Toyota Racing take title challenge to Texas

With two wins so far this season – including the Le Mans 24 Hours – Toyota Racing lead the manufacturers’ World Championship going into round five of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).

At the halfway point in the season, the No7 TR010 Hybrid crew of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries are tied on points at the top of the drivers’ standings. Team-mates Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryō Hirakawa are still in the title fight in their No8 TR010 HYBRID, 19 points behind.

The team are determined to improve on the previous round in São Paulo, where neither car scored points.

The Circuit of the Americas (COTA) is, like the previous round at Interlagos, an anti-clockwise track. One of its most striking features is the steep climb to Turn 1, followed by a sequence of fast, sweeping corners. The demanding 3.4-mile track also includes one of the heaviest braking zones of the season, when cars decelerate from more than 180mph to less than 40mph for Turn 12. From eight races at COTA, the team have recorded seven podium finishes and one pole position but are yet to taste victory there.

To accelerate preparations for this year’s race, Toyota Racing conducted a two-day test – featuring all six race drivers – in Austin in late July. Data gathered during the sessions will help engineers and drivers optimise set-ups and strategies for race week, which begins with free practice on Friday. Qualifying takes place at 3.40pm local time (9.40pm BST) on Saturday, while the six-hour race starts at 1pm (7pm BST) on Sunday.

Alongside the track action, visitors to COTA will have the opportunity to meet some of Toyota Racing’s drivers at an autograph session on Saturday in the fan zone. Toyota’s hydrogen technology will also be on show as part of the University of Texas at Austin display in the fan zone.

Team quotes

Kamui Kobayashi (Team Principal and driver, car No7): “We’ve had some great moments in the first half of the season, particularly winning at Le Mans and Imola, but also a few tough ones too. The last race in São Paulo was disappointing, and we’ve learned from that experience. It’s great to be in such a strong position in both World Championships but the competition is intense so we can’t afford any mistakes over the second half of the season, starting in Austin.”

Mike Conway (driver, car No7): “It’s been a long break since the last race so we’re all eager to get racing again, especially at the Circuit of the Americas. It’s a fun track to drive, with a bit of everything; high-speed corners and a technical final sector. We need to work hard on car set-up early in the week to make sure we’re strong over the complete lap, and in race trim.”

Nyck de Vries (driver, car No7): “I really enjoy racing in the United States, and COTA is a fantastic track. It’s great fun to drive a Hypercar around there, but also a big challenge to get everything right with the set-ups. So, it won’t be an easy weekend, but we want to bounce back from São Paulo with a good result to keep us at the front in both World Championships.”

Sébastien Buemi (driver, car No8): “I’m really looking forward to racing in Austin again. The first half of the season has been a bit of a rollercoaster for our car, and São Paulo was particularly tough. But I know the team has worked very hard to come back stronger, and the test at COTA went well. We’ll be giving everything to fight at the front and hopefully stand on the podium again.”

Brendon Hartley (driver, car No8): “Austin is a great place for a race, we all really enjoy being there. It was particularly good to test there a few weeks ago, especially because our car has evolved since last year’s race. Hopefully that gives us a useful head start in terms of set-ups and tyres. São Paulo wasn’t an easy week for us but we’re working hard to maximise our car and get a better result at COTA.”

Ryō Hirakawa (driver, car No8): “I’m happy to be racing again after the long summer break. Austin was a challenging race for us last year, but we’re working hard to have a better weekend this time. After this, it’s our home race at Fuji Speedway so everyone in the team wants to be in a strong position in the World Championship when we meet our Japanese fans and colleagues. That gives us extra motivation to maximise our package and get a good result in Austin.”

ENDS