News Summary
- Brendon Hartley, Ryō Hirakawa and Sébastien Buemi lead the 2026 WEC Drivers’ Championship by 17 points heading into the season-ending 6 Hours of Monza.
- Hirakawa arrives after scoring his first Formula 1 point on debut in Mexico, adding another milestone to an extraordinary week.
- Toyota has already secured the Manufacturers’ Championship, leaving its two Hypercar crews to fight for the drivers’ crown in Italy.
Ryō Hirakawa faces an extraordinary conclusion to his 2026 racing season as he prepares to challenge for the FIA World Endurance Championship title at Monza, just one week after scoring his first Formula 1 point on debut. The Japanese driver shares Toyota’s #8 Hypercar with Brendon Hartley and Sébastien Buemi, and the trio leads the standings by 17 points ahead of the final round on November 8.
The 6 Hours of Monza will decide the Drivers’ Championship between Toyota’s two factory crews, with the #7 car of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries providing the opposition.
Hirakawa heads from Formula 1 debut to WEC title decider
Hirakawa’s schedule has taken an unexpected turn following Haas’ decision to replace Esteban Ocon during the Mexican Grand Prix weekend.
The Japanese driver made his first Formula 1 race start at the age of 32 and finished tenth after a series of post-race penalties promoted him into the points.
He now returns to his regular endurance programme for one of the most important races of the WEC season.
Hirakawa, Hartley and Buemi have been among the leading Hypercar combinations throughout 2026, and their victory at Fuji in September helped transform the championship battle.
The #8 Toyota subsequently consolidated its position, entering Monza with 114 points, compared with 97 for the sister #7 crew.
WEC 2026 — Toyota title contenders before Monza
| Position | Car | Drivers | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toyota #8 | B. HARTLEY / R. HIRAKAWA / S. BUEMI | 114 |
| 2 | Toyota #7 | M. CONWAY / K. KOBAYASHI / N. DE VRIES | 97 |
Standings after the penultimate round in Barcelona.
Toyota secures manufacturers’ crown before Monza
Toyota enters the Italian finale having already secured the 2026 Manufacturers’ World Championship.
The Japanese manufacturer established an unassailable advantage over BMW after the 6 Hours of Barcelona, removing the manufacturers’ title from contention before the final race.
The focus now shifts to the drivers.
Hartley, Hirakawa and Buemi have a 17-point cushion, but the championship remains mathematically open.
The #7 crew will need to outscore its teammates substantially at Monza to overturn the deficit.
The battle creates an unusual situation in which Toyota has already achieved its main manufacturers’ objective but must manage two crews competing for the same drivers’ championship.
Hartley and Buemi bring championship experience to Monza
Hartley and Buemi are among the most experienced drivers in modern endurance racing.
Both have won multiple world championships with Toyota and played central roles in the manufacturer’s successes at Le Mans and across the WEC.
Hirakawa joined the factory Hypercar programme in 2022 and has since established himself as an important part of the #8 line-up.
The Japanese driver’s Formula 1 appearance adds a distinctive dimension to the season finale, bringing renewed attention to his ability to compete across different forms of top-level motorsport.
The Monza entry list features 35 cars, including 17 Hypercars and 18 LMGT3 entries.
The event will also mark the final race of Mike Conway’s career before retirement, adding another emotional element to the championship battle.
Monza finale brings 2026 WEC season to a close
The 6 Hours of Monza takes place on Sunday, November 8, at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Italy.
The circuit’s long straights, heavy braking zones and low-downforce demands will provide a different challenge from the previous rounds at Fuji and Barcelona.
Toyota’s #8 crew enters the weekend as championship leader, but both factory cars remain in contention.
The race also takes place on the same day as Formula 1’s São Paulo Grand Prix, creating a busy Sunday for motorsport audiences.
For Hirakawa, the opportunity is particularly significant: he could follow his first Formula 1 championship point with a World Endurance Championship title in the space of one week.
GRANDE PRÊMIO is following the 2026 World Endurance Championship with breaking news, full coverage and real-time updates in its Endurance section.
