Ryō Hirakawa put the #8 Toyota TR010 HYBRID second on the grid for the 6 Hours of Barcelona, 0.170 seconds behind the pole-sitting Genesis. The sister #7 car starts ninth. A strong result on Sunday could seal the manufacturers’ title for Toyota with one round of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship still to run.
Close to pole in Catalonia
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is hosting the penultimate round of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), and qualifying for the Hypercar class came down to fine margins. Ryō Hirakawa missed pole by 0.170 seconds in the #8 TR010 HYBRID, which he shares with Sébastien Buemi and Brendon Hartley. Genesis took pole.
The second-place result gives Toyota its second front-row start of the season. According to the team, it also puts the squad in a good position to push for both world championships in the race.
How qualifying played out
The session ran in warm, dry conditions. Nyck de Vries and Hirakawa drove the opening 12-minute session, where the aim was to reach Hyperpole. Both ran Michelin medium tyres. De Vries set a single flying lap and went through in eighth. Hirakawa found more time on his second lap and finished the session second.
The ten fastest Hypercars went through to Hyperpole, which was also run on medium tyres. Both Toyotas set their best times on their first runs. Hirakawa stayed among the quickest cars and secured the front-row slot. De Vries missed the top six by just over a tenth of a second, so the #7 car of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and de Vries lines up ninth.
Hirakawa said he lost the chance to improve when double yellow flags came out during his second push lap in Hyperpole.
“The car was really fast today, the team did a great job. Potentially I could have been even faster but there were double yellow flags on my second push lap in Hyperpole. That was a pity, but being on the front row is good and I’m happy with the result. From there we can have a nice race tomorrow, hopefully.” – Ryō Hirakawa, car #8
Two titles within reach
The championship picture makes this weekend important for Toyota. The team says a strong result in Barcelona could clinch the manufacturers’ crown before the final round. In the drivers’ standings, the #8 crew lead and could wrap up the title on Sunday if other results also go their way. The #7 trio are 10 points behind their team-mates and still in contention.
The weather could make a big difference. Qualifying was dry, but rain is forecast for race day, which could upset the expected order over six hours.
De Vries described the #7 car’s day as harder but sees room to gain places:
“It was a positive day for the team. Ryō did a great job qualifying on the front row of the grid. It was a little bit more challenging for our car. Still, it’s a good basis and tomorrow there is the potential for rain, so a lot of things can happen. We’ll do our best, try to execute a clean race and gain some positions.”
Facts: Toyota at the 6 Hours of Barcelona
- Event: 6 Hours of Barcelona, penultimate round of the 2026 FIA WEC
- Venue: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
- #8 TR010 HYBRID: Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, Ryō Hirakawa – starts 2nd, 0.170 secs off pole
- #7 TR010 HYBRID: Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, Nyck de Vries – starts 9th
- Pole position: Genesis
- Tyres in qualifying: Michelin medium
- Drivers’ standings: #8 crew lead, #7 crew 10 points behind
The 6 Hours of Barcelona starts at midday local time on Sunday.
Source: newsroom.toyota.eu