F1: Crowning glory – Gulf Digital News

F1: Crowning glory – Gulf Digital News

TOYOTA Gazoo Racing enjoyed spectacular success at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) last night with one of their teams winning the race and another being crowned 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Hypercar World Champions at the Bapco 8 Hours of Bahrain season finale.

Toyota number 7 drivers, Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway and Jose-Maria Lopez edged past their sister team – and eventual world champions – number 8, featuring Sebastien Buemi, Ryo Hirakawa and Brendon Hartley, to win the sixth and final race of the 2022 season.

The 1-2 podium finish for both Toyota teams, both driving in GR010 Hybrids, sparked wild celebrations as soon as the race ended as it was announced that, along with winning the Hypercar drivers’ world championship, they had also won the manufacturers’ world title.

This was Toyota’s sixth straight WEC race win in Bahrain and eighth overall.

The Alpine Elf number 36 team, with Andre Negrao, Nicolas Lapieere and Matthieu Vaxiviere sharing driving duties, steered their A480-Gibson to third place.

Meanwhile, in the LMP2 class, the number 31 WRT team, with Robin Frijns, Sean Gelael and Rene Rast taking turns at the wheel of an Oreca 07-Gibson, beat United Autosports USA number 23 team to the finish line with