Toyota has returned to the top step at the 24 Hours of Le Mans after a four-year gap. The No. 7 car of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries won the 94th running of the race by just 10.913 seconds. According to the FIA, it was the smallest gap between first and second place in the history of the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Toyota started from only 14th and 15th in the Hypercar class but made an early strategic move to put its cars into clean air. For much of the race, the sister No. 8 TR010 HYBRID driven by Brendon Hartley, Ryō Hirakawa and Sébastien Buemi appeared to be the stronger Toyota contender.
The picture changed after the second safety-car period on Sunday morning. The No. 7 moved back into the fight despite having earlier lost time to a slow puncture and a driveshaft-sensor issue. The closing phase became a four-car contest involving both Toyotas, the No. 12 Cadillac and the No. 20 BMW.
Kobayashi's pace, decisive overtaking from de Vries and the timing of a late Full Course Yellow all contributed to the final outcome. Kobayashi brought the car to the flag first, giving Toyota its sixth overall Le Mans victory and its first since 2022.
The No. 20 BMW finished only 10.913 seconds behind. Such a narrow margin after a full day of racing underlines how closely matched the current Hypercar field has become. The FIA also reported a record crowd of 350,105 spectators at the circuit.
The result had an immediate championship effect as well, moving Toyota to the top of both the manufacturers' and drivers' standings. Le Mans is usually won as much by limiting losses as by outright speed. In 2026, however, the final hours also produced a direct fight in which a single late interruption, pass or pit decision could have changed the winner.