TOYOTA RACING overcame challenges during an intense battle through day and night to win an epic 94th Le Mans 24 Hours, the third round of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).
A crowd of 350,105 fans watched an epic Hypercar contest in one of the closest and most unpredictable Le Mans 24 Hours for many years, which delivered TOYOTA’s sixth win in the legendary French race.
Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries completed a nerve-wracking win by just 10.913secs after 381 laps of relentless competition in their #7 TR010 HYBRID. For Mike and Kamui, it represents a second win after their 2021 triumph, while it is Nyck’s first overall win.
Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryō Hirakawa completed a race to remember for TOYOTA RACING with a podium for third place in their #8 TR010 HYBRID, just 20.417secs off the lead.
“It was an up and down race, as usual here,” commented Hartley. “We led for a long time and had a big gap at one point before the safety car. We had some good luck and some bad luck.
“Ultimately, it didn’t work out for our car. We fought really hard until the end and my team-mates did a fantastic job. I am genuinely happy for the whole team, for the #7 crew and the drivers. It’s an emotional moment.”
Despite starting from modest grid positions after a disappointing Hyperpole, the TR010 HYBRIDs used aggressive early strategy to refuel earlier than their rivals and taking advantage of a clear track to gain time. That brought both cars into contention for the top six, and the showed exceptional pace – setting new fastest laps – but setbacks interrupted their progress.
The #7 TR010 HYBRID suffered an early puncture which left it in a tight midfield battle. But relentless speed, particularly in the morning hours, brought it into the top three with six hours remaining.
Meanwhile, the #8 car led the early stages thanks to the alternative fuel strategy. But an off-track moment in the ninth hour, a drive-through penalty around half distance, and a brake drum mounting repair soon after left the #8 crew facing a tough task to return to the front.
A safety car with less than six hours remaining reset the field and gave both cars the opportunity to show their speed and race craft in a four-car battle at the front. With three hours to go, bold overtakes from Brendon and Nyck put TOYOTA RACING into a one-two lead.
The #7 car established a gap at the front, although fuel and tyre strategies caused the podium positions to fluctuate over the remaining hours. The #8 battled bravely for second but ultimately had to change tyres in the last hour, dropping to third. Kamui kept his cool in the afternoon heat and brought the #7 to the chequered flag, followed soon after by Sébastien in the #8.
The double points scored at Le Mans extends TOYOTA RACING’s advantage in the manufacturers’ World Championship to 36 points, while the #7 crew have taken the lead in the drivers’ standings. The next race comes in just four weeks’ time with the 6 Hours of São Paulo at Interlagos on 12 July.
Le Mans 24 Hours – Result (top 6)
1st #7 TOYOTA RACING 381 laps
2nd #20 BMW M Team WRT +10.913secs
3rd #8 TOYOTA RACING +20.417secs
4th #12 Cadillac Hertz Team Jota +32.381secs
5th #51 Ferrari AF Corse +2mins 22.423secs
6th #35 Alpine Endurance Team +2mins 30.205secs
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