WEC 2026 result after Round 1: 6 Hours of Imola

Toyota Racing launched this year’s FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) campaign with a hard-fought win and double podium finish in the 6 Hours of Imola. What happened in this first race of the season? Read on for our WEC 2026 review of round one.

WEC 2026: 6 Hours of Imola

Since returning to top-level sportscar racing in 2012, Toyota has only ever competed in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) with hybrid power. Using this dual-source technology we have recorded more starts, titles and wins than any other manufacturer – 13 world titles, 49 race wins, and five victories in the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans, to be precise.

What’s more, this year’s 6 Hours of Imola was an important milestone in marking our 100th WEC race as well as the first competition appearance for the new-look Toyota Racing brand and the team’s revised TR010 Hybrid prototype. The Hypercar’s appearance now aligns more closely with our road car design language, while the striking livery is a nod to an iconic predecessor, the Toyota TS020 of 1998.

Prologue

Consisting of eight hours of track testing hosted across two sessions, the pre-event prologue at the Imola circuit allowed the Toyota Racing team a vital opportunity to build on the positive work carried out during pre-season development.

However, relatively little testing had been achieved on the new tyre compounds, which for 2026 now contain 50% recycled or renewable materials. So a greater understanding of tyre performance and degredation became a key element of this test day, the data from which the team used to refine set-ups and strategies ahead of the first free practice sessions two days later.

Free practice

In contrast to the rain-affected prologue, the first two 90-minute practice sessions took place in warm temperatures under clear skies. This consistency expedited the team’s comparison of various mechanical and aerodynamic settings and contributed to trouble-free laps for the Toyota Racing crews.

Both TR010 Hybrids set their fastest times at the beginning of the second session, when tyres were new and fuel loads were low. The #7 car of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries finished second fastest overall, while Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryō Hirakawa were half a second further back in the #8 car.

Qualifying and Hyperpole

Toyota’s two fastest drivers from free practice – de Vries and Hirakawa – were nominated for the important qualifying duties. The 12-minute qualifying session saw all 17 Hypercars on track, fighting to finish in the top ten and earn a place in Hyperpole – a ten-minute shoot-out that decides the starting positions of the fastest ten competitors.

Both TR010 Hybrids improved their pace around the Imola circuit. Less than a second covered the first 15 Hypercars, which increased anticipation for race day. Yet Hirakawa and de Vries earned their car’s places in the Hyperpole shoot-out with third- and seventh fastest times respectively.

Finally at one with the car and overall set-up, Hirakawa held provisional pole during the majority of Hyperpole, and even improved his time on his final flying lap. However, on the very last lap of the session, a rival snatched the overall lead by just 0.011 seconds. This put the #8 TR010 Hybrid in second place but still on the front row, while de Vries was only 0.305 seconds behind for sixth place.

WEC 2026: 6 Hours of Imola

A record crowd of more than 92,000 spectators gathered at Imola to watch the first race of the WEC 2026 season – and these enthusiasts witnessed a close and exciting race with minimal interruptions.

The #8 TR010 Hybrid started from the front row with Hartley behind the wheel. A slight reshuffle during the opening stint saw him drop into third, but second place was regained during the first round of pit stops. Hirakawa took the lead early in the third hour and went on to establish a small but useful gap over the chasing Ferrari. Third driver Buemi then extended that advantage to more than 13 seconds in the final two hours, navigating tricky track conditions during a light shower to hold that first-place position until the chequered flag.

Team-mates in the #7 TR010 Hybrid performed similarly. Beginning in sixth but falling to seventh from the start, Conway pushed hard throughout his stint to rejoin the top six and eventually achieved his goal before handing duties to de Vries. The Dutch driver maintained that upward trajectory and seized fourth before half race distance and claimed third in the fourth hour. Kobayashi then took on the final stint and quickly moved up into second place.

At this point Kobayashi had to decide between changing his very worn tyres or assisting Buemi in the #8 Toyota to extend his lead and hold the chasing Ferrari at bay. As team principal he chose the latter option, which probably lost Toyota a one-two position but guaranteed his team-mate’s success. Kobayashi finally stopped for new rubber inside the final hour and salvaged third place – a well-deserved double podium finish for Toyota in its 100th WEC race and our 50th victory.