Reigning hypercar world champions Toyota Gazoo Racing got their 2023 season off to the best possible start with a one-two win at Saturday's 1000 Miles of Sebring.
Kamui Kobayashi steered the No 7 Toyota GR010 hybrid hypercar he shared with Mike Conway and Jose Maria Lopez to the checkered flag 2.168 seconds ahead of the sister No 8 car which was driven by Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa.
The No 7's victory in Sebring sees the Japanese manufacturer take its 40th win in the World Endurance Championship (WEC).
Taking a first ever podium position to add to its maiden pole, the No 50 Ferrari 499P hypercar crewed by Antonio Fuoco, Nicklas Nielsen and Miguel Molina claimed a strong debut for the Prancing Horse in its first hypercar race. The podium result was made even sweeter as Ferrari celebrated its return to the top class of endurance racing for the first time in 50 years.
AF Corse Ferrari had to work for its podium result, however, as the No 2 Cadillac Racing squad of Alex Lynn, Earl Bamber and Richard Westbrook challenged the Ferrari 499P hypercar in the race's closing stages.
Penske Porsche Motorsport claimed fifth and sixth with the new Porsche 963 hypercar as the No 5 car of Frederic Makowiecki, Michael Christensen and Dane Cameron finished 23.977 seconds ahead of the sister No 6 driven by Laurens Vanthoor, Andre Lotterer and Kevin Estre.
The No 51 Ferrari AF Corse 499P took seventh overall after the hypercar had to come to the pits for lengthy repairs following contact with the No 54 AF Corse Ferrari LMGTE Am entry with just two hours of the race remaining.
Floyd Vanwall Racing Team secured eighth place as Jacques Villeneuve, Tom Dillmann and Esteban Guerrieri gathered extra data from the team's first outing in the WEC's hypercar category.
Peugeot TotalEnergies finished ninth and 10th respectively as the No 93 finished ahead of the sister No 94 Peugeot 9X8 after a challenging day for the French manufacturer.
There is renewed interest in the WEC with a number of manufacturers — including Ferrari, Porsche and Peugeot — returning to the top class.
The 1000 Miles of Sebring was the first round of a seven-event championship which includes the Le Mans 24 Hours (June 10-11). The next round takes place on April 16 in Portugal for the 6 Hours of Portimao.
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