Toyota wins again after four years at Le Mans
Toyota has returned to the top step of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, securing its sixth victory after a fiercely contested race full of twists and turns. The triumph for the Japanese manufacturer was delivered by Kamui Kobayashi, behind the wheel of Toyota No. 7, who finished just over ten seconds ahead of the BMW No. 20 from Team WRT driven by Robin Frijns.
This is Toyota’s first win at Le Mans since 2022. Kobayashi and Mike Conway thus achieved their second victory in the French classic, while Nyck de Vries celebrated his first triumph in the most prestigious endurance race, achieved on his third attempt in the top category.
Here are the statements from the winners just off the podium collected by FormulaPassion,it
Kamui Kobayashi:
“I waited a really long time to get this second victory and I am happy. A huge thanks goes to the team, of course. I think we had a very busy week. Speaking about the race, not everything went smoothly, we had a puncture, we had a problem with the driveshaft sensor, so we had no power. It was very tough for us. But in the end, we made it. And obviously, I think Mike and Nick did a great job. And naturally, the whole #8 team also did an extraordinary job. Thanks to all this the new TR-010 is a winner at its first Le Mans.”
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Mike Conway:
“It was tough, to be honest. For a long time things seemed to be going so well for car number 8. And the competition was really fierce especially with Cadillac and BMW. There were moments when every competitor was strong. Everyone had their moments. It was really tough and I think until the last three hours we really didn’t know what would happen, and Robin Frijns made the last 30 minutes really intense. I think Nick kept his eyes closed in his room for the last hour, hiding from everyone and I was pacing back and forth in the drivers’ room. I took about 15 bathroom breaks in the last 30 minutes. But we made it and we are here. We got the job done. An extraordinary job by everyone. So, yes, congratulations to all. And congratulations to BMW. They were very strong and gave us a hard time.”
Nick De Vries:
“Yes, I am incredibly grateful and relieved, as well as happy for this victory. It was a very demanding week. The race was exhausting. We had to face many challenges. But somehow we always managed to keep going. To be honest, there were many moments when I thought we were out of the game. But it is said that Le Mans chooses its winner, and I think that is exactly what happened to us today. Everyone who was with me on the team had already won a 24 Hours of Le Mans. So I was the only inexperienced one on the team. I am very happy to have lifted this weight off my stomach.”
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