WEC Monza: Cadillac wins, #8 Toyota claims the drivers' title

At Monza, the biggest verdict comes almost quietly, at the end of a long race full of neutralisations. Cadillac #38 of Jack Aitken, Sébastien Bourdais and Earl Bamber crosses the line first in the 6 Hours and takes its first win of the season, while Toyota #8 of Sébastien Buemi, Ryō Hirakawa and Brendon Hartley completes the weekend with the FIA WEC 2026 world drivers' title.

For Toyota, the result comes after a season built on victories at Imola, Fuji and Barcelona, which kept the title fight open until the final race. At Monza, the Japanese trio nonetheless ends a difficult weekend, but the work done in the previous rounds is enough to seal the World Championship. For Buemi it is the fifth title, for Hartley the fourth, for Hirakawa the third.

The Japanese manufacturer had already secured the constructors' title. So the Sunday in Brianza delivers a double seal: Cadillac takes the race, Toyota the most prestigious championship for drivers.

Cadillac ahead

The win for #38 also has the flavour of a long comeback: Cadillac returns to victory after 16 months of drought and does so after keeping the lead in the decisive phases. Motorsport.com tells of a race constantly thrown back into the balance by two neutralisations, with Bamber still ahead at the restart and Alpine ready to reopen everything.

Behind them, the battle stayed alive until the end. Alpine #36 tried to stay in touch, while #35 ended up in the barriers at the Parabolica in the closing stages of the race. In a race this changeable, Cadillac found the right cool-headedness to turn the pace shown on track into a fully deserved win.

A title that matters

For Toyota, however, the highest point is not linked to an overtake or a fastest lap, but to the consistency of an entire year. The title for #8 tells of a team capable of staying in the fight until the final round and of collecting the biggest prize even without stepping onto the top step of the podium.

Monza thus closes with two different but complementary images: Cadillac back in first place and Toyota taking the World Championship. It is the picture of a season that leaves each with its own merit, separating the triumph of the day from the value of an entire championship.