24h Le Mans
Toyota executed a perfect, textbook strategy throughout the 94th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans to claim its first victory since 2022, securing a sixth overall triumph and equalling the tally of British marque Bentley.
To spectacular fanfare, Japanese powerhouse Toyota Racing lifted the iconic trophy at a sun-kissed Circuit de la Sarthe for the first time in four years, in front of hundreds of thousands of spectators at the venue and millions more watching around the world. Drivers Kamui Kobayashi, Nyck de Vries and Mike Conway emerged as the team to beat at the end of the race, guiding the #7 Toyota to victory ahead of the sister #8 Toyota Racing entry, the #20 BMW M Team WRT and the #12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA machine in an epic four-way battle to the chequered flag – underlining the "Platinum Era" status that the Hypercar category is building.
For Kobayashi, it was a second Le Mans victory. It marked a second triumph for British star Mike Conway and, for the first time in 38 years, a historic win for the Netherlands as Nyck de Vries became the latest Dutch driver to conquer Le Mans.
It looked set to be another Toyota one-two, but BMW's never-say-die attitude ensured that the FIA World Endurance Championship points leaders – the #20 crew of Robin Frijns, René Rast and Sheldon van der Linde – claimed second overall and a valuable haul of championship points.
Toyota could still be delighted with third place, although a few costly mistakes and strategy calls denied the #8 Toyota of Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryō Hirakawa another victory.
Meanwhile, Cadillac can take plenty of plaudits once again. A crowd favourite throughout the week, the #12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA crew gave everything in pursuit of victory, and the pace they demonstrated at Le Mans suggests they will remain contenders for years to come.
It was a grandstand finish in LMP2 as Inter Europol Competition worked well overnight to bring both cars into the rostrum contention, but a second day charge from Forestier Racing by Panis had everyone on the edge of their seats, but after 24 hours of racing the Polish #43 ORECA with pilots Jakub Smiechowski, Tom Dillmann and Nicholas Yelloly win the penultimate race at Le Mans for this specification LMP2 car!
Corvette capture the magic of Le Mans once again with iconic yellow #33 Corvette run by TF Sport took LMGT3 laurels with Ben Keating, Jonny Edgar, Nicky Catsburg taking a popular leap onto the top step of the podium. Akkodis ASP Team put Lexus on the podium for the first time at Le Mans with the #78 car second and the #23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin joins in the celebrations in third.
Top 5 Results - 24 Hours of Le Mans:
Toyota TR010 Hybrid #7 Toyota Gazoo Racing – Mike Conway / Kamui Kobayashi / Nyck de Vries – 381 Laps
BMW M Hybrid V8 #20 BMW M Team WRT – Robin Frijns / Rene Rast / Sheldon van der Linde – + 10.913
Toyota TR010 Hybrid #8 Toyota Gazoo Racing – Sébastien Buemi / Brendon Hartley / Ryo Hirakawa – + 20.417
Cadillac V-Series.R #12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA – Louis Delétraz / Will Stevens / Norman Nato – +32.381
Ferrari 499P #51 Ferrari-AF Corse – Alessandro Pier Guidi / James Calado / Antonio Giovinazzi – +2:22.423
Category Winners:
Fastest Lap: Rio Hirakawa (Toyota TR010 – Hybrid #8 Toyota Racing) – 3:25.041 - Lap 306
Retirements:
After trips around the clock, the relentless competition around the Circuit de la Sarthe, for the 94th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans has delivered everything endurance racing promises, fierce battles, strategic gambles, crushing heartbreak and a fight for outright victory that remained tantalisingly close until the final phase.
From the moment the tricolour dropped on Saturday afternoon, the race refused to settle.
Toyota initially showed its hand, taking control during the opening exchanges as the battle at the front intensified. Its early pit stop gamble in limited traffic enabled them to climb up the order. Ferrari, who were chasing an unprecedented fourth consecutive Le Mans victory, remained in outside contention, while BMW's pole-sitting challenge looked every bit as potent as expected. Cadillac, meanwhile, quietly lurked within striking distance.
By nightfall, three manufacturers were locked together in a captivating Hypercar contest.
As darkness enveloped Le Mans, Cadillac began to emerge as a genuine threat. The #12 and #38 Hertz Team JOTA Cadillac V-Series.Rs steadily worked its way to the head of the field as Ferrari's challenge faltered. The Prancing Horse's hopes suffered a series of setbacks, allowing the gold-liveried American machine to seize the initiative. Behind it, BMW and Toyota remained firmly in touch, refusing to let the leaders escape.
Dawn brought fresh drama.
While the #12 Cadillac strengthened its grip on the race through the early morning hours thanks to assured performances from Norman Nato, Will Stevens and Louis Delétraz, the sister #38 entry suffered heartbreak. Running at the sharp end with Sébastien Bourdais aboard, the Cadillac was forced into the garage with mechanical problems. Although it briefly returned to the circuit, its challenge had effectively ended before the car was eventually retired with persistent power steering issues.
Toyota, however, refused to surrender.
A Full Course Yellow transformed the complexion of the race. The leading #12 Cadillac was caught out by Full Course Yellow speed restrictions, forcing an unscheduled extra stop to fulfil a Drive Through Penalty and wiping away its advantage. Suddenly, the fight for victory widened once more.
BMW's #20 M Hybrid V8 surged into contention, while Toyota's pair of TR010 Hybrids mounted an inspired comeback. Brendon Hartley attacked relentlessly in the #8, passing the Cadillac before concerns over the car's front-left corner delayed its progress. That opened the door for the sister #7 machine, with Kamui Kobayashi launching a trademark charge to the front.
Within laps of a later Safety Car restart, Kobayashi had erased the deficit and attached himself to the rear of the leading Cadillac, setting the fastest lap as he hunted down the leaders.
BMW remained equally dangerous. Robin Frijns briefly escaped at the front before a gravel excursion entering the pits compromised the German manufacturer's momentum. Even so, the pace of the #20 ensured it remained firmly in the hunt.
As the race entered its final four hours, just 10 seconds separated the leading quartet.
Elsewhere, Le Mans delivered its customary share of heartbreak.
Genesis Magma Racing's impressive debut suffered a major blow when the #17 stopped with suspension failure at Tertre Rouge after already overcoming difficulties with the sister #19. Ferrari's race unravelled further when the #50 Ferrari AF Corse 499P ground to a halt with electrical issues, leaving the Italian marque relying on the #51 factory car and the resurgent #83 AF Corse entry to salvage a result.
Alpine's hopes of a dream home triumph faded as rising temperatures exposed the limitations of the A424's pace, while Aston Martin Thor Team continued its quiet run towards a top-10 finish with the Valkyrie.
Into the final four hours, Toyota had cycled to the front and when the opportunity was right - it turned on the afterburners to bring both cars into one, two. However, the last hour… BMW was not going down without a fight.
Duqueine appeared set for victory before a costly trip through the gravel slashed its advantage. As the clock hit four hours remaining, disaster bestowed the LMP2 leaders. Heartbreak as the black and green machine was parked on the side of the road with suspected broken suspension. Inter Europol Competition's pair of ORECAs closed rapidly, setting up a thrilling conclusion in the prototype category. In the final two hours, the fastest crew in the Hyperpole #29 Forestier Racing by Panis wasn’t going to make it easy for the Polish cars with Esteban Masson on a mission. Splitting the yellow cars - the Frenchman had eyes on victory.
TF Sport's #33 Corvette fought its way to the head of the class after a superb overnight performance, but a late Safety Car intervention following Ayhancan Güven's heavy accident in the #91 Manthey Porsche at sunrise compressed the field once again. With the Aston Martin and Lexus squads were still within striking distance, the battle for GT honours remained finely poised.
