New Zealand’s contingent of endurance racing stars experienced a rollercoaster 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans, with Brendon Hartley standing on the podium, Earl Bamber suffering cruel heartbreak while leading, and Nick Cassidy battling through to the finish in one of the toughest editions of the French classic in recent memory.
More than 350,000 spectators packed Circuit de la Sarthe to witness a dramatic contest that saw Toyota return to the top step of the podium for the first time since 2022, ending Ferrari’s recent dominance of the legendary race.
For Brendon Hartley, Le Mans delivered another strong result as the three-time winner helped Toyota secure a double podium finish.
Sharing the #8 Toyota TR010 Hybrid with Sébastien Buemi and Ryō Hirakawa, Hartley and his teammates finished third after an eventful 24-hour battle that saw them lead large portions of the race.
Starting further down the grid than expected after a difficult Hyperpole session, Toyota employed an aggressive fuel strategy early in the race, quickly moving both factory entries into contention.
The #8 machine emerged as an early frontrunner and spent significant time at the head of the field. However, a series of setbacks complicated its charge. An off-track excursion, a drive-through penalty and a brake-related repair cost valuable time and left the crew fighting back through the order.
A late-race safety car compressed the field and set up a thrilling battle between Toyota, BMW and Cadillac. With just hours remaining, Hartley and fellow Toyota driver Nyck de Vries produced decisive overtakes that briefly placed the Japanese manufacturer in a one-two formation.
While the sister #7 Toyota ultimately secured victory, the #8 car remained firmly in podium contention until the closing stages. A late tyre change dropped Hartley, Buemi and Hirakawa behind the second-placed BMW, leaving them to settle for third place, just over 20 seconds behind the winning Toyota.
“It was an up-and-down race, as usual here,” commented Hartley.
“We led for a long time and had a big gap at one point before the safety car. We had some good luck and some bad luck.
“Ultimately, it didn’t work out for our car. We fought really hard until the end, and my teammates did a fantastic job. I am genuinely happy for the whole team, for the #7 crew and the drivers. It’s an emotional moment.”
The podium result contributed to a memorable day for Toyota, which celebrated its sixth overall Le Mans victory.
While Hartley celebrated on the podium, fellow Kiwi Earl Bamber endured one of the most heartbreaking moments of the race.
Bamber, sharing Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA’s #38 Cadillac V-Series.R with Sébastien Bourdais and Jack Aitken, was firmly in contention for overall victory throughout much of the event.
The trio consistently ran at the front and spent several periods leading the race as Cadillac emerged as one of Toyota’s biggest challengers.
At the halfway point, the #38 machine was leading when disaster struck. A power steering issue forced the car into the garage shortly after midnight, with mechanics working extensively to diagnose and repair the problem.
The team replaced several key components, including the control unit, and returned the car to the track in 17th position with more than 11 hours still remaining.
However, despite their efforts, the issue persisted. After further investigation, Cadillac and JOTA made the difficult decision to retire the car on Sunday morning, ending what had looked like a genuine bid for Le Mans glory.
“We had a great number 38 car and led a lot of the race, but unfortunately technical issues put us out, so it’s a shame,” said Bamber.
Teammate Bourdais was equally disappointed after seeing victory slip away.
“As we all know, Le Mans can be really cruel. We did everything we could and gave ourselves a chance,” he said.
“We had the car to win, and the race decided otherwise, so it’s a tough one to swallow, but that’s racing.”
The retirement was particularly painful given the pace shown by the #38 Cadillac throughout the week, with many viewing it as one of the favourites for victory.
Nick Cassidy completed a challenging Le Mans campaign with a 12th-place finish in the Hypercar category.
Driving the #93 Peugeot 9X8 for Peugeot TotalEnergies alongside Paul di Resta and Stoffel Vandoorne, Cassidy’s crew faced a demanding race against the increasingly competitive Hypercar field.
While the French manufacturer was unable to match the outright pace of Toyota, BMW, Cadillac and Ferrari at the front, the trio stayed in the fight across the full 24 hours to bring the car home 12th in class.
Although the result fell short of challenging for the leading positions, simply finishing one of motorsport’s toughest endurance races represented an important achievement for the team.
At the front of the field, Toyota finally ended Ferrari’s three-year winning streak at Le Mans.
The #7 Toyota driven by Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway and Nyck de Vries emerged victorious after 381 laps, finishing 10.913 seconds clear of the #20 BMW M Hybrid V8.
Hartley’s #8 Toyota completed the podium in third, while Cadillac’s #12 entry narrowly missed out on a top-three result in fourth.
Ferrari, winners of the previous three editions, struggled to replicate their recent dominance and could manage only fifth place as Toyota reclaimed endurance racing’s biggest prize.
Header Image: FIA World Endurance Championship via X
