Toyota Gazoo Racing reclaimed victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans after a four-year absence, executing a strategic masterclass to secure a memorable one-three finish in the world’s most prestigious endurance race.
The #7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid, shared by Nyck de Vries, Kamui Kobayashi and Mike Conway, emerged victorious after 24 hours of intense competition at Circuit de la Sarthe. The Japanese manufacturer overcame strong challenges from BMW and Cadillac, while the sister #8 Toyota completed the podium in third place.
For Toyota, the result marked its sixth overall Le Mans victory and its first since 2022, reaffirming the manufacturer’s status as one of endurance racing’s modern powerhouses.
Early Strategy Defines Toyota’s Race
The foundations of Toyota’s victory were laid within the opening stages of the race.
While much of the Hypercar field followed conventional pit strategies, Toyota elected to bring both GR010 Hybrids into the pits within the first 30 minutes. The team opted for short fuel fills, sacrificing track position initially in favour of gaining strategic flexibility later in the race.
The gamble paid immediate dividends.
As rivals completed their first routine pit stops, the #8 Toyota surged from 15th on the grid into the overall lead, while the #7 machine climbed firmly into contention inside the top ten.
From that moment onwards, Toyota remained a constant presence at the front of the field.
BMW Delivers Breakthrough Le Mans Performance
While Toyota ultimately controlled the race, BMW produced arguably its strongest performance since returning to the Hypercar category.
The #20 BMW M Hybrid V8 driven by Robin Frijns, René Rast and Sheldon van der Linde consistently challenged for victory throughout the event and entered the final hours firmly in contention.
A mistake on pit entry from Frijns ultimately proved costly, allowing both Toyotas to move ahead during a crucial phase of the race. Despite losing the lead, BMW remained firmly in the fight and later mounted a successful recovery drive.
The decisive moment arrived during the closing hour when Frijns overtook Sébastien Buemi’s #8 Toyota through the Porsche Curves, securing second place and completing BMW’s best Le Mans result of the Hypercar era.
Late Drama Fails to Deny Toyota
The final hours featured multiple interruptions, Full Course Yellow periods and strategic uncertainty that repeatedly reshaped the battle at the front.
Cadillac’s #12 V-Series.R, driven by Norman Nato, Will Stevens and Louis Delétraz, remained a genuine contender throughout much of the race despite an earlier penalty. However, the American manufacturer ultimately lacked the pace to challenge for victory during the closing stages and finished fourth.
The race’s defining sequence unfolded when a Full Course Yellow interrupted a developing battle between the two Toyotas. While Brendon Hartley had completed his pit stop before the neutralisation, Nyck de Vries was forced into an unscheduled service stop under caution conditions.
Despite the setback, the #7 Toyota emerged from the sequence with a comfortable advantage and never relinquished control.
A late investigation for a track limits infringement briefly threatened Toyota’s progress, but race control elected not to impose a penalty. Kobayashi then completed the final stint to bring the GR010 Hybrid home 11 seconds ahead of the chasing BMW.
Ferrari’s Winning Streak Comes to an End
After dominating recent editions of Le Mans, Ferrari suffered its first defeat since returning to the top class of endurance racing.
The factory-backed #51 Ferrari 499P of Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi endured a difficult race and ultimately finished fifth. The Italian squad struggled to match the pace of Toyota and BMW throughout the event and also received a drive-through penalty following contact with the #9 Proton Competition entry.
Ferrari’s hopes suffered a further blow when the #50 car retired with mechanical issues on Sunday morning after already falling out of overall victory contention overnight.
The result ends Ferrari’s unbeaten run at Le Mans and hands Toyota a significant statement victory in the Hypercar era.
Alpine Leads the Midfield Fight
Alpine showed flashes of impressive speed throughout the race but lacked the reliability required to challenge the leading manufacturers.
The #35 A424 shared by Ferdinand Habsburg, Charles Milesi and António Félix da Costa finished sixth despite losing several laps due to an anti-roll bar issue. The sister Alpine completed the race in tenth place.
Defending winners AF Corse secured seventh with the Ferrari driven by Ye Yifei, Robert Kubica and Phil Hanson, while Aston Martin’s flagship #007 Valkyrie LMH delivered a respectable eighth-place finish in only the brand’s second Le Mans Hypercar appearance.
Cadillac’s Wayne Taylor Racing entry finished ninth despite multiple penalties throughout the race.
Inter Europol Dominates LMP2
In LMP2, Inter Europol Competition successfully defended its Le Mans crown with a dominant one-two finish.
The #43 Oreca driven by Jakub Smiechowski, Nick Yelloly and Tom Dillmann crossed the finish line approximately 30 seconds ahead of the sister #434 car after a race-long battle between the team’s two entries.
Their main rival, the #30 Duqueine Oreca, retired with brake issues less than four hours from the finish after leading for significant portions of the race.
Forestier Racing by Panis completed the class podium in third place.
Corvette Triumphs in LMGT3
The LMGT3 category belonged to TF Sport and Corvette.
The #33 Corvette Z06 GT3.R driven by Jonny Edgar, Ben Keating and Nicky Catsburg claimed class honours after a controlled and composed performance across the full 24 hours.
Although Aston Martin and Lexus initially appeared to be the strongest contenders, Corvette steadily worked its way to the front during the night, aided by several impressive stints from factory driver Catsburg.
A late challenge from the Heart of Racing Aston Martin briefly threatened the Corvette’s lead, but TF Sport reasserted control during the closing hours to secure Corvette’s first Le Mans victory of the LMGT3 era.
The #78 ASP Lexus finished second, while the #23 Aston Martin completed the podium.
2026 Le Mans 24 Hours – Hypercar Top 10
Toyota #7 – Nyck de Vries / Kamui Kobayashi / Mike Conway
BMW #20 – Robin Frijns / René Rast / Sheldon van der Linde
Toyota #8 – Brendon Hartley / Ryo Hirakawa / Sébastien Buemi
Cadillac #12 – Norman Nato / Will Stevens / Louis Delétraz
Ferrari #51 – Alessandro Pier Guidi / James Calado / Antonio Giovinazzi
Alpine #35 – Ferdinand Habsburg / Charles Milesi / António Félix da Costa
AF Corse Ferrari #83 – Ye Yifei / Robert Kubica / Phil Hanson
Aston Martin #007 – Harry Tincknell / Tom Gamble / Ross Gunn
Cadillac #101 – Filipe Albuquerque / Ricky Taylor / Jordan Taylor
Alpine #36 – Jules Gounon / Frédéric Makowiecki / Victor Martins
