Ferrari on cusp of first World Championship in 18 years
The 100th FIA World Endurance Championship race at Fuji in Japan this weekend, is big, whichever way you look at it. There have of course been many more world endurance races over time, but this is the hundredth in its current FIA WEC format. And it’s also a crucial one for the champions-to-be, and multiple reigning champions too
Ferrari is on the brink of history as it chases its first World Championship in 18 years, and its first sportscar title since 1973 at the Fuji WEC 6 Hour this weekend. Having last taken a title with Kimi Raikkonen in 2007 and last won a world sportscar championship all the way back in ‘73, all eyes are on the red and yellow cars as they stand to relieve current six-time reigning Makers Champions Gazoo Toyota of this year’s title in the Japanese giant’s back yard.
Ferrari first won the World Sportscar Championship in the series’ maiden season in 1953 and went on to add nine more titles through to 1966. Maranello then won another world sportscar title in 1972, before Enzo decided to concentrate on Formula 1. Ferrari returned to the FIA WEC fifty years later, winning all three Le Mans 24 Hours since.
Ferrari on threshold of 13th endurance title
Now, after dominating the first half of 2025, Ferrari finally stands on the threshold of a thirteenth world endurance racing championship. The AF Corse-run Ferrari team has utterly dominated the WEC in 2025. It started with a 1-2 in Bahrain, followed by a home win at Imola, another 1-2 at Spa Francorchamps and then that Le Mans 24 hat trick. second and fourth in Texas now sees Ferrari at a huge 2025 WEC advantage.
Currently 75 points clear of Porsche in the Makers’ race, Ferrari needs to be 65 clear after Japan so as not to be beaten. It’s a similar scenario in the privateer WEC Hypercar championship, where all second in the overall championship, Philip Hanson, Robert Kubica and Yifei Ye need do is to finish the race to wrap it up. They’re also in with a very real shot of the Driver’s title.
That chase is likely to go down to the points-and-a-half Baharan 8 Hour finale, with factory Ferrari trio Alessandro Pier Guidi, Antonio Giovinazzi and James Calado in a fifteen-point advantage over Hanson, Kubica and Ye,and Porsche duo, reigning champions Kévin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor still a little too close for comfort 21 points further back. Their problem is however the 50 crew Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina, Nicklas Nielsen out to make it a Ferrari 1-2-3.
Outgoing champion GR Toyota looks ahead
It's close for second in the Manufacturers race between the only other two teams besides Ferrari to win a race this year. Texas winners, Penske Porsche sit but three points clear of Cadillac following its Brazilian 1-2. Outgoing champions an incredible six times over, home team and 11-time winners at Fuji, Gazoo Toyota is not quite yet out of that chase for second in spite of a six-race run without a podium. BMW sits fifth in the championship from Alpine, Peugeot and Aston Martin.
Whatever happens on track, Gazoo Toyota Racing will celebrate the future in its collaboration with the Le Mans 24 Hour at Fuji. Toyota will unveil is latest hydrogen racing plans at a special fan zone, presumably around its participation in the future hydrogen H2 WEC class from 2028, alongside tomorrow’s universal Toyota hydrogen mobility strategies.
The other key battle at Fuji is in LMGT3. The Pera Lietz Hardwick Manthey 1st Phorm Porsche 911 arrives with a 19-point advantage over the Rovera Hériau Mann Vista AF Corse Ferrari 296. Corvette crew, Keating, Juncadella and Edgar, the Schmid, Lopez, Umbrărescu, Akkodis Lexus the and James, Drudi, Robichon Heart of Racing Aston Martin are all well withing fighting distance.
Porshe leads LMGT3 to Fuji
Never ignore LMGT3 winners last time out United Autosports McLaren including Yokohama-born Marino Sato who also took his maiden win in Texas, the WRT BMW M4s including one driven by Valentino Rossi, or the Proton Ford Mustangs chasing their elusive firstLMGT3 victory. Of all the drivers racing at Fuji this weekend, only Loïc Duval, Frédéric Makowiecki, Neel Jani and LMGT3 leader, Richard Lietz appeared in the first race back at Sebring in 2012
The Fuji action starts early in the Western world, remember, with free practice on Friday, 26 September before qualifying and the Hyperpole top ten shootout at 07:20 European Time Saturday. The race starts 04:00 CEST Sunday 28 September.
