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TF SPORT AND CORVETTE STORM TO VICTORY IN THE PENULTIMATE ROUND OF THE 2025 FIA WEC SEASON: THE #81 Z06 GT3.R WINS THE 6 HOURS OF FUJI!
At the slopes of Mount Fuji, on one of the world's most iconic circuits, TF Sport and Corvette climbed to the peak of the rankings, securing an extraordinary victory in the LMGT3 class. After winning with the #33 Z06 GT3.R in the opening race of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship season, at the 6 Hours of Fuji the team and the American manufacturer claimed their second win of the season and first with the #81 Vette.
The car, driven by Charlie Eastwood, Rui Andrade and Tom Van Rompuy, won a hard-fought race that remained uncertain until the very end. Starting from seventh on the grid and having to manage an early-race penalty, the crew made its way through the field in order to reach the top spots in the standings. In a race where strategies played a very important role, the team and the drivers worked together perfectly, maximizing every single decision made. After more than five hours of battle, the last minutes of the race proved decisive. With less than ten minutes to go, while the #81 Corvette Z06 GT3.R was 3rd behind the #21 Ferrari and the #31 BMW, both of these pitted for a last splash of fuel. Eastwood and the team saw an opportunity to change their strategy and they seized it: the Northern Irishman came back to the pits a lap later, making a sort of overcut which not only allowed him to overtake the BMW, but also brought him within 5” off the Ferrari. The small gap soon proved crucial to the race outcome. As the #21 car was given a 5-second penalty for an infringement during its final pit stop, Eastwood and the #81 Corvette were close enough to take 1st place even though they crossed the finish line in second. With this result the #81 has moved up to 3rd place in both the LMGT3 Drivers and Teams championships – 24 points behind the leader with 39 total points still available in the season finale in Bahrain.
Whereas the Safety Car rewarded the strategy of car #81, its sister car #33 – which started from P6 – was not so lucky with the neutralisation periods. After finding itself in a good position thanks to a different strategy from #81, the race for #33 Z06 GT3.R was complicated by one of the many Safety Cars, when other cars took a gamble that ultimately paid off. Daniel Juncadella, Jonny Edgar and Ben Keating saw their hard work during the race somewhat undermined, forcing them to finish the 6 Hours of Fuji in 11th place. Although the result does not reflect the true potential of the car, the drivers and the crew, nor the hard work of the team, the glass is still half full: the pace improved throughout the weekend and only a 10-second penalty at the pit stop and, above all, the intervention of the Safety Car prevented the crew from securing a good podium finish. The #33 is now 4th in both the LMGT3 Drivers and Teams championships, with a 35-points gap from the leader and still 39 points available in Bahrain.
The lights of Sakhir will therefore have the final word on the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship season: the stage is set for the Bahrain 8 Hours, ready to be held on the weekend of 8 November.
TOM FERRIER, TF SPORT OWNER:
The car, driven by Charlie Eastwood, Rui Andrade and Tom Van Rompuy, won a hard-fought race that remained uncertain until the very end. Starting from seventh on the grid and having to manage an early-race penalty, the crew made its way through the field in order to reach the top spots in the standings. In a race where strategies played a very important role, the team and the drivers worked together perfectly, maximizing every single decision made. After more than five hours of battle, the last minutes of the race proved decisive. With less than ten minutes to go, while the #81 Corvette Z06 GT3.R was 3rd behind the #21 Ferrari and the #31 BMW, both of these pitted for a last splash of fuel. Eastwood and the team saw an opportunity to change their strategy and they seized it: the Northern Irishman came back to the pits a lap later, making a sort of overcut which not only allowed him to overtake the BMW, but also brought him within 5” off the Ferrari. The small gap soon proved crucial to the race outcome. As the #21 car was given a 5-second penalty for an infringement during its final pit stop, Eastwood and the #81 Corvette were close enough to take 1st place even though they crossed the finish line in second. With this result the #81 has moved up to 3rd place in both the LMGT3 Drivers and Teams championships – 24 points behind the leader with 39 total points still available in the season finale in Bahrain.
Whereas the Safety Car rewarded the strategy of car #81, its sister car #33 – which started from P6 – was not so lucky with the neutralisation periods. After finding itself in a good position thanks to a different strategy from #81, the race for #33 Z06 GT3.R was complicated by one of the many Safety Cars, when other cars took a gamble that ultimately paid off. Daniel Juncadella, Jonny Edgar and Ben Keating saw their hard work during the race somewhat undermined, forcing them to finish the 6 Hours of Fuji in 11th place. Although the result does not reflect the true potential of the car, the drivers and the crew, nor the hard work of the team, the glass is still half full: the pace improved throughout the weekend and only a 10-second penalty at the pit stop and, above all, the intervention of the Safety Car prevented the crew from securing a good podium finish. The #33 is now 4th in both the LMGT3 Drivers and Teams championships, with a 35-points gap from the leader and still 39 points available in Bahrain.
The lights of Sakhir will therefore have the final word on the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship season: the stage is set for the Bahrain 8 Hours, ready to be held on the weekend of 8 November.
TOM FERRIER, TF SPORT OWNER:
“What a crazy race! It became very complicated with two different strategies. I'm glad we split the cars, but that way there will always be one happy and one sad. It's a real shame for the #33, who had a great race. Ben and Jonny drove brilliantly and were in the top three throughout the race. The car #81 made the most of its potential. All the drivers drove brilliantly and Charlie, as always, was exceptional in the final stint. The biggest celebration goes to my crew who, after a terrible race at COTA, bounced back and never gave up. For us and for Corvette, this second victory in the WEC marks the progress we have made. We will go to Bahrain to fight as hard as we can!”.
