The Toyota TS050 Hybrids were certainly unbeatable during the qualifiers. However, the rain that fell during the race sent José María López and the #7 car spinning into a pile of tyres during the Argentinian’s first ever endurance stint. López made it back to the pit and his mechanics were able to repair the car, but all hopes of finishing well were dashed. In addition, the incident brought out the safety car, negating the lead held by the #8 Toyota. Sébastien Buemi had to work hard to claw back on Brendon Hartley in the #2 Porsche 919 Hybrid after one last fuel stop. In the end, Buemi found an opening with less than 15 minutes to go in the race, putting Toyota back in front and letting them kick the season off with a win (see the race summary).
Video: Toyota Gazoo Racing on YouTube