Toyota returned to the top of the legendary race “24 Hours of Le Mans“, after winning the 94th edition of the most prestigious endurance race in motorsports. The Japanese manufacturer ended its four-year break without a win, thanks to the crew of car #7 – Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway and Nick de Vries, BTA reports.
The race offered a dramatic battle until the last hours between Toyota, BMW and Cadillac. The German manufacturer started from pole position, and Cadillac controlled the race at the beginning of the final six hours. At the decisive moment, however, Toyota found additional pace and car #7 took the lead, with Kamui Kobayashi crossing the finish line first. For the Japanese driver, this is his second Le Mans triumph after his success in 2021.
The #20 BMW with a crew of Sheldon van der Linde, Rene Rast and Robin Friens finished in second place. Third place also went to Toyota with the #8 car driven by Rio Hirakawa, Sebastian Buemi and Brendon Hartley.
The #12 Cadillac remained just below the podium in fourth place, while Ferrari, which has won the last three editions of the race, had to settle for fifth place this time with the #51 car.
One of the key moments in the race occurred in the 14th hour, when Cadillac held the first two places. Then the #38 car suffered a serious mechanical problem, requiring two pit stops and the crew subsequently retired. Behind the wheel were Sébastien Bourdais, Earl Bamber and John Aitken.
The BMW #15 also experienced disappointment, winning qualifying but failing to reach the finish. The crew of Kevin Magnussen, Rafael Marcello and Dries Vantoor retired during the race.
This year's edition of the “24 Hours of Le Mans“ brought together 62 cars and a total of 186 drivers. The start of the legendary race was given by cycling icon Mark Cavendish – record holder for stage wins in the history of the Tour de France.