That is what you call a proper racing masterclass. As Motorsport.com reports, Toyota snatched an unexpected victory at its home WEC race at Fuji through pure tactical brilliance and a rather unconventional assist from a team photographer.
The #8 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota TR010 machine driven by Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Ryo Hirakawa was simply not the fastest car out there on pure race pace. But when a heavy crash involving the #58 Garage 59 McLaren 720s GT3 EVO driven by Alexander West, Finn Gehrsitz, and Benjamin Goethe tore up the guardrail late in the race, the squad turned a messy situation into a stroke of genius.
We did not achieve this because we were the fastest in Fuji, but because when push came to shove at the end, we pulled off a better trick than all the other teams,
While rival teams stood around guessing how long the barrier repairs would take, Toyota went to work. Team advisor Alexander Wurz explained that everybody chipped in, including the team management, himself, and a professional photographer. The photographer fired off high-resolution images of the wrecked guardrail straight to the pit wall. Wurz, leaning on his track design background, grabbed a radio and sprinted over to inspect the carnage firsthand.
"I ran over there, had a look at everything, and said that it would take at least 25 minutes before the race could get going again," the Austrian recalled.
That exact intel let the strategy team make a bold call during the final pit stop under the safety car. They took a gamble and opted for a short fill. Wurz noted they put the least amount of fuel in the car because they correctly guessed there was not a full stint left. Everyone else over-fueled, allowing the #8 car to leap out in front.
To make matters even more intense, the team skipped changing tyres on the #8 to save precious seconds in the lane. That gamble set up a nail-biting final stint as light drizzle started falling over the circuit. Hirakawa had to fight off an Alpine charging hard on fresher rubber while surviving on worn slicks.
"Drizzle on old slicks against Alpine coming from behind on newer tyres, that was the real nail-biter. But Ryo brought it home sensationally," the former F1 driver said. The local hero held his ground all the way to the chequered flag, sealing the closest finish in WEC history and launching Toyota to the top of the championship standings as the season heads down the stretch.
"We did not achieve this because we were the fastest in Fuji, but because when push came to shove at the end, we pulled off a better trick than all the other teams," Wurz said.
