Barcelona 1-2 clinches 2026 title for Toyota/Michelin
Toyota Racing's Buemi/Hartley/Hirakawa and Conway/Kobayashi/De Vries came first and second at the 6 Hours of Barcelona in the #8 and #7 TR010 Hybrids. The result secures the Japanese firm's eighth Manufacturers' world crown in association with Michelin whose latest Wet tire – which contains 57 percent renewable/recycled materials – made its competitive debut in Spain.
The start of the 6 Hours of Barcelona was marked by rain which led to chaotic conditions, and French youngster Mathys Jaubert (#17 Genesis) – who had qualified on pole for the first time in his career – soon succumbed to pressure from the #8 Toyota and #83 Ferrari.
Shortly before the two-hour mark, the track had all but dried, prompting the Hypercars to start switching to Michelin's soft Pilot Sport Endurance slick or a combination of its soft and medium, before mostly opting for the medium towards the end. Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is notoriously hard on tires, but teams were able to double-stint their right-hand soft and medium slicks.
“Rain for the beginning of the race created ideal conditions for the first competitive outing of our new rain tire which contains 57 percent renewable or recycled materials,” reports Pierre Alves, manager of Michelin Motorsport's endurance racing programs. “It revealed real potential during the early rain and then proved remarkably consistent as the track started to dry. It provided the perfect transition before teams began switching to slicks. So mission accomplished, and I would like to thank Michelin Motorsport's engineers and development experts who have managed to achieve superior sustainability with no detriment to performance.”
Following its recent success at Fuji, the #8 Toyota (Buemi/Hartley/Hirakawa) made it two wins in a row in Catalonia, while second place for the team's #7 Hypercar sufficed to put the wraps on the Japanese brand's eighth FIA WEC Manufacturers' title, Michelin's 14th. The scrap for the 2026 Drivers' crown will be fought between Toyota's two trios at the season finale in Monza, Italy, on November 8.
The #50 Ferrari 499P of Fuoco/Molina/Nielsen was third in Spain, ahead of the #38 Cadillac and #83 Ferrari. BMW had still been in contention for the title prior to the race but had to settle for 7th and 14th places with its #15 and #20 M Hybrid V8s.