The #8 Toyota Gazoo Racing claimed victory in a rain and fog-affected Six Hours of Fuji, with Kazuki Nakajima, Sebastien Buemi and Anthony Davidson finishing ahead of the sister #7 car.
It was the fifth victory in six races at Fuji Speedway for Toyota, and despite the race being heavily affected by the weather – it was at one point red-flagged due to the fog becoming heavy – and the Japanese outfit showed itself on the day to be stronger than the Porsche LMP Team.
Nakajima, who started the race and was at the wheel when the race was red-flagged a second time due to the fog, said Toyota deserved the victory as they had the better performance in the wet than their rivals.
“Before the race we targeted a one-two finish so I’m really pleased that we achieved it,” said Nakajima. “It’s a great result for the whole team; I am very happy with the job everyone did.
“I think we deserved the win because we had good pace in the wet conditions. It’s my third win here at Fuji and it’s particularly special to win in front of our home fans who gave us such great support.”
With Davidson unable to get any time in the car due to the race being called after the second red flag, Buemi was the only other driver of the trio to take to the track, and he was full of praise for co-driver Nakajima for his performance, with the Swiss driver crediting the Japanese racer for the victory.
“This a great result for the team and also for our home fans here at Fuji; thanks to them for such great support, especially considering the weather,” said Buemi. “Today Kazuki drove a great race so I would like to praise him for that.
“Even though I did a bit of the work, Kazuki did the most. Congratulations also to the entire team for a great job here.”
