David Floury (Toyota) satisfied but with reservations: "We didn't win it at our pure pace."

For the first time since the 2024 Bahrain 8 Hours, the Toyota No. 8 won the World Endurance Championship (WEC). At the end of the opening round of the 2026 season at the 6 Hours of Imola, the Japanese brand secured the first victory of the season ahead of the Classic Ferrari for sale No. 51 and the other Toyota, No. 7. An unexpected result on the home circuit of the Prancing Horse, which started in pole position and was considered the overwhelming favorite.

David Floury, technical director of Toyota Racing, himself readily admits it: "We didn't win it based on our pure pace, but rather on not making mistakes and optimizing everything." On a circuit renowned for its challenging overtaking, tire strategy and pit stop management played a decisive role. Toyota had anticipated this reality well before the start: “We knew it was virtually impossible to overtake on this circuit. So we had to try and find other strategies. We took risks to try and come back, we made undercuts in particular at certain times.”

The key moment of the race came with the choice of a triple stint for car number 7, a bold decision that paid off, placing both Hypercars on the podium. Floury explains the logic behind this calculated risk: “When we saw car number 51 change tires, we decided to do a triple stint with Kamui [Kobayashito position his car between number 8 and number 51. It was a team strategy. This decision was all the more delicate as the Japanese driver himself wanted to finish the race on the same tires: "In the car, that's what he wanted to do, but it wasn't a safe option. Four stints on those tires would have been really pushing the limits, in terms of wear and grip, and there was a risk of rain at the end of the race."

The penalty imposed on the number 50 Ferrari also worked in Toyota's favor, and Floury did not seek to downplay this advantage: "Clearly, the penalty for number 50 helps us, because it means one less competitor. When you're two against one, it's easier than two against two." A welcome frankness, which illustrates the lucidity with which the director of Toyota Motorsport analyzes the race.

A collective progression, not a technical revolution

Beyond the immediate result, the French engineer emphasizes the progress made by the team since the difficulties encountered at the end of the 2025 season. Toyota has not undergone a revolution in its organization: "There haven't been any changes to the team; we haven't hired any other experienced people. We've simply worked together as a group to find out what we could do better." An internal approach, based on collective analysis and in-depth work, which seems to have paid off from the first round.

The new car represents an evolution rather than a radical departure. David Floury is clear on this point: "The new car is an improvement. Not necessarily in terms of pure pace, but from the point of view of consistency and ease of driving. It's a little better in all conditions." In a championship governed by the Balance of Performance (BoP), where the differences in pure pace between manufacturers are minimal, this improvement in consistency can make a significant difference over the length of a season. "The operational aspect therefore becomes extremely important in a BoP championship, because everyone is very close in terms of pure pace."

The Frenchman also makes an interesting observation about the hierarchy of the grid: "I was honestly surprised; I expected that..." Peugeot "Be better." He also notes that Cadillac could have been in contention without its penalty — the same as for the No. 50 Ferrari, due to a failure to respect the yellow flag at turn 13 resulting in a drive-through — which suggests closer battles in the next rounds. "Generally, we see some superb racing at Spa, so I'm really looking forward to it."

50 wins out of 100 races

This victory at Imola holds special significance in the history of Toyota's Hypercar program. It marks the team's 50th victory in 100 races contested in the premier category of the...Endurance, first in LMP1, then in Hypercar — a remarkable statistic that David Floury savors with undisguised pride: "It's great to win 50 out of 100 races. For the team, it's a great success, I'm really happy about it."

But the technical director of Toyota Racing is careful not to fall into self-satisfaction: "However, there is still a lot of work to be done; we must not rest on our laurels, we are not yet where we want to be." Is this a facade of humility or genuine humility? Judging by Floury's overall statement, which coldly analyzes the limitations of his car while praising the quality of the team's execution, it's clearly the latter. We'll have to wait until the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, from May 7th to 9th, to see if Toyota's strong comeback is confirmed.

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Interview by Valentin Glo, in Imola.