WEC 2026 result after Round 4: 6 Hours of São Paulo

Toyota Racing continued its FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) campaign with a hard fight through a difficult 6 Hours of São Paulo, the fourth round of the season. In what ways was this race in South America so different from the highs of winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans? Read on for our review of this WEC 2026 result.

WEC 2026: 6 Hours of São Paulo

Still buzzing after its historic victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Toyota Racing returned to action when the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship resumed in Brazil for the 6 Hours of São Paulo. After completing three rounds in three consecutive months, the team was in a great position, leading both the manufacturers’ and drivers’ championships.

Although Toyota has a positive record from its five previous races in Brazil (two pole positions and two victories), the 2.7-mile Interlagos circuit always presents unique challenges. Its relatively high altitude negatively affects engine performance and downforce levels, while the anti-clockwise running stresses different parts of the car and strains different muscles in a driver’s body. So the free practice sessions are vital in acclimatising both parties prior to the race.

Other necessary pre-event activities included pit stop practice, scrutineering checks and a track walk (above). Meanwhile, the mechanics and engineers busied themselves behind the scenes assembling and fine-tuning the TR010 Hybrids, optimising their set-ups and strategies.

Free practice

Two 90-minute free practice sessions gave the engineers and drivers their first opportunity to experience the cars and make further adjustments for the circuit’s anti-clockwise rotation and elevation changes. Each session brought a busy programme of mechanical, aerodynamic and control adjustments, as well as analysis of both tyre compounds.

The two practice sessions were completed without incident. However, the team was disappointed with the pace, balance and overall rhythm of the cars. So the data was analysed in detail overnight in order to try and create set-up solutions that would make the cars more competitive.

Qualifying

Although both TR010 Hybrids set their fastest lap times within the final hour of practice before qualifying, their pace indicated that securing a starting position towards the front of the grid was going to be tough. The drivers that secured those times – Kamui Kobayashi in the #7 car and Ryō Hirakawa in the #8 – took the wheel for the 12-minute qualifying session.

The pair fought hard to achieve the top ten position required to reach Hyperpole, and indeed both drivers consistently improved their lap times. But as the session finished, just 0.739 seconds separated the fastest laps of the entire 17-car field. The Toyota drivers were nothing more than a few fractions slower, yet that was enough to miss out on the grid-defining shoot-out. As a result, the #8 car would start the 6 Hours of São Paulo in 14th place, and the #7 in 16th – locations reminiscent of their starting positions in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

WEC 2026: 6 Hours of São Paulo

The team’s difficult qualifying meant there was pressure to move through the field during the race and try to score points. Starting from 17th position in the #7 TR010 Hybrid, Mike Conway’s enthusiasm to progress got the better of him and he received a five-second penalty for a start infringement. That mistake was then compounded by another infraction for the #7 during a full course yellow in the second hour, which resulted in a drive-through penalty. Incidents and penalties elsewhere helped the #7 gain places and move closer to the top ten. Unfortunately, however, further progress for the Le Mans winners proved impossible over the remaining hours of a race that ended in fog and falling temperatures.

The beginning of the race was much more promising for the #8 TR010 Hybrid. The crew started from 14th place and gained positions to briefly run in ninth place after the first round of pit stops. But then its push for points was effectively ended in the second hour when the car was hit from behind by another Hypercar as it made a poor attempt out-brake the Toyota through a corner. That impact caused severe damage to the rear suspension, which required a 16-minute stop for repairs and dropped the #8 to the back of the field. Nevertheless, the drivers continued pushing until the end, ready to take advantage of any problems ahead.

Despite the disappointing result – 12th for the #7 car and 17th for the #8 – Toyota still leads the manufacturers’ championship, albeit by a reduced margin at this halfway point in the season. The eight-week break before round five will allow the team time to regroup and hopefully return stronger.

WEC 2026 result: 6 Hours of São Paulo

WEC 2026: manufacturer standings

Where is the WEC heading next?

The WEC 2026 calendar consists of eight rounds across four continents, each of which is hosted by a different country. The following table shows the order of events over the coming year.