Toyota Gazoo Racing returned to the top step of the FIA World Endurance Championship podium on Sunday, with Sebastien Buemi bringing the #8 GR010 Hybrid home first at the 6 Hours of Imola to inflict a bitter home defeat on Ferrari.
The race had begun with the red cars looking ominously strong. Antonio Giovinazzi launched the #51 Ferrari 499P from pole position on soft tyres in front of a partisan Italian crowd, and teammate Miguel Molina immediately hunted down the Toyota of Brendon Hartley into Tamburello on the opening lap to make it a Ferrari one-two.
But the race swung decisively on strategy. Toyota rolled the dice during the middle stints, keeping their well-worn tyres on the #8 long enough to leapfrog a Ferrari camp that was forced to pit again. With rain threatening but never quite arriving, the gamble kept Buemi in clear air at the front while Giovinazzi fought an uphill battle to reel him in.
Commentators described the call as vintage Toyota. "Whatever else is up with the performance of the car over the years, there's certainly never been much wrong with how they operate it at Toyota Gazoo Racing," the FIA WEC broadcast team noted as the strategy played out. "They are absolutely hitting all the buttons on the dial."
By the closing hour it was clear the Scuderia had been outflanked. Giovinazzi gave chase valiantly but could not find a way past the Swiss veteran, who nursed the #8 home to reclaim the race lead Toyota has been chasing since the opening round. Kamui Kobayashi brought the sister #7 Toyota home in third behind Giovinazzi, completing a damaging podium for Ferrari's home weekend.
"It has been a return to Toyota's imperious best," the broadcast team said as the chequered flag fell. "They have not just run a quick car, but they have run it supremely well. They gained track position with clever strategy, then negated any rivals closing in. They simply refused to blink."
The LMGT3 class served up an even more dramatic finish. Garage 59's McLaren had been in the box seat for victory until late-race misfortune handed the lead to Team WRT's BMW. The #46 WRT entry held on in a thrilling last-lap fight with the TF Sport Corvette in second and two Manthey Porsches locked in combat for the final step of the podium.
The WRT BMW produced the drive of the class to hold off the chasing Manthey Porsche by just 0.265 of a second at the line, sealing a maiden win for the revamped squad's driver trio at their very first outing together in the World Championship.
For Ferrari, the result is a significant blow. The factory Hypercar squad had arrived at Imola as the title favourites and with every intention of winning on home turf, yet leave instead with Giovinazzi's runner-up finish as small consolation. For Toyota, the victory is a signal that the Japanese marque, so often out-qualified by the red cars this season, remains the most battle-hardened operator in the Hypercar paddock.
The FIA WEC grid now heads to the Spa-Francorchamps 6 Hours in May, where Ferrari will be desperate to reset and Toyota will look to build on a weekend that reminded the paddock the reigning title benchmark is far from beaten.
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*Originally published on [Motorsports Global](https://motorsports.global/article/toyota-buemi-crushes-ferrari-hopes-on-home-soil-at-imola-wec). Visit for full coverage.*