.
Buemi targets unprecedented fifth WEC title at Monza
Buemi’s Barcelona victory has placed him in a strong position to secure an unprecedented fifth WEC Drivers’ World Championship when the season concludes at Monza.
The Swiss driver enters the final round alongside Hartley and Hirakawa with 114 points, holding a 17-point advantage over Toyota teammates Conway, Kobayashi and de Vries, who follow on 97.
With 26 points available across the final weekend, including the bonus point for Hypercar pole position, both crews remain mathematically capable of claiming the championship.
However, Toyota has confirmed that it will not impose team orders during the finale, allowing its drivers to settle the title battle on track. The decision means Buemi, Hartley and Hirakawa must continue delivering competitive performances despite their advantage.
The post-Barcelona championship standings also confirm that the two Toyota crews are the only remaining contenders for the Hypercar Drivers’ title, ensuring that the manufacturer will complete a championship double regardless of which entry prevails.
The event carries additional significance for Conway, who will conclude his professional racing career following the Monza finale, providing the #7 crew with another reason to challenge for victory.
For Buemi, however, the possibility of securing a fifth championship represents another opportunity to build on a career defined by sustained success and his long-standing relationship with Toyota.
Having celebrated his 100th WEC appearance with a record-extending 29th victory, Buemi now approaches Monza with the opportunity to add another major achievement to his career. Yet, regardless of the championship outcome, his continued enthusiasm for racing and commitment to Toyota suggest that his motivation remains as strong as ever.
