Toyota Wins WEC 6 Hours of Fuji at Home as Indonesia's Sean Gelael Takes LMGT3 Victory
The No. 8 Toyota won the 6 Hours of Fuji by 0.591s, and Indonesia's Sean Gelael won LMGT3 with Team WRT BMW. Here's how both finishes played out.
While F1 fans were following the result in Baku, the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) had a dramatic finish of its own in Japan. At the 6 Hours of Fuji on Sunday, 27 September, Toyota won at home in the Hypercar class. The LMGT3 class was won by a car that included Indonesian driver Sean Gelael, which is good news for motorsport fans across Southeast Asia.
Hypercar: Toyota's late win
The No. 8 Toyota TR010 Hybrid of Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryō Hirakawa started sixth. Qualifying was cancelled because of wet weather, so the grid was set using practice times, according to Pit Debrief. For most of the race the No. 8 wasn't the favourite.
According to RACER, the key moment was a late Safety Car. Toyota made a fuel-only pit stop to keep track position. Alpine fitted fresh tyres, according to Pit Debrief. Toyota's choice worked. After 203 laps, the No. 8 won by 0.591 seconds from the No. 36 Alpine A424, which had started first. The No. 15 BMW M Hybrid V8 finished third, 6.415 seconds behind the winner, according to official WEC timing.
"This is one of our best wins in a long time," Buemi said, according to SPEEDWEEK.com. "It came completely out of the blue." Hirakawa described his feeling as "joy". RACER reported that the win puts the No. 8 crew in the lead of the Hypercar championship with two races left.
BMW's Kevin Magnussen said the team got more than it expected: "We didn't really have the pace to make it onto the podium, and yet here we are."
LMGT3: a comeback for Gelael and WRT
The LMGT3 finish was just as close. The No. 32 Team WRT BMW M4 LMGT3 Evo of Darren Leung, Sean Gelael and Augusto Farfus started 14th. It won by 1.062 seconds from the No. 27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin. The No. 34 Racing Team Turkey Corvette was third.
Farfus drove the last stint on new tyres after the final restart. The official WEC report said he passed several cars, including championship leader Nicky Catsburg's Corvette, and made the winning move on Charlie Eastwood at Turn 10 with about 20 minutes to go. Farfus called it "one of the finest stints I've done in my career".
For Gelael, the win came after a tough season. "I am super happy with everyone," he told Pit Debrief. "We made a lot of improvements in COTA and we were persistent in working hard." Pit Debrief said it was the No. 32 crew's first LMGT3 win of 2026. Leung called it "a relief".
Why it matters in Malaysia
Asian drivers and manufacturers had a strong weekend. Toyota won its home race, and Gelael, a driver from Indonesia, won a class in the world championship. Malaysian fans can watch F1 at Sepang this weekend and follow the rest of the WEC season afterwards, with the title still open in both classes.
Key takeaways
- The No. 8 Toyota (Buemi/Hartley/Hirakawa) won from sixth on the grid by 0.591s and now leads the Hypercar championship.
- Alpine finished second and BMW third in Hypercar.
- The No. 32 WRT BMW with Indonesia's Sean Gelael won LMGT3 from 14th on the grid by 1.062s.
- Farfus made the winning pass at Turn 10 with around 20 minutes left.
FAQ
Who won the 2026 WEC 6 Hours of Fuji? The No. 8 Toyota of Buemi, Hartley and Hirakawa won the Hypercar class. The No. 32 Team WRT BMW of Leung, Gelael and Farfus won LMGT3.
Who is Sean Gelael? An Indonesian racing driver who races for Team WRT's BMW in the LMGT3 class of the WEC.
How many WEC rounds are left? According to RACER, two races remain this season.
Sources: FIA WEC, RACER, Pit Debrief, SPEEDWEEK.com