TOYOTA RETURNS ON TOP AT LE MANS: REDEMPTION THROUGH THE NIGHT AT LA SARTHE
- Cavalieri Garage Magazine
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
The 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans ends with a result carrying the weight of redemption. Kamui Kobayashi, Nyck De Vries, and Mike Conway brought Toyota back to the top step of the podium, delivering the Japanese manufacturer its sixth overall victory in the French endurance classic and erasing the disappointment left behind by last year’s edition.
With the new TR010 Hybrid, Toyota produced a performance of the highest standard: clean, methodical, and virtually flawless. It was a race managed with growing authority until complete control was established during the decisive stages.
The crew of the No. 7 car crossed the finish line ahead of Team WRT’s No. 20 BMW, driven by Robin Frijns, René Rast, and Sheldon van der Linde, while the podium was completed by Toyota’s sister car, the No. 8 shared by Ryo Hirakawa, Brendon Hartley, and Sébastien Buemi.
For BMW, the race leaves behind a sense of unfinished business. After securing pole position with the No. 15 entry — later eliminated during the early hours of the night — WRT still managed to assemble a strong recovery drive with the No. 20 machine. Second place was secured in the final hour of the race, holding off Sébastien Buemi’s late charge following the last round of pit stops.
The race itself began to shift after the incident involving the No. 91 Manthey Porsche at the exit of the Daytona Chicane. From that moment onward, Toyota progressively took command of the event.
Kamui Kobayashi and Ryo Hirakawa began applying relentless pressure to Norman Nato’s No. 12 Cadillac, setting a pace that the Hertz Team JOTA-run V-Series.R ultimately could not sustain over the long run.
Not even BMW managed to truly turn the contest into an open fight. The No. 7 Toyota steadily built its advantage, while the No. 8 battled until the closing stages in pursuit of a one-two finish that ultimately slipped away.
Just outside the podium positions finished the No. 12 Cadillac of Louis Delétraz, Norman Nato, and Will Stevens, ahead of Ferrari’s No. 51 499P driven by Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, and Antonio Giovinazzi. A fifth-place result that, considering expectations entering the event and the way the race unfolded, carries more value than the final classification alone may suggest.
Behind the factory Ferrari came the No. 35 Alpine, the No. 83 AF Corse Ferrari, the No. 007 Aston Martin, the No. 101 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac, and the second Alpine entry, the No. 36.
It was a weekend to forget for Peugeot, which finished outside the points after a difficult event from start to finish. More encouraging signs came from Genesis, which successfully completed its Le Mans debut and secured 13th place overall.
In LMGT3, Corvette Racing returned to victory lane at Le Mans. Following its 2023 triumph, the American manufacturer claimed another class win thanks to Nicky Catsburg, Ben Keating, and Jonny Edgar together with TF Sport.
After climbing through the field early in the race, the winners built their success through a combination of consistency and aggression, finishing ahead of the No. 78 Akkodis ASP Lexus RC F GT3 and the No. 23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 EVO.
Ferrari also delivered a respectable result in class: the VISTA AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO driven by Alessio Rovera, François Heriau, and Simon Mann finished fifth, remaining in contention near the front until the final stages.
In LMP2, another familiar force emerged. Inter Europol Competition secured its third recent Le Mans victory after previous triumphs in 2023 and 2025.
Jakub Śmiechowski, Tom Dillmann, and Nick Yelloly delivered victory for the No. 34 entry ahead of the team’s sister ORECA and the Forestier by Panis Racing machine.
The class was also marked by the dramatic elimination of Duqueine Racing. With less than three hours remaining and victory within reach, a technical failure ended the dreams of the No. 30 crew in the Daytona Chicane runoff area.
Finally, in LMP2 Pro/Am, George Kurtz, Alex Quinn, and Laurin Heinrich delivered a dominant performance for Crowdstrike by APR, adding another major result to a season already highlighted by titles in the Asian Le Mans Series and victory in the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
With Le Mans now in the books, the FIA WEC will return in mid-July for its traditional stop in São Paulo. But for the next year, one image will remain: Toyota once again standing above everyone else at the finish line at La Sarthe.
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