Hours of Le Mans: Toyota beats BMW to victory after tense battle

Toyota secured its first Le Mans victory since 2022 by winning the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans in a tense battle with BMW. The No.7 Toyota Racing car, driven by Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway and Nyck de Vries, prevailed after starting 14th in Hyperpole, while the No.8 car and other Toyota entries contended at the front. The turning point came at hour 19 when a safety car followed a heavy crash involving the Manthey Porsche at the first chicane, tightening the top four. The No.7 then led from hour 22 and finished with a 21-second margin over the No.20 BMW as the No.15 polesitter retired in the final hour. The No.12 Jota Cadillac finished just off the podium by 11 seconds. Ferrari finished fifth; LMP2 was won by Inter Europol’s No.43, beating No.343 by 12.9 seconds.