TOYOTA GAZOO Racing’s hopes for a sixth victory at the 93rd Le Mans 24 Hours were thwarted in a challenging race at the Circuit de la Sarthe. Despite a determined effort, the team ended with less than expected results.
A large crowd of 332,000 watched as 21 Hypercars from eight manufacturers competed. TOYOTA GAZOO Racing marked its 40th anniversary of participation at Le Mans by employing strategic moves and strong driving skills. However, challenges and fast competition hindered their success.
Drivers Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, and Nyck de Vries managed to recover from early setbacks, including first-lap damage, to finish sixth in car #7 GR010 HYBRID after starting from an unfavorable position. Meanwhile, Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Ryo Hirakawa led briefly but finished 16th due to mechanical issues affecting car #8 GR010 HYBRID.
The race began actively with both TOYOTA vehicles gaining positions quickly. Car #8 moved into podium contention overnight before a safety car period reshuffled the field. As they approached the final quarter of the race, both cars were positioned for potential top finishes but faced further setbacks.
Car #8’s challenge ended four hours before the conclusion when it lost a wheel due to mechanical failure. Although mechanics swiftly addressed this issue, significant time was lost. Car #7 continued fighting until it incurred a penalty that impacted its progress.
Looking ahead, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing aims to secure their first win in the upcoming FIA World Endurance Championship season at São Paulo on July 13.
Kamui Kobayashi expressed gratitude towards supporters: “First of all I want to share my huge appreciation to everyone – fans, partners and Toyota colleagues – who supported us on our Le Mans journey this year.”
Mike Conway acknowledged the efforts made: “Sixth is definitely not where we wanted to be… We managed to fight our way up from 16th on the grid.”
Nyck de Vries shared his perspective: “I guess there is only one result that can make you happy at Le Mans and that’s the victory.”
Sébastien Buemi commented on their experience: “It is clearly a disappointing race for us… We need to regroup.”
Brendon Hartley highlighted their determination: “We fought hard to the end… It’s going to take a few days to regroup.”
Ryo Hirakawa emphasized looking forward: “It was definitely a tough race… Our preparations for Le Mans 2026 start now.”
Provisional results placed AF Corse’s team first after completing 387 laps while TOYOTA finished sixth and sixteenth respectively.
