Toyota wins 2026 Le Mans 24 Hours, ending Ferrari’s streak

Toyota Wins 2026 Le Mans 24 Hours, Ending Ferrari’s Three-Year Streak

The No. 7 Toyota TR010 Hybrid of Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway, and Nyck de Vries crossed the finish line on Sunday at the Circuit de la Sarthe to claim victory in the 94th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, delivering the Japanese manufacturer its sixth overall win and its first since 2022.racingnews365

The result ended Ferrari’s three consecutive Le Mans victories, a streak that began in 2023 when the 499P debuted at the centenary race. Toyota’s triumph came after a grueling battle with BMW and Cadillac that went down to the wire, with the winning margin just 10.9 seconds over the No. 20 BMW M Hybrid V8 of Robin Frijns, René Rast, and Sheldon van der Linde.racer

A Sprint From Start to Finish

The race unfolded as a flat-out contest with minimal interruption — just two safety car periods and a handful of full course yellows punctuated the 24 hours. At the halfway mark, both Toyotas sat fourth and fifth, nearly two minutes off the lead. But the complexion of the race changed dramatically in the closing hours.toyota

With four hours remaining, Cadillac’s Norman Nato led with both Toyotas in pursuit. A safety car then bunched the field with approximately six hours remaining, bringing the No. 7 car back into contention. According to RACER, the second safety car “brought the eventual winners into the fight,” and when track temperatures peaked with three hours to go, the TR010s had that critical edge on the medium-compound Michelin tires to pull clear.racer

BMW’s Historic Return and Ferrari’s Fading Challenge

BMW Team WRT’s second-place finish marked the Bavarian brand’s first overall Le Mans podium since its outright victory in 1999 with the V12 LMR. The No. 8 Toyota of Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Ryo Hirakawa completed the podium in third, though brake drum issues at two late pit stops cost the crew a shot at victory.racingnews365

Cadillac’s best-placed entry, the No. 12 from Hertz Team JOTA driven by Will Stevens, Norman Nato, and Louis Deletraz, finished fourth, 32 seconds adrift. The team’s sister No. 38 car retired with a power steering failure while leading at half-distance.racer

Ferrari’s defense of its crown never materialized. The No. 51 499P finished fifth, nearly two minutes behind, while the No. 50 car retired after 284 laps due to a fire extinguisher failure.racingnews365

Personal Milestones

For Kobayashi and Conway, the win was their second at Le Mans after triumphing together in 2021. De Vries claimed his maiden Le Mans victory. The seven cars that finished on the lead lap underlined the competitiveness of the Hypercar era, but on this day Toyota’s pace in the heat of Sunday afternoon proved decisive.racer