Toyota claimed victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on Sunday, outlasting fierce competition from BMW and Cadillac in the 94th running of the iconic endurance race.
BMW had earned the pole position heading into the event, and Cadillac held the lead entering the final quarter of the race. However, it was Toyota that ultimately crossed the finish line first, ending a drought that stretched back to their last overall victory in 2022. Japan’s Kamui Kobayashi was behind the wheel of the winning number seven car when it took the checkered flag.
The triumph marked Kobayashi’s second Le Mans victory, having previously won with Toyota in 2021. The former Formula One driver shared the win with British racer Mike Conway and Dutch driver Nyck de Vries.
South Africa’s Sheldon Van der Linde, Germany’s Rene Rast, and Dutch driver Robin Frijns brought the number 20 BMW home in second place. Toyota’s number eight car, driven by Japan’s Ryo Hirakawa alongside Switzerland’s Sebastien Buemi and New Zealand’s Brendon Hartley, finished third.
Cadillac’s number 12 car came in fourth, while Ferrari — winners of the previous three editions of the race — finished fifth with their number 51 entry.
It was a difficult day for Cadillac’s number 38 car, which had been running first and second alongside its teammate as late as the 14th hour. A power steering failure forced two costly pit stops, sending the car tumbling down the running order before it ultimately retired from the race. The setback was especially painful for French driver Sebastien Bourdais, who hails from Le Mans but has yet to find success on his home circuit, along with New Zealand’s Earl Bamber and Britain’s Jack Aitken.
The number 15 BMW, which started from pole position with Danish former F1 driver Kevin Magnussen, Swiss-born Italian Raffaele Marciello, and Belgian Dries Vanthoor, also failed to finish.
The race featured 62 cars and 186 drivers in total and was officially started on Saturday by celebrated Tour de France sprinter Mark Cavendish, who served as the honorary starter.
