Toyota’s technical director David Floury said he is glad to see the back of the 2025 World Endurance Championship, despite ending the year with a morale-boosting victory in Bahrain 8 Hours.
The Japanese manufacturer endured its worst season in the WEC’s top class in years, as constant frustrations with the Balance of Performance left it as an also-ran while Ferrari dominated the championship.
It appeared set to end the year without even a podium finish, but a commanding performance in the Bahrain finale saw the squad finish first and second, with Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway and Nyck de Vries taking the top spot in the #07 Toyota GR010 Hybrid.
The Cologne-based squad has set high expectations for 2026, when it introduces a major aerodynamic update and a design that is closer to its road car range.
But for now, Toyota is relieved to finally close the chapter on a frustrating campaign and finish the season on a high note.
“I don’t think it’s the maximum we could achieve [this season], because we have had issues and we made mistakes,” Floury said. “We had room for improvements, to do a better job in some of the races. But at the end of the day, I don’t think it would have changed the end result.
“It’s been a difficult season, to be honest. I’m quite happy that it’s over. I’m happy for all the boys, for all the teams that did finish on a high, especially with the pole position in the Hypercar and GT3 [with Lexus], and the win in both categories. It’s good for Toyota in general.”
#7 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 — Hybrid: Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, Nyck De Vries
Photo by: Jakob Ebrey / LAT Images via Getty Images
Toyota jumped from fourth to second in the manufacturers’ championship with its 1-2 finish in Bahrain, leapfrogging both Cadillac and Porsche in the process.
However, Floury wasn’t too thrilled to finish best of the rest behind dominant Ferrari.
“People only remember P1. But still, it’s better to finish P2 than P4,” he said.
For the longest time, Toyota was hailed for its operation superiority, with its strength in execution and strategy giving it an edge over its rivals.
However, it has dropped the ball on several occasions, with Austin and Fuji being two races where it notably faltered.
When asked if those errors were down to Toyota trying too hard to make up for the pace deficit, Floury said: “When you are back in the game, like we were this weekend, you feel like the team is a bit different.
“For sure, being on the back foot race after a race makes it very difficult to keep everyone focused. I think this weekend we did a much better job than in the two previous races.”
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
— The Motorsport.com Team
