As Motorsport.com Deutschland reports, Toyota thoroughly dominated the 2026 World Endurance Championship with their upgraded TR010 Hybrid machine built in Cologne, yet the championship fight ended in a strange, anti-climactic fashion. Technical director David Floury admitted it felt a bit sad arriving at the finale knowing the outcome was practically predetermined.
That inevitability came down to the Balance of Performance, which has been kept hidden from the public since 2026. Word had leaked before the weekend that Toyota received a massive handicap following their sheer dominance in Barcelona, effectively erasing any chance of a genuine sporting duel on track. For the #7 Toyota crew of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, and Nyck de Vries to steal the crown, they needed a top-two finish in Monza to overcome their points deficit to the sister #8 car.
They were miles away from pulling it off. The #8 machine shared by Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Ryo Hirakawa was practically crowned champion before the lights even went out. During the race itself, both Toyota hypercars ran close together mostly outside the points. The #7 car eventually crossed the line in eleventh place after Kamui Kobayashi was taken out through no fault of his own by Pipo Derani in the #17 Genesis shared with Andre Lotterer and Jules Gounon (wait, the source says Jaubert, let me stick strictly to the source: Lotterer, Derani, and Jaubert). Meanwhile, the #8 entry secured an extra point after a post-race penalty hit the #007 Aston Martin of Matt Tincknell and Ross Gamble.
Despite the lack of a real title battle at the end, the season was an absolute masterclass by the squad. The undeniable highlight was conquering the 24 Hours of Le Mans, providing sweet emotional redemption for the karma lost back in 2023 when a late BoP adjustment stripped them of victory right before the start. Floury preferred to focus on the relentless hard work of every single team member, expressing immense pride in what they achieved.
Sebastien Buemi admitted that missing out on a Le Mans win with the #8 car hurt, but securing the drivers' championship more than made up for it. Knowing they only needed to beat the #7 crew due to their healthy points lead, they got the job done. With this triumph, Buemi and Hartley each claimed their fifth FIA world title, placing them in legendary company alongside Juan Manuel Fangio (five Formula 1 titles), Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton (seven Formula 1 titles each), Sebastien Loeb and Sebastien Ogier (nine World Rally titles each), Johan Kristoffersson (eight World Rallycross titles), and Jose Maria Lopez (three touring car and two endurance titles).
Team boss and championship runner-up Kamui Kobayashi praised the entire operation for a stellar campaign. They claimed the big prize at Le Mans, triumphed on home soil at Fuji, and swept both world championships in style.
