Toyota has reclaimed the Le Mans 24 Hours crown, ending Ferrari's three-year dominance of the famous race. The Japanese team brought a minor upgrade to their car, which appeared to be the key to their victory. Former F1 driver Kamui Kobayashi held on to cross the line in the number seven Toyota TR010, 10.9 seconds ahead of the Netherlands' Robin Frijns in the BMW M Hybrid V8.
The win marks Toyota's sixth Le Mans victory, with 42-year-old Mike Conway claiming his second victory at Le Mans for the Japanese team. Britain's Will Stevens ended the race 11.9 seconds behind the number eight Toyota, driven by Switzerland's Sebastien Buemi, in fourth. Stevens had earlier promise in the morning session, but just missed out on the podium in the American Cadillac V-Series R car run by the British Hertz Team Jota.
Ferrari had a ragged race, with their three 499Ps struggling to keep pace with the Toyota cars. The number 51, which includes Briton James Calado, finished more than two minutes behind the winners, with last year's winner, the number 83 driven by Poland's ex-F1 driver Robert Kubica, further down in seventh.
Toyota's win marks a significant moment in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) series, which has rediscovered its popularity since the introduction of new hypercar rules for the top class of cars in 2021. The series has seen a golden era for sports cars, with manufacturers including Ferrari, Peugeot, Alpine, BMW, Toyota, Genesis, Cadillac, and Aston Martin competing in the top class.