TOYOTA RACING clinched this Sunday (14) its sixth victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the Hypercar category, in one of the most heated and unpredictable editions of the race in recent years. A crowd of 350,105 spectators witnessed an epic battle for the win, which for the sixth time ended with the Japanese manufacturer.
Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries secured an emotional victory by a margin of just 10.913 seconds after 381 laps in their TR010 HYBRID number 7. For Conway and Kobayashi, this is their second win after the 2021 triumph, while for De Vries it is his first overall victory.
Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa completed a memorable run for TOYOTA RACING with a third-place podium in their TR010 HYBRID number 8, 20.417 seconds behind the leaders.
Even starting further back after a challenging Hyperpole, the TR010 HYBRIDs adopted an aggressive early strategy, refueling before their rivals and taking advantage of a clear track to gain time. This put the two cars in the battle for the top six positions, and they showed strong pace, setting faster laps, but setbacks interrupted their progress.
The TR010 HYBRID 7 suffered a tire puncture early on, leaving it in a fierce midfield fight. But the relentless pace, especially in the early hours of the morning, propelled it into the top three with six hours to go.
Meanwhile, the team of car number 8 led the early stages of the race thanks to an alternative fuel strategy. But an off-track excursion in the ninth hour, a drive-through penalty midway through the race, and a repair to the brake drum mounting soon after left the squad facing a tough task to move back to the front.
A safety car with less than six hours to go bunched up the field and gave both cars the chance to show their speed in a four-car battle at the front. With three hours remaining, bold overtakes by Hartley and De Vries placed TOYOTA RACING in the lead with a one-two finish.
The number 7 car opened a lead at the front, though fuel and tire strategies caused podium positions to swing in the remaining hours. The team of car 8 fought bravely for second place but ultimately had to change tires in the final hour, dropping to third. Kobayashi kept his calm in the heat of the afternoon and guided the TR010 HYBRID number 7 to the checkered flag, followed by Buemi in the number 8 car.
“It was a big challenge for us, but we never gave up. Car 7 has already claimed many runner-up finishes at Le Mans, but we finally achieved our second victory. We waited so long for this win, and the feeling is incredible. The whole week wasn’t easy, including the race, which didn’t go without its bumps,” said Kamui Kobayashi, driver and team principal of TOYOTA RACING in the WEC.
“We had a tire puncture right at the start and that made things quite difficult for us. But Mike, Nyck, our engineers and our pit crew did an excellent job. It was an incredible day. Thanks to everyone who made this possible, including all the fans who make this event so special,” Kobayashi added.
The double points earned at Le Mans widen TOYOTA RACING’s lead in the World Endurance Championship to 36 points, while the car 7 squad moved into the lead of the drivers’ standings.
The next race takes place in just four weeks, with the 6 Hours of São Paulo in Interlagos on July 12.
