A crowd of 350,105 descended on Le Mans for the 94th running of the world’s greatest endurance race. Over 24 relentless hours, some dreams became reality while others unravelled in heartbreaking fashion.
From Toyota’s latest strategic masterclass to Cadillac’s missed opportunity and BMW’s long-awaited breakthrough, the 2026 edition delivered no shortage of compelling storylines. Here are our winners and losers from this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours.
Loser – CADILLAC
#12 Delétraz / Nato / Stevens – 4th
#38 Aitken / Bamber / Bourdais – DNF
#101 Albuquerque / J. Taylor / R. Taylor – 9th
When it came to outright pace, Cadillac was virtually untouchable. Even in race trim, the American manufacturer looked like a genuine contender throughout the event. The #12 V-Series.R led more laps than any other car (154), while Cadillac spent a race-high 184 laps at the head of the field.
But Le Mans doesn’t hand out trophies for leading the most laps.
When it mattered most, Cadillac no longer had strength in numbers. While Toyota still had both of its cars in contention deep into Sunday afternoon, Cadillac’s hopes rested solely on the shoulders of the #12 entry.
The #38 retired on Sunday morning with a power steering issue, while the Wayne Taylor Racing-run #101 compromised its chances through a succession of penalties.
“It’s pretty disappointing,” admitted Will Stevens. “We deserved more than that. With the pace we showed we should have been on the podium at least. Coming here we had higher hopes than the result we ended up with, so we can’t help but be disappointed.”
Cadillac undoubtedly impressed. But this year, only victory would have satisfied the American camp.
If not now, when?
Winner – BMW
#15 Magnussen / Marciello / D. Vanthoor – DNF
#20 Frijns / Rast / S. van der Linde – 2nd
No, BMW didn’t win Le Mans. And yes, there were undoubtedly members of BMW M Team WRT who left La Sarthe wondering what might have been after finishing just 10.6 seconds shy of victory.
Yet the smiles in the BMW camp were genuine.
“That was one of the strongest races we have ever had as a team with the BMW M Hybrid V8” Team Principal Vincent Vosse said. “Absolutely flawless. We deserved this podium. I’m not disappointed at all that we didn’t win. Toyota deserved it – congratulations!”
That’s what you call sportsmanship.
Like Cadillac, BMW found itself down to a single bullet in the closing stages after the #15’s hopes evaporated following contact between Dries Vanthoor and an LMP2 car during the evening.
For the first time since launching its Hypercar programme, BMW looked every bit like a manufacturer capable of winning Le Mans outright. The German manufacturer, which also recorded its first overall podium finish since its victory in 1999.
The breakthrough may not have ended with a victory. But it felt significant nonetheless.
Loser – FERRARI
#50 Fuoco / Molina / N. Nielsen – DNF
#51 Calado / Giovinazzi / Pier Guidi – 5th
#83 Hanson / Kubica / Ye – 7th
After three consecutive Le Mans victories, Ferrari arrived in the Sarthe aiming to extend one of the great modern endurance racing dynasties. Instead, it never truly got going.
For once, Ferrari failed to overcome the constraints imposed by the Balance of Performance, with the best of its 499Ps able to finish only fifth.
“We knew from the outset that it would be very difficult, almost impossible, to be competitive,” Head of Endurance Race Cars Ferdinando Cannizzo admitted. “Unfortunately, after the opening laps, that became very clear.”
Add in a handful of costly driver errors – notably involving Antonio Fuoco and Alessandro Pier Guidi ⬇️ – and Ferrari’s hopes of extending its remarkable winning streak quickly faded.
“We are aware that we did not execute the perfect race we had set as our objective,” added Global Head of Endurance and Corse Clienti Antonello Coletta.
By Ferrari’s standards, this was unquestionably a disappointment. After dominating Le Mans for the past three years, the Scuderia finally encountered resistance.
And with 2027 already looming large on the horizon, Maranello’s attention increasingly appears to be shifting towards the future.
Winner – TOYOTA
#7 Conway / Kobayashi / De Vries – Winner
#8 Buemi / Hartley / Hirakawa – 3rd
What a strategic masterclass. Toyota claimed victory the Toyota way, relying on flawless execution, adaptability and an unrivalled understanding of what it takes to conquer Le Mans. And it started almost immediately, during the first hour.
“The whole week was not easy, including the race which was not smooth,” explained Kamui Kobayashi explained. We had a puncture early and that made it tough for us. But Mike, Nyck, our engineers and our pit crew did a great job. It was an incredible day.”
Kobayashi and Mike Conway secured their second Le Mans victories, while Nyck de Vries finally added the world’s most prestigious endurance race to his résumé.
So what separated the two TR010 HYBRIDs? A trip through the gravel during the ninth hour for #8 car, a drive-through penalty shortly after halfway and an unscheduled stop to repair a brake drum fixation issue.
For Toyota, it marked a sixth triumph at Le Mans – and a first since 2022 – drawing the Japanese manufacturer level with Bentley on the all-time winners’ list.
Loser – ALPINE
#35 Félix da Costa / Habsburg / Milesi – 6th
#36 Gounon / Makowiecki / Martins – 10th
For its third appearance at Le Mans, Alpine should have been in the mix for at least a podium finish.
Charles Milesi’s third-fastest overall lap of the week in Hyperpole 1 hinted at genuine potential, but the French manufacturer’s A424 never truly threatened the likes of BMW, Cadillac and Toyota once the race settled into its rhythm.
“We thought our package would put us among the frontrunners more consistently,” team principal Philippe Sinault admitted. “We managed to do so at times, but not consistently. At certain points, we simply didn’t have the pace our drivers needed to keep fighting for higher positions.”
“Honestly, the pace shown by Cadillac and BMW was impressive. Hats off to them. They’ve understood something that we haven’t quite figured out yet.”
After successful partnerships with Alpine, Signatech faces the challenge of finding a new manufacturer with whom it can continue chasing its dream: clinching an overall Le Mans victory.
Winner – GENESIS
#17 Derani / Jaubert / Lotterer – DNF
#19 Chatin / Jaminet / Juncadella – 13th
Yes, there is still a long road ahead. But for a programme built from scratch around a brand-new car, Genesis exceeded expectations at its first Le Mans appearance by placing both entries into Hyperpole 2.
The GMR-001 backed up that early promise in the race itself, often looking more convincing than some of its more experienced rivals.
The #19 finished 13th overall despite encountering several minor setbacks along the way. The sister #17, meanwhile, retired after 16 hours with suspension problems.
“Taking on the toughest race in the world after only 500 days of preparation is no small feat,” reflected Genesis Magma Racing Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul. “When, after eight hours of racing, you find yourself running between fourth and 10th depending on the pit cycle, you inevitably start dreaming. But we also have to remain realistic. The car has huge potential – now it’s up to us to improve its reliability and consistency.”
For a programme less than two years into its existence, simply running competitively at Le Mans represented a significant achievement.
And after completing so many valuable miles around the Circuit de la Sarthe, Genesis leaves with something just as important as a trophy: knowledge.
The foundations have been laid. Roll on 2027.
Loser – PEUGEOT
#93 Cassidy / Di Resta / Vandoorne – 12th
#94 Duval / Jakobsen / Pourchaire – 11th
Finding the right words to describe Peugeot’s latest Le Mans performance isn’t easy.
While the 9X8 arrived in La Sarthe with a Balance of Performance that looked less favourable than in previous WEC rounds, that alone doesn’t explain the scale of the deficit. Based on the average of the 10 fastest race laps, Peugeot’s LMH conceded a staggering 3.2 seconds to the winning #7 Toyota.
“We lacked outright performance in qualifying, and that carried into the race” admitted Team Principal Emmanuel Esnault. “However, this edition provides valuable lessons as we continue to build towards 2027.”
Eighth on its Le Mans debut in 2023, the 9X8 has now finished 11th in 2024, 2025 and 2026.
The years may change, but the story remains largely the same for Peugeot. With its hopes now firmly pinned on the next phase of the programme, 2027 can’t come soon enough.
Winner – INTER EUROPOL COMPETITON
#43 Dillman / Smiechowski / Yelloly – LMP2 winner
#343 De Gérus / Garg / Müller – 2nd LMP2
Winning a class victory at Le Mans is as rewarding as claiming the outright honours.
The numbers alone underline the scale of Inter Europol Competition’s achievement: three LMP2 victories in four years, including back-to-back triumphs for Jakub Smiechowski, Tom Dillmann and Nick Yelloly.
It marks the first successful LMP2 title defence since Signatech Alpine achieved the feat in 2019. And it was the first one-two finish since Jota Sport’s in 2017.
“Winning this race two years in a row, when you know how many factors have to align for that to happen, is pretty crazy,”said Tom Dillmann. “The competition was fierce, especially from our sister car, but also from the #29 and #30. This morning, Nyck and I looked at each other and said: it’s either victory or DNF. Fortunately, the coin landed on our side.”
Earlier this year, Inter Europol Competition came close to securing an Acura/Honda Hypercar programme. Ultimately, the Japanese manufacturer chose to pull the plug on its ARX-06 plans.
A shame, really. It could have been quite the combination.
Loser – DUQUEINE TEAM
#30 Pin / Andlauer / Verschoor – DNF (LMP2)
We came agonisingly close to witnessing a piece of Le Mans history.
Fifty-one years after Michèle Mouton, Marianne Hoepfner and Christine Dacremont claimed victory in the 2.0-litre Sport category, Doriane Pin stood on the verge of becoming the first woman to win a modern Le Mans class honour.
Le Mans, however, had other ideas.
“Leading the race for over 20 hours and then losing it to a mechanical failure with just three hours to go… this one hurts,” admitted Pin, who shared the car with Julien Andlauer and Richard Verschoor.
For more than 20 hours, the #30 Oreca 07 carried the hopes of writing a remarkable chapter in Le Mans history. In total, it led the class for 181 laps, compared to 95 and 49 respectively for Inter Europol Competition’s two entries.
And much of that was thanks to a relentless Julien Andlauer.
Le Mans has a habit of being brutally unforgiving. Duqueine learned that the hard way.
Winner – TF SPORT
#33 Keating / Edgar / Catsburg – LMGT3 winner
Based on the pace shown by Corvette during practice, few would have predicted victory for the Z06 GT3.R. After all, none of the four Corvettes entered had managed to reach Hyperpole 1.
But TF Sport delivered a near-flawless performance to secure its fourth class victory at Le Mans.
“You can’t come into a 24-hour race expecting to do well,” said Ben Keating. “You just have to do your job, and we had a perfect race… no penalties, no mistakes. The car is in pretty good shape, and that’s what you need to do to win this race.”
Keating claimed his third class victory at Le Mans, his second with Corvette and his second with TF Sport. Nicky Catsburg added another Le Mans success to his résumé, while Jonny Edgar celebrated his first triumph at La Sarthe.
Although The Heart of Racing and Akkodis ASP emerged as TF Sport’s fiercest challengers, the #33 Corvette led the class for 154 of the race’s 336 laps.
No rival could match that level of control.
Loser – ASTON MARTIN
#007 Gamble / Gunn / Tincknell – 8th
#009 De Angelis / Sorensen / Riberas – 14th
#23 Newell / Barrichello / Adam – 3rd LMGT3
#27 James / Robichon / Drudi – DNF (LMGT3)
After Aston Martin THOR managed to place one of its Valkyries into Hyperpole 2, expectations were understandably higher heading into the race.
While the #007 Valkyrie delivered an encouraging eighth-place finish, the #009 failed to reach the chequered flag after suffering a series of technical issues.
“Valkyrie’s pace on low fuel during the early part of the week was nice to see but also a little unrealistic when it came to the race, as a straightline speed deficit hampered us more once we switched to race trim.” said Aston Martin Head of Endurance, Adam Carter. “That said the team executed without fault as always, and this played a significant factor in us achieving a well-earned points finish in one of the toughest endurance races in the world.”
In LMGT3, meanwhile, The Heart of Racing had genuine ambitions of fighting for victory.
Unfortunately, the #27’s challenge ended prematurely on Sunday morning while battling for the class lead. The #23 attempted to pick up the baton, but the trio of Gray Newell, Jonny Adam and Dudu Barrichello ultimately had to settle for third place.
“I’m disappointed for the #27 car, we were in contention for the win there until we lost the gearbox,” added Ian James, “It’s a strange feeling because it obviously hurts in some ways, but I am very happy that the team took its first Le Mans podium. This place is so special and it’s a privilege to race here.”
Between the promise shown by the Valkyrie and the frustration experienced in LMGT3, Aston Martin leaves Le Mans with mixed emotions.