Toyota ends four-year drought to win Le Mans 24 Hours as Genesis makes Korean debut
The No.7 Toyota came from 14th on the grid to beat pole-sitter BMW by under 11 seconds, leading a one-three as Hyundai's Genesis became the first Korean marque at La Sarthe.
The No.7 Toyota of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries won the 94th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans on 14 June, ending a four-year drought for the Japanese marque and sealing its sixth victory in the French endurance classic.
It was a result built on patience. Toyota lined up only 14th and 15th after BMW took a surprise pole in the top class, but a clean run and sharp strategy carried the No.7 to the front, where it finished 10.9 seconds clear of the No.20 BMW M Team WRT car after 381 laps. The sister No.8 Toyota completed a commanding one-three.
The weekend also marked a milestone for the sport's business side. Genesis, the luxury arm of Hyundai, ran two cars in the Hypercar class to become the first Korean manufacturer to race at La Sarthe, the latest brand to treat Le Mans as a global marketing platform. It joined a Hypercar grid stacked with factory programmes from the likes of Toyota, BMW, Cadillac, Ferrari and Porsche, among the deepest manufacturer fields the category has assembled since its revival.
In the supporting classes, Inter Europol Competition took LMP2 honours after the long-time class leader hit brake trouble, while the No.33 Corvette won LMGT3.
For organiser the Automobile Club de l'Ouest, that manufacturer arms race is the real headline. The Hypercar formula has pulled global carmakers back to endurance racing in numbers not seen in years, turning the 24-hour race into one of the most contested marketing stages in motorsport and underwriting a sport that now runs on factory budgets and prime-time exposure.
