News Summary
- Toyota has already clinched the manufacturers’ championship. Its #7 and #8 crews are the only contenders for the Hypercar drivers’ title at Monza.
- The #8 leads 114–97 and will secure the championship with fifth place or better, regardless of the #7’s result.
- Toyota technical director David Floury ruled out team orders. The finale is Mike Conway’s last professional race and Nyck de Vries’s chance to win his first WEC drivers’ title.
Toyota will let its two Hypercar crews race for the world drivers’ title at Monza. The manufacturer secured its own championship with a one-two finish in Barcelona, leaving the #8 and #7 TR010 Hybrids as the only cars still in contention for the remaining Hypercar crown.
“There will be no team orders,” Toyota technical director David Floury said ahead of the 6 Hours of Monza. “We want to provide fair conditions to the two cars.”
Toyota had to manage a very different situation in Barcelona. Genesis took pole and Ferrari was still in contention for the manufacturers’ championship. Rain changed the race on Sunday. Sébastien Buemi put the #8 Toyota in front, while Nyck de Vries passed Miguel Molina early in the second hour to bring the #7 into second.
The Toyotas finished 0.583s apart. That was enough to settle the manufacturers’ title and stretch the #8 crew’s advantage over the #7 from 10 to 17 points. At Monza, Toyota can secure the drivers’ championship whichever of its crews comes out ahead.
Why fifth place is enough for the #8 Toyota
Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryō Hirakawa arrive on 114 points, with Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and de Vries on 97. There are 25 points for winning the six-hour race and one for pole.
| Scenario at Monza | Championship consequence |
|---|---|
| The #8 finishes fifth or higher | The #8 wins the title. Fifth is worth 10 points, taking the crew to at least 124. |
| The #7 takes pole and wins | The #7 reaches 123 points. The #8’s result decides the title. |
| The #7 takes pole and wins, and the #8 finishes sixth | The #7 wins the title 123–122. |
The #8 crew can therefore win its third championship together by finishing in the top five. The #7 needs a much bigger swing than it can produce by simply beating its sister car on track. Even a Toyota one-two in the opposite order to Barcelona would leave the #8 comfortably ahead on points.
Final practice gave the #7 the better of the two Toyota times. It was tenth in the wet, while the #8 finished 16th after a trip through the gravel at Ascari. A day earlier, the order had gone the other way in second practice on a drying track, with the #8 12th and the #7 17th.
Conway’s final race gives the #7 one last shot
For Conway, Monza is his final professional race after 12 seasons with Toyota. He and Kobayashi have already won two WEC drivers’ championships together, in 2019–20 and 2021. A comeback on Sunday would give them a third and make de Vries a WEC world champion for the first time.
“I’ve had 12 seasons with the team, and I’ve enjoyed every single one of them,” Conway said in Toyota’s race preview.
Kobayashi will be trying to win the title from the cockpit of the #7 while also serving as Toyota’s team principal. He confirmed before the weekend that the two crews would be free to race.
The first point is available in Hypercar qualifying and Hyperpole on Saturday. The 6 Hours of Monza starts on Sunday, November 8, at 11:00 CET, 10:00 GMT and 05:00 EST.
GRANDE PRÊMIO is following the 6 Hours of Monza in WEC.
FAQ
Will Toyota use team orders at Monza?
Toyota technical director David Floury and team principal Kamui Kobayashi have ruled out team orders between the two title contenders.
What does the #8 Toyota need to win the WEC drivers’ title?
Fifth place or better guarantees the championship for Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryō Hirakawa.
Can the #7 Toyota still win the title?
Yes. The #7 trails by 17 points, with 26 available. Pole and victory would take it to 123 points, enough for the title if the #8 finishes sixth or lower.
