Toyota defeated BMW and Cadillac to win this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, returning to the top step of the Le Mans podium after three years. The #7 Toyota TR010 Hybrid piloted by Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway and Nyck de Vries crossed the chequered flag 10.913 seconds ahead of the #20 BMW of Robin Frijns, Rene Rast and Sheldon van der Linde, making this the closest outright finish in the World Endurance Championship’s (WEC) history.
Toyota celebrated a double podium, with the #8 crew of Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa finishing third. Ferrari, meanwhile, failed to make it four Le Mans wins in a row, with the team’s best finisher being the #51 499P Hypercar in fifth place.
1. #7 Toyota wins Le Mans by 10.913 seconds ahead of #20 BMW
2. Corvette defeats Lexus and Aston Martin to win in LMGT3 class
2026 Le Mans winners
2026 Le Mans Hypercar winner - #7 Toyota
Toyota started the race from P14 and P15 on the grid. But its decision to pit early on (just 30 minutes in) and short-fuel earlier than rivals paid dividends, bringing both cars into victory contention. The #8 Toyota held the upper hand within the team for most of the race, as the #7 car suffered an early puncture. However, an off-track moment in the ninth hour, a drive-through penalty and a drum brake mounting repair left the #8 crew with some catching up to do.
Some key overtakes, including de Vries’s bold pass on Norman Nato into the Mulsanne corner, firmly put the #7 back into contention for the win. The timing of a late-race Full Course Yellow handed the #7 car the lead. As the Le Mans Rolex clock finally completed its second rotation, Kobayashi crossed the finish line to secure Toyota’s 51st WEC win.
“It was very challenging for us, but we never gave up. Car #7 has had a lot of second places at Le Mans, but finally we got our second win,” said an elated Kobayashi. “We have waited so long for this victory, and it feels amazing. The whole week was not easy, including the race, which was not smooth. We had a puncture early, and that made it tough for us. But Mike, Nyck, our engineers and our pit crew did a great job. It was an incredible day. Thank you to everyone who made it happen, including all the fans who make this such a special event.”
Despite holding the lead early on, the #20 BMW had to settle for second place. Nevertheless, it marks a strong result for the manufacturer, handing BMW its first overall Le Mans podium since its famous win back in 1999. The #8 Toyota finished third, followed by the #12 Cadillac of Nato, Will Stevens and Louis Deletraz.
Le Mans LMP2 winner – #43 Inter Europol Competition
The #43 Inter Europol Competition car defended its LMP2 win after a heartbreaking retirement for the #20 Duqueine car, which held the lead for nearly 21 hours when it suffered a front brake failure.
Inter Europol Competition bagged a 1-2 finish, with the #343 car crossing the line in second place, followed by the #29 Forestier Racing by Panis car.
Le Mans LMGT3 winner - #33 TF Sport Corvette
The #33 TF Sport Corvette Z06 claimed a hard-fought LMGT3 win after starting from 17th on the grid. Lexus secured its very first Le Mans podium, with the #78 RC F entered by Akkodis finishing second, followed by the #23 Aston Martin Vantage AMR entered by Heart of Racing.
Vishal Venugopal
