After 24 hours of racing around the 8.4-mile Circuit de la Sarthe, the margin of victory was barely a straightaway. Toyota returned to the top step of the Le Mans podium in June, with the #7 GR010 Hybrid of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries beating the #20 BMW M Hybrid V8 by a scant 11 seconds — one of the closest finishes in the modern era of the French endurance classic.
It was Toyota’s first overall Le Mans win in four years, ending a drought that had seen Ferrari and others take turns spoiling the Japanese manufacturer’s hypercar-era dominance. For Conway and Kobayashi, it was a second Le Mans triumph after their 2021 victory, while former Formula 1 and Formula E champion de Vries celebrated his first.
A Duel to the Flag
The closing stages developed into a straight fight between the leading Toyota and the chasing BMW of Robin Frijns, Rene Rast and Sheldon van der Linde. BMW’s crew threw everything at the leader through the final hours, but the #7 held its nerve — and its tires — to bring it home. Cadillac completed the frontrunning battle, underlining just how competitive the Hypercar class has become with nearly every major manufacturer represented.
Toyota’s sister car made it a doubly sweet weekend for the brand, as the #8 entry of Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa completed the overall podium in third.
Drama Down the Order
The supporting classes served up their own theater. In LMP2, the #43 Inter Europol Competition crew inherited victory after the long-time class-leading #30 car — featuring Mercedes F1 junior Doriane Pin — suffered heartbreaking brake failure on Sunday morning. In LMGT3, the #33 Corvette dominated proceedings to take class honors.
The result reshuffles the World Endurance Championship title picture at its most important round, which pays extra points and, more importantly, carries a century of prestige. For BMW, defeat by 11 seconds after 24 hours will sting, but it also confirmed the M Hybrid V8 as a genuine Le Mans contender at last.
For Toyota, the victory is vindication. Written off by some after successive defeats, the GR010 Hybrid — now a veteran of the Hypercar formula — proved there is life in the old warrior yet. The manufacturer’s next target: converting Le Mans glory into another world championship.
Source: Motorsport.com
