Toyota Racing aiming for victory at Le Mans
Toyota Racing will challenge for their sixth victory – and fulfilment of their new For the Engineering Race slogan – in the Le Mans 24 Hours on 13-14 June with the TR010 Hybrid Hypercar.
More than 300,000 fans are expected at the Circuit de la Sarthe to watch a 62-car grid – including 18 Hypercars from eight different manufacturers – compete for honours in the 94th edition of the world-famous race, round three of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).
As five-time winners and holders of the fastest recorded lap of the French circuit, Toyota Racing have high targets for the 2026 edition, Toyota’s 28th entry at Le Mans. Those hopes will be carried by two TR010 Hybrid race cars: the No7 of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries, and the No8 of Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryō Hirakawa.
Competing under its new slogan For the Engineering Race, the team will demonstrate their commitment to technical development through motorsports prototype competition, based on engineering excellence and strong teamwork. For the Engineering Race expresses a single-minded pursuit of technical mastery through relentless refinement, uncompromised by external distractions.
Le Mans is the ultimate engineering challenge in WEC, with cars and drivers racing flat-out around the clock, supported by pit crews and engineers, all knowing that the least mistake can make a significant difference. The high-speed 8.5-mile Circuit de la Sarthe is unique in WEC. Not only is it the longest circuit, but also the only one to include sections of public highway, used outside of race events by everyday traffic. The combination of very long straights, heavy braking for tight chicanes and high-speed corners pushes car and driver to their limit, particularly at night.
The TR010 Hybrid has been engineered to take on that challenge. As well as a dynamic new look for 2026, aerodynamic adjustments will help drivers race at their maximum in all conditions. The car’s beating heart is its hybrid powertrain, created at Toyota’s Higashi-Fuji technical centre. This includes a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 engine, running on 100 per cent renewable racing fuel and capable of more than 700bhp.
In its first race, at Imola in Italy in April, the No8 TR010 Hybrid took victory, with the No7 crew on the podium in third. The most recent race at Spa-Francorchamps in May was more challenging yet nevertheless saw both cars fight for the podium before finishing in the points, strengthening Toyota Racing’s World Championship challenge.
The team’s Le Mans challenge begins with a test day on Sunday 7 June, the only opportunity to drive on the circuit prior to race week. Official sessions begin on Wednesday 10 June with free practice and qualifying, where Hypercars compete for 15 places in Hyperpole. Pole position and the leading grid places will be determined in two Hyperpole sessions on Thursday evening, either side of further free practice sessions. The race begins at 4pm local time on Saturday 13 June.
Fans can enjoy the excitement and exhilaration of Le Mans from anywhere in the world via Toyota Racing’s dedicated Le Mans 24 Hours website (www.toyota-racing.com/le-mans-special), which features live onboard cameras and other content.
Team quotes
Kamui Kobayashi (Team Principal and driver, car No7): “We’re all looking forward to Le Mans, but more importantly we’re looking forward to fighting for victory. We have an updated car, the TR010 Hybrid, which has not yet been driven at Le Mans, so we are excited to see our performance. The whole team have worked incredibly hard to be ready, but we know it is a big challenge. As our new slogan says, we are competing For the Engineering Race. This means that the full focus of our engineers and mechanics, as well as the drivers, is on executing a perfect race week. It will not be easy, but the target is clear: we are going to Le Mans to win.”
Mike Conway (driver, car No7): “Le Mans is the race we always wait for, and we are all excited to be going back there. Hopefully we can fight at the front and have a chance of winning. We’ve had a pretty good start to the season, and we think the updated car is a step forward. We’ll see if that’s enough when we get to Le Mans. I can’t wait to be back on track there.”
Nyck de Vries (driver, car No7): “Le Mans is always a special week, one that everyone is very much looking forward to. It’s a big race, arguably the most important of the season. It is coming quickly, actually faster this year than in other years because we only had two races before. I am very much looking forward to seeing what we can do. Hopefully we will be in the mix, and will have a chance of fighting for a historic moment. My team-mates have all won Le Mans at least once, so I am looking for my first.”
Sébastien Buemi (driver, car No8): “Le Mans is the biggest race of the year, and it requires a lot of preparation and effort. It’s a magical event and an amazing week. I’m looking forward to driving the TR010 Hybrid there for the first time and seeing what it can do there. Hopefully everything we have learned over the past few months will helps us extract the maximum from the car.
Brendon Hartley (driver, car No8): “It’s great to head back to Le Mans with our new TR010 Hybrid challenger. It looks fast before it even turns a wheel on the track and we’ve all been very happy inside the car, so the hopes are high. We know we have big competition which we all respect. Clearly the aim is to try and win Le Mans again. We have been close in the last few years but have fallen short. We must focus and put the best possible race together. I’m sure there are going to be some tight fights for the podium positions, and our goal is to be there at the end.”
Ryō Hirakawa (driver, car No8): “We’re all excited for Le Mans, especially because we have the updated TR010 Hybrid and a new team identity. I think we have prepared very well over the winter, and we are in better shape than last year. Our competitors have also improved but we have some confidence going into Le Mans. For sure it’s going to be a close battle, but we are all ready and we will go for it.”
ENDS
Note to editors: –
Click here to access the 2026 TOYOTA RACING WEC press kit.
Click here to download rights-free video material of the TR010 HYBRID.
