Le Mans 24 Hours: Toyota leads after first hour, BMW takes lead after three hours

By Callum Ashford — 13 June 2026 — 4 min read

The 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans is underway, with Sir Mark Cavendish waving off 62 entrants for the third round of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The race began at 16:00 local time, featuring Hypercars from manufacturers such as Ferrari, Toyota, BMW, Alpine, Peugeot, Cadillac, Aston Martin, and Genesis, alongside the LMP2 prototype category and the LMGT3 class.

In the initial hour, Toyota took the lead, despite an early pit stop strategy for both the #8 and #7 Toyota GR010 Hybrids. Sébastien Buemi, driving the #8 car, led the race, with pole-sitter René Rast in the #15 BMW M Hybrid V8 close behind. The early pit stops by Toyota, which initially seemed surprising, allowed them to gain clear air and move into the lead by the end of the first hour.

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Early Race Dynamics

The start of the race was described as frenetic, with the #15 BMW M Hybrid V8, starting from pole position, not making the strongest getaway. The #12 Hertz Team JOTA Cadillac seized the opportunity to take the lead into the first corner. However, René Rast in the #15 BMW utilized the slipstream on the Mulsanne Straight to overtake the leading Cadillac, showcasing the BMW’s speed.

Team-mate Kevin Magnussen in the sister BMW also made a strong start, moving his BMW M Hybrid V8 into third position. Meanwhile, Earl Bamber in the #38 Cadillac, which started in tenth, climbed to sixth in the opening phase of the race. By lap six, the Hypercars encountered the back of the LMGT3 field, adding complexity to the race with traffic management and class position battles.

A notable moment occurred when Ferdinand Habsburg executed a move around Magnussen’s BMW into Indianapolis Corner. Filipe Albuquerque followed, with Earl Bamber in pursuit. Toyota’s early pit stops for the #8 and #7 cars, driven by Sébastien Buemi and Mike Conway respectively, were a key strategic decision that saw them drop to the back of the Hypercar field initially, only to emerge in the lead after the first hour.

Three-Hour Update and Class Leaders

After three hours, the #20 BMW led the 24 Hours of Le Mans, though Toyota maintained a strategic advantage. Sheldon van der Linde, driving the #20 BMW, was prevented from completing a scheduled routine stop due to an ill-timed full-course yellow. Sébastien Buemi had extended his lead over René Rast in the #20 BMW to 20 seconds after the second round of pit stops, further increasing it to 28 seconds before handing over to Brendon Hartley.

The #20 BMW was then handed over to van der Linde, who had to take a brief five-second fuel stop under the full-course yellow before pitting again on the subsequent lap. The #12 Cadillac V-Series.R, driven by Louis Deletraz, held second place after three hours, facing similar issues to the #20 BMW. Hartley’s #8 Toyota was in third, followed by the #101 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac.

In the LMP2 class, Richard Verschoor in the #30 Duqueine Team Oreca 07 Gibson held a comfortable lead. The pole-sitting IDEC Sport Oreca, driven by Job van Uitert, led early but lost ground after Paul Lafargue took over. Louis Rousset in the Forestier Racing by Panis entry climbed to second in class, trailing Verschoor. Bijoy Garg in the #343 Inter Europol Competition car was fourth, with Jonas Ried in the #9 Proton Competition entry completing the top five.

For the LMGT3 class, Ayhancan Guven in the #91 Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo took the lead. The #91 Porsche was one of the few cars to start with its Bronze driver, James Cottingham, before Guven took over. Tom van Rompuy, driving the leading Akkodis ASP Lexus RC F GT3, maintained his advantage until pitting around the three-hour mark, at which point Guven moved into the lead. The Team Qatar by Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, with Julian Hanses, was running second, ahead of Eric Powell’s #77 Proton Competition Ford Mustang GT3 EVO. Van Rompuy dropped to fourth in class, followed by Anthony McIntosh in the Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO.

Future Focus and Fuel Innovation

The 24 Hours of Le Mans also serves as a platform for future automotive developments. Prior to the race, a demonstration showcased hydrogen prototypes, including Alpine’s gas hydrogen Alpenglow, the gas hydrogen Ligier Bosch JS2 RH2, and the liquid hydrogen Toyota TR LH2. This demonstration followed announcements regarding the integration of hydrogen into the 2030 Hypercar category, with FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem present to observe the advancements in zero CO2 emission racing.

All cars across the three categories are utilising Excellium Racing 100, a fully renewable fuel developed by TotalEnergies. The race is set to conclude on Sunday, 14 June, at 16:00 CET, when the winners of the 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans will claim their trophies.