Toyota pulled off a strategic masterclass towards the end of the Fuji 6 Hours to claim a narrow World Endurance Championship victory over pre-race favourite Alpine.
Ryo Hirakawa, Brendon Hartley and Sebastien Buemi emerged victorious in the #8 Toyota TR010 Hybrid after the Japanese manufacturer made a shorter pitstop under the final Virtual Safety car to grant Hirakawa track position.
For the majority of the race, Alpine appeared on course to repeat its victory from last year, with the two A424 LMDhs holding on to a comfortable 1-2 after locking out the front row.
But a late safety car in the final hour threw a
