---
title: "Toyota Fixed Running Order, Potentially Orchestrated Alonso’s WEC Win at Spa"
description: "Mike Conway, Alonso's teammate in the sister Toyota racer wasn't allowed to fight in the closing stages."
date: "2018-05-07"
modified: "2018-05-07"
authors:
  - name: "Jerry Perez"
    job_title: "Deputy Editor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/20662/toyota-fixed-running-order-potentially-orchestrated-alonsos-wec-win-at-spa"
categories:
  - "News"
tags:
  - "Fernando Alonso"
  - "FIA WEC"
  - "racing"
  - "Racing News"
  - "Spa Francorchamps"
  - "Toyota"
  - "Toyota Gazoo Racing"
  - "World Endurance Championship"
---

# Toyota Fixed Running Order, Potentially Orchestrated Alonso’s WEC Win at Spa

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2018/05/gettyimages-955058936.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Toyota Gazoo Racing directives revealed on Sunday that they purposely froze the running order in the closing stages of Saturday's [World Endurance Championship race](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/20658/fernando-alonso-wins-with-toyota-in-wec-debut-at-spa-francorchamps>) at Spa-Francorchamps, which was won by two-time Formula 1 world champion Fernando Alonso for Toyota.

Pascal Vasselon, Toyota's technical boss who oversees the running of both TS050 Hybrid racers, admitted that all six drivers had agreed to "not racing each other" after the final scheduled pit stop of the six-hour race. According to [*Motorsport*](<https://www.motorsport.com/wec/news/toyota-froze-spa-battle-alonso-conway-1034300/>), the lineup of superstar drivers could race each other from the start of the race until the last pit stop, which is when Toyota decided they should remain in place and not take any chances.

![message-editor%2F1525703960208-gettyimages-955076636.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/message-editor/1525703960208-gettyimages-955076636.jpg>)
*GETTY*

![message-editor%2F1525703965846-gettyimages-955059168.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/message-editor/1525703965846-gettyimages-955059168.jpg>)
*GETTY*

"The agreement was that the cars could race until the last pit stop and actually the two cars joined (came together) at the last pit stop," Vasselon told *Motorsport*.

"We told [the drivers](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/20639/wec-qualifying-alonso-inherits-pole-at-spa-after-sister-toyota-excluded>) they could race only to the last pit stop because we did not want to have the last laps with a lot of tension."

Despite the orchestrated finishing order, both Toyota race cars were so far ahead of the rest of the field that they could've stopped to deliberate which of the two cars was going to win the race, and then continued on to do so. [Mike Conway in the No. 7](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/20606/fernando-alonso-leads-fia-world-endurance-championship-first-practice-at-spa>) Toyota trailed the No. 8 LMP1 car of Alonso by only one second in the closing stages of the race, giving way to conspiracy theories that Alonso had been favored for the win ahead of the official statement made by the team.

![message-editor%2F1525703988121-gettyimages-955059154.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/message-editor/1525703988121-gettyimages-955059154.jpg>)
*GETTY*

![message-editor%2F1525703993386-gettyimages-955059158.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/message-editor/1525703993386-gettyimages-955059158.jpg>)
*GETTY*

According to Vasselon, the decision didn't hamper the outcome of the race, as the agreement had been made prior to the start of it.

"This did not change anything, because it was always the plan to freeze the positions," Vasselon said. "The lap times show that the No. 7 car was marginally faster, by just one or two tenths, but it came back basically because of the safety car."

This confirms that Conway had a faster car and could've passed Alonso had an agreement not been in place. While it's understandable that Toyota simply wanted to [play things safe](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/13987/wec-considering-shorter-calendar-winter-championship-according-to-report>) and secure a one-two finish, it surely smells like a fabricated victory for Fernando Alonso.

## Author
Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/drive_jerry/>)