Season Finale in Tianjin, Decisive Battle Imminent! In-depth Report on Tianjin Station Preparations

This weekend, the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing China GR86 Cup 2026 will hold the season finale at Tianjin V1 International Circuit. On October 9, the Tianjin station launched the practice session. Drivers in various groups prepared for the race in the autumn atmosphere of Tianjin. The ultimate struggle for year-end honors is gearing up.

01

The Final Chapter of the Season, Legends Gather Again in Tianjin

The season finale is already hot before the race. In the entry list for the Tianjin station, there are standings leaders anchoring the field, as well as challengers debuting in this event. The appearance of multiple automotive media personalities and drivers has further heated up the attention in the paddock.

The competition in the Elite Group (MT) is full of highlights. Chong Wei from Shanghai Hanting BY Jingxing Racing will compete as the standings leader; his performance will directly affect the annual trend. GT racing star Ye Zhengyang will make his debut in this event this weekend, competing for Level Motorsport. Cheng Zipeng from RevoZport won the group championship at his debut in Ningbo station. Returning to the track, he expects another wonderful performance. Yang Shuo from Prime Racing makes his debut in this event; this famous automotive media personality and driver possesses experience driving GT racing in national-level events. Liu Zilong and Chen Pengfei from Leo Racing appear together; Liu Zilong will launch a full-force assault on the year-end honors, while Chen Pengfei has experience in standardized racing events. Chen Jianbin from Huihe Racing also stood on the group podium at the Ningbo station; his strength cannot be ignored.

The Superior Group (AT) also features a gathering of stars. Man Kaishuo from 610 Racing competes as the standings leader; teammate Zhou Han also has the ability to challenge for the top positions. Cai Huangsitong from Flying Lap Racing Team is a famous media personality who won the group championship at his debut in the previous station in Chengdu. Lv Sixiang from Prime Racing performed steadily throughout the season. Famous driver Li Lin from LEO Racing will also join the competition. Shi Wei from SHE Power Racing has achieved good results frequently, while Song Jie, who has experience in national-level events and standardized racing, is competing for the first time. Zhang Zhanhe from 1087X Racing has stood on the podium for this event multiple times. Zhang Jing Pengqing from Henan No Hardships Racing Team has participated in national-level endurance races and is competing in this station for the first time.

Additionally, this station introduces a new R&D Group. Employees from the Toyota R&D Center will form the IEM team to compete, with driver Jia Yu leading the charge. They will improve vehicle tuning capabilities in a real competitive environment while deepening their understanding of driving techniques and vehicle performance.

Employee participation in racing continues Toyota's tradition in global motorsports. The addition of the R&D team will provide professional opinions for subsequent vehicle upgrades and improvements. This is both an important way to cultivate talent and an effective method to promote continuous technological progress in vehicles.

02

Paddock Heats Up on Practice Day, Season Sprint about to Ignite

On Friday, the Tianjin station welcomed open practice and paid practice sessions. Drivers seized the opportunity to familiarize themselves with track characteristics and tune their race cars to make final preparations for the year-end showdown.

610 Racing Man Kaishuo 

This is my first time driving this race car for practice on the long track layout at Tianjin V1 International Circuit. After running, I feel that this track causes relatively high wear on tires and brakes. Therefore, when practicing laps, it is necessary to ensure the tires are in the optimal working window, make effective results as much as possible, and reduce mistakes at the same time. The current practice results are acceptable, and I hope to achieve a good position in qualifying. I lead significantly in the standings and hope to finish both rounds smoothly, and launch an assault on the top podium based on this.

RevoZport Cheng Zipeng 

Overall, the car performance is good, but I personally still need to complete more preparation work. I roughly familiarized myself with the racing route on Thursday, and on Friday I focused on refining technical actions. The lap time still needs improvement and I need to continue to solve the problems identified in the official practice. This time I represent RevoZport to compete. I hope to learn more from the professional drivers, increase track racing experience, and finish smoothly.

Flying Lap Racing Team Cai Huangsitong 

Two years ago, it was in Tianjin that I obtained my racing license; at that time, I ran the short layout, this time it is the long track layout. Theoretically, the corner design here is simpler than Chengdu Tianfu International Circuit, but in reality, it poses a great challenge to the delicacy and precision of operation. It is not easy to find the optimal rhythm. I have been practicing these two days, trying to find the rhythm. I have previously commented on the Macau Guia Circuit, as well as street races in Monaco and Singapore. This competition made me truly feel the sensation of a race car flying close to the wall. Some corners in Tianjin and the braking of a few straights are very close to the wall. To improve lap times, one must get close to the guard wall. Drivers need to find a balance between lap times and risk. I look forward to this weekend's race.

Prime Racing Yang Shuo 

This is my first time participating in this event, I think it is very interesting. Currently, there are few domestic entry-level rear-wheel-drive standardized racing cars. This event is popular worldwide, and the racing system is very complete. The fun of rear-wheel-drive cars lies in the very large adjustable range of the vehicle. For example, I have been improving corner exit efficiency on Friday. I can solve problems by changing springs, tuning the chassis, or even adjusting suspension damping and vehicle height. If drivers accumulate this experience, it will also be very helpful for entering the GT arena in the future. The GR86 was originally a very fun car. After upgrading to a race car, it became more lightweight, and the power became more direct. I think the driving fun can rival GT4 race cars. This car has no ESP, no TC, relying entirely on the steering wheel and accelerator to control the rear slide. For those who want to feel the rear-wheel-drive and improve rear-wheel-drive driving skills, it is a very good choice. I have high expectations for myself before the race, but encountered some challenges during the test drive. However, I believe that with my experience and skills, I will solve problems quickly, and then strive for a brilliant performance with full force.

On Saturday, the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing China GR86 Cup 2026 Tianjin Station will welcome the competition for qualifying and the first round final. Who will take the lead in the qualifying session? Who will come out on top in the first round final? The suspense of the year-end honors will be revealed soon. Stay tuned!