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Kobayashi delighted after leading Toyota to Le Mans 24 Hours victory
Toyota reclaimed Le Mans glory after a thrilling Hypercar battle, with Kamui Kobayashi leading the Japanese manufacturer to its first overall victory since 2022
- PUBLISHED: Tue 16 Jun 2026, 3:12 PM
Japan's Kamui Kobayashi was delighted after leading Toyota to a memorable victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans on Sunday.
Toyota clinched the race after a Hypercar battle with BMW and Cadillac in the 94th edition of the race.
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BMW had started from pole position and Cadillac led into the final quarter but Toyota, whose last overall win came in 2022, were first to the chequered flag with Kobayashi at the wheel of the number seven car.
It was Kobayashi's second Le Mans triumph after success with Toyota in 2021 and the ex-Formula One driver shared the victory with Britain's Mike Conway, also now a two-time winner, and Dutch driver Nyck de Vries.
"Finally we're back on top," said Kobayashi after the Japanese manufacturer's sixth overall title at the Circuit de la Sarthe.
"The race was relentless, we had lots of challenges come our way, but somehow we always kept going," said de Vries. "There were many moments I thought we were out of contention, but they say Le Mans chooses you to win and I think that’s what happened to us today."
The number 20 BMW of South African Sheldon Van der Linde, German Rene Rast and Dutch driver Robin Frijns finished second, 10.9 seconds behind, with Toyota's number eight car third.
Japan's Ryo Hirakawa shared the eight car with Switzerland's Sebastien Buemi and New Zealand's Brendon Hartley.
Cadillac's 12 car finished fourth with Ferrari, winners of the last three editions of the race, fifth with the 51 car.
Cadillac were one-two in the 14th hour but their number 38 car suffered a power steering problem that led to two pit stops and a plunge down the order before retirement.
That was a bitter blow for French driver Sebastien Bourdais, a Le Mans native who remains luckless at home, as well as New Zealand teammate Earl Bamber and Britain's Jack Aitken.
The number 15 BMW that started on pole with Danish former F1 driver Kevin Magnussen, Swiss-born Italian Raffaele Marciello and Belgian Dries Vanthoor also retired.
The race, with 62 cars and 186 drivers, was flagged away on Saturday by Tour de France sprint great Mark Cavendish as official starter.
Iconic event
Now in its 94th running, the world's most famous endurance race once again demonstrated why it remains one of the most prestigious events in global sport, blending speed, strategy, reliability and human endurance into a contest unlike any other.
The race arrived amid a remarkable resurgence for endurance racing. The Hypercar category has become one of the most competitive arenas in world motorsport, attracting manufacturers including Ferrari, Toyota, Cadillac, BMW, Alpine, Peugeot, Aston Martin and Genesis.
One of the major storylines before the start was the arrival of Genesis. The Korean manufacturer made its first appearance at Le Mans, underlining the growing appeal of the Hypercar category and adding another major global automotive brand to an already impressive field.
Aston Martin's Valkyrie Hypercar programme also attracted significant attention. Derived from the British marque's road-going hypercar, the project brought one of the world's most recognisable automotive brands into the battle for outright honours and added further depth to a grid many regard as the strongest assembled at Le Mans in decades.
While Hypercar naturally commanded the headlines, the LMGT3 category once again provided some of the closest racing on the circuit. Featuring entries from Aston Martin, BMW, Corvette, Ferrari, Ford, Lexus, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche, the class highlighted the diversity that continues to make Le Mans unique.
For Porsche, the GT category represented its sole presence at Le Mans this year. Although absent from the Hypercar class, the German manufacturer remained strongly represented in LMGT3, highlighting the continued importance of the race to one of endurance racing's most successful marques.
The LMGT3 field produced its own compelling storylines. While Cadillac challenged for outright honours in Hypercar, Corvette carried the fight for American pride in the GT ranks, reinforcing the depth of competition across the entire event.
Gulf presence
Among the notable stories beyond the battle for outright honours was the growing Gulf presence within international endurance racing.
Team Qatar's debut appearance at Le Mans marked an important milestone for motorsport in the region. Partnering with Iron Lynx to field a Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 entry, the programme featured Qatari driver Abdullah Al-Khelaifi alongside Giuliano Alesi and Julian Hanses.
The initiative forms part of a broader ambition to develop drivers, engineers and technical expertise capable of competing at the highest levels of international motorsport, reflecting the Gulf's increasing investment in global racing.
The region's influence extends well beyond the track itself. FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the Emirati who leads world motorsport's governing body, continues to oversee a period of growth for endurance racing and the FIA World Endurance Championship, further underlining the Middle East's growing role within the sport. (with inputs from Reuters)
