It was supposed to be a grand homecoming for Toyota, but Porsche had other plans, seizing victory in the Fuji 6 Hours, and extending its points lead in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). The #6 Porsche 963 LMDh, piloted by Laurens Vanthoor, André Lotterer, and Kevin Estre, executed a flawless race to notch up their second win of the season, stretching their championship lead by 27 points ahead of the Bahrain finale. Meanwhile, Toyota's race unravelled spectacularly after Kamui Kobayashi’s crash, leaving the home team gutted in front of their fans.

Porsche capitalises as Toyota falters

In a race filled with drama, the Porsche team managed to outplay their rivals with strategic brilliance and clean driving. Laurens Vanthoor set the tone with an electric opening stint, while the team outmanoeuvred their rivals during the pitstop phases. It was this tactical prowess that put the #6 Porsche into contention early on, leading the race by the second hour.

Despite a challenge from Ferrari, who briefly took the lead in the third hour with their #50 Ferrari 499P, it was short-lived. André Lotterer quickly regained control, passing Nicklas Nielsen to reclaim the lead just after the halfway point.

But the race truly heated up in the fourth hour. The drama started when Lamborghini’s Daniil Kvyat suffered a terminal technical issue, causing a virtual safety car (VSC) that reset the playing field. Almost every car took the opportunity to pit, resulting in a full safety car that set up a thrilling 90-minute sprint to the finish.

Estre was at the helm for Porsche during this final push, steadily pulling away from the chasing pack, which included the #15 BMW and the #8 Toyota. A late off-track excursion could have undone their hard work, but the #6 Porsche held on for a decisive win by 16.6 seconds.

The victory did come under scrutiny, with a post-race investigation into a potential tyre pressure violation. However, Porsche got off with a reprimand, and their championship aspirations remain intact as they look forward to Bahrain.

BMW and Alpine’s maiden podiums in WEC

In the shadows of Porsche’s triumph, BMW celebrated its first-ever WEC podium, with Dries Vanthoor, Raffaele Marciello, and Marco Wittmann in the #15 BMW M Hybrid V8 taking second place. Wittmann had a storming start, leaping ahead of the #8 Toyota on the opening lap to claim second, a position they clung to despite a diverging strategy.

Alpine also had reason to cheer. The #36 Alpine A424 LMDh, with Mick Schumacher, Nicolas Lapierre, and Mathieu Vaxiviere at the helm, claimed the final step on the podium. Schumacher, the ex-Haas Formula 1 driver, displayed his racing pedigree, executing a crucial overtake on the #12 Jota Porsche just six minutes from the end.

Toyota’s nightmare race

Toyota’s weekend went from bad to worse. The #7 Toyota GR010 HYBRID, driven by Kamui Kobayashi, Nyck de Vries, and Mike Conway, was forced to retire after Kobayashi collided with the other Penske Porsche driven by Matt Campbell with just over an hour left. The damage was too severe, crushing Toyota's hopes of a strong home result.

The remaining #8 Toyota, shared by Ryo Hirakawa, Sebastien Buemi, and Brendon Hartley, fared little better. A drive-through penalty for Hirakawa, thanks to a blue flag infringement, left the car a lap down on the leaders, limping home in 10th – a far cry from the result Toyota’s home crowd had been hoping for.

Peugeot and Cadillac suffer contrasting fortunes

Peugeot showed promise, with their #93 Peugeot 9X8, driven by Mikkel Jensen, Nico Muller, and Jean-Eric Vergne, coming home in fourth. Meanwhile, Cadillac had a day to forget. Earl Bamber led the opening stint for the #2 V-Series.R, but contact with BMW’s Marciello in the third hour left Bamber with a puncture. A dramatic crash later in the race sealed Cadillac’s fate, leaving the team out of the points.

Ferrari snags its first LMGT3 win, Porsche wraps up the class title

Ferrari finally found its way to the top step of the podium in the new LMGT3 class, with the #54 AF Corse 296 GT3 of Davide Rigon, Francesco Castellacci, and Thomas Flohr taking a thrilling victory. Rigon sealed the win with a last-lap pass on Gregoire Saucy’s McLaren 720S GT3, which then dropped out of the podium places.

Porsche also had something to celebrate, as the #92 Manthey PureRxcing 911 GT3 R of Klaus Bachler, Aliaksandr Malkyhin, and Joel Sturm clinched the drivers' title with a round to spare. Although they finished second in the race, the points were enough to guarantee them the championship.

It was a race full of highs and lows, with Porsche flying high as they leave Japan with their sights firmly set on WEC glory. But for Toyota, their home race turned into a nightmare they’ll be eager to put behind them as they prepare for Bahrain’s title decider.