Next month’s 6 Hours of Monza (6-8 November) will not only bring down the curtain on another thrilling campaign of FIA World Endurance Championship competition – it will also decide the destiny of three of the series’ four titles.
Toyota – FIA WEC’s most successful marque – might have clinched the Hypercar Manufacturers’ crown once again last time out in Barcelona, but the Hypercar Drivers’ trophy remains up for grabs. The Japanese automotive giant’s #8 (Sébastien Buemi / Brendon Hartley / Ryō Hirakawa) and #7 (Mike Conway / Kamui Kobayashi / Nyck de Vries) line-ups are set to wage a tense internecine duel for glory – with the tantalising promise of ‘no team orders’.
The event will take on extra significance for Toyota, marking as it will Conway’s final professional race before the British star – already twice a world champion in the long-distance discipline – hangs up his helmet.
There is a three-way tussle between BMW, 2025 title-holder Ferrari and Cadillac to secure the runner-up spoils in the Hypercar Manufacturers’ standings, while in LMGT3, four crews representing three different carmakers will travel to Italy all aiming to lift the laurels.
If the odds are weighted in favour of Corvette – with the #33 TF Sport entry leading the way and the sister #34 Racing Team Turkey by TF Z06 not far behind in third – then Porsche and BMW are still hoping to turn the tables at the legendary ‘Temple of Speed’.
Manthey – a brand whose reputation in GT racing precedes it – closed the gap with victory just over a week ago in Spain for its #92 The Bend Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R. Team WRT’s #69 BMW M4 Evo, meanwhile, will require a perfect weekend at Monza and hope its rivals hit trouble if it is to spring a late surprise.
Check out the full 6 Hours of Monza entry list.
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