Toyota Gazoo Racing Prepares for Challenge at 2025 São Paulo Qualifying

Köln, Germany, July 13, 2025 – Toyota Gazoo Racing faces a significant challenge as it prepares for the 6 Hours of São Paulo, the fifth round of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). Despite a disappointing qualifying session, the team remains committed to achieving a competitive result at the Interlagos circuit.

The qualifying session saw Toyota's #8 GR010 HYBRID, driven by Ryo Hirakawa, secure a 10th place start, while the #7 car, driven by Kamui Kobayashi, will begin the race from 18th position. These placements do not reflect the team's ambitions, especially following a strong performance in the previous season, where Kobayashi achieved pole position.

The day commenced with a one-hour practice session, where drivers assessed their vehicles’ setups in preparation for qualifying. Hirakawa’s lap time during practice was promising; however, the challenges of traffic on the 4.309 km Interlagos circuit, known for being the shortest on the calendar, complicated the qualifying efforts. In a field of 18 Hypercars, the tight conditions made it difficult for drivers to secure clean laps.

Kobayashi expressed the team’s disappointment during a post-qualifying interview, stating, “We came here with higher expectations after last year’s great results, but unfortunately, we did not perform as hoped. Nonetheless, we will strive to recover positions during the race.” Hirakawa affirmed his belief that reaching Hyperpole—qualifying for the top ten—was a commendable result given their current performance trajectory. He stated, “Starting from 10th isn’t too bad. We will aim to move forward and push for our first podium of the year.”

The qualifying results indicated that the #12 Cadillac Team JOTA secured the pole position with a time of 1 minute 22.570 seconds, followed closely by the #38 Cadillac and the #5 Porsche Penske. The competitive nature of the field underscores the challenges faced by Toyota Gazoo Racing, which has experienced a mixed season thus far. Despite the setbacks in qualifying, the team has shown resilience, with strategic pit stops and aggressive driving helping them gain valuable points in previous races.

The race is scheduled to commence on Sunday at 11:30 AM local time (4:30 PM CEST), and the team hopes to capitalize on their racing experience to improve their standings. As the WEC season progresses, Toyota Gazoo Racing aims to push for greater success and leverage the lessons learned from this qualifying session to enhance their performance in upcoming events.

For further information, official results will be available on [the FIA WEC website](http://fiawec.alkamelsystems.com/). Toyota Gazoo Racing's media resources, including video and photography, can be accessed through their [media library](https://toyotagazooracing.com/media/).