Toyota Racing will line up seventh and ninth for round five of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship at the Circuit of the Americas. Both TR010 HYBRIDs made it through to Hyperpole in the hottest track conditions of the weekend so far, with air temperatures reaching 38°C. The team leads the manufacturers’ standings and is still chasing a first win in Austin.

Toyota Racing came away from qualifying for the Lone Star Le Mans with both of its Hypercars inside the top ten, but without the front-row start the team had hoped for. Round five of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship takes place at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

Both cars into Hyperpole

Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryō Hirakawa take seventh on the grid in the #8 TR010 HYBRID. The sister #7 car of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries starts ninth — a notable result given that its crew is currently tied on points at the top of the drivers’ standings.

The first qualifying segment ran for 12 minutes on low fuel and new medium Michelin tyres. Hirakawa went out as soon as the session opened, while Kobayashi held back for a few minutes before joining in. The two cars ended up separated by just 0.058 seconds, Hirakawa eighth and Kobayashi ninth, which was enough to send both through to Hyperpole.

In the pole shoot-out itself, both crews waited in the pits before committing to their runs. Kobayashi took ninth with a single flying lap; Hirakawa managed two, improving marginally on the second to secure seventh.

Heat is the defining factor

Qualifying ran in the hottest conditions of the meeting so far, with temperatures hitting 38°C. According to the team, that heat is expected to persist into the race, and COTA already subjects tyres to the highest energy levels of any circuit on the WEC calendar. Engineers and drivers will spend the run-up to the race working on strategy for those conditions.

“It was really hot out there, really difficult conditions. The temperature was much higher than this morning, and the tyres were overheating. I had to adjust many things, but the team did a good job. We expected qualifying to be a bit tricky, but seventh and ninth is not bad. I think we have strong race pace, so hopefully we fight for another win tomorrow.” — Ryō Hirakawa, driver, car #8

Team principal and #7 driver Kamui Kobayashi struck a similar note. “We wanted a bit more, but I think we are still in a good position for the race,” he said. “We have higher expectations for tomorrow, when I think the heat here in Austin could help us. There were a lot of true racing fans here and I am sure even more will be here tomorrow, so we’re all looking forward to an exciting race. Hopefully we will finish it with smiles on our faces.”

What it means

Starting positions matter less in endurance racing than in a sprint format, and Toyota says its intensive work through free practice was aimed squarely at race performance rather than a single lap. The team leads the manufacturers’ World Championship and is looking to extend that advantage; a win would also be its first at the Austin circuit.

Facts: Toyota Racing at COTA

  • Event: Lone Star Le Mans, round five of the 2026 FIA WEC
  • Circuit: Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas
  • Car: TR010 HYBRID
  • #8 (Buemi / Hartley / Hirakawa): starts seventh
  • #7 (Conway / Kobayashi / de Vries): starts ninth
  • Gap between the two cars in qualifying: 0.058 seconds
  • Track temperature conditions: air temperatures up to 38°C

The race starts at 1pm local time (8pm CEST).

Source: newsroom.toyota.eu