# World Endurance Championship 2023: A Thrilling Season with Surprises and Dominance ## Toyota Gazoo Racing Captures Victory at Sebring ### Toyota Gazoo Racing's dominance in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) continued at the iconic 12 Hours of Sebring. The #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid of Brendon Hartley, Sébastien Buemi, and Ryo Hirakawa crossed the checkered flag first, securing their second consecutive victory in the 2023 season.
Despite a strong challenge from the #7 Peugeot 9X8, the Toyotas proved their class by maintaining a steady pace and executing a flawless race strategy. The victory solidified Toyota's position as the team to beat in this season's championship. ## Peugeot Provides a Glimpse of Potential ### Peugeot may not have taken the top spot at Sebring, but the team's performance was a testament to their potential. The #7 Peugeot 9X8, driven by Loïc Duval, Gustavo Menezes, and Nico Müller, remained competitive throughout the race, leading for several laps and providing relentless pressure on the Toyotas.
Although technical issues ultimately prevented them from claiming victory, Peugeot's strong showing at Sebring serves as a warning to their rivals. The French manufacturer is quickly closing the gap and could pose a serious threat to Toyota's dominance in the future. ## Glickenhaus Racing Impresses in LMH ### Glickenhaus Racing may be a small team compared to Toyota and Peugeot, but their performance at Sebring was anything but small-scale. The #709 Glickenhaus 007 LMH, driven by Ryan Briscoe, Franck Mailleux, and Olivier Pla, finished a remarkable fourth overall and second in the Hypercar class.
The team's impressive race pace and reliability highlight the progress they have made since joining the WEC. Glickenhaus Racing has proven that they are capable of competing with the established giants and could be a dark horse in the championship. ## LMP2 and LMP3 Show Thrilling Battles ### Away from the Hypercar class, the LMP2 and LMP3 categories provided some of the most exciting and competitive racing at Sebring.
In LMP2, the #31 WRT team took victory with their ORECA 07-Gibson, while the #51 AF Corse team and the #13 TDS Racing team completed the podium. The LMP3 class was equally thrilling, with the #13 Inter Europol Competition team's Ligier JS P320-Nissan securing the win. ## Alpine's Dominance in Hypercar Qualifying ### The qualifying session for the 12 Hours of Sebring saw Alpine Endurance Team claim pole position in the Hypercar class. The #36 Alpine A480-Gibson, driven by Nicolas Lapierre, Matthieu Vaxiviere, and Andre Negrao, set a blistering lap time to secure the top spot.
Toyota Gazoo Racing's #8 and #7 cars completed the top three in qualifying, but it was Alpine who showed impressive pace and could potentially challenge Toyota for victory in the race.
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