As it happened - Relive every moment of Toyota's stunning 2026 Le Mans victory

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Live comments, updates, results and streaming details for the 2026 edition of the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans race at Circuit de la Sarthe.

'This is not right!' - Toyota No. 8 takes longer pit stop due to front left issue as lead slips away

Video credit: TNT Sports

Thank you for reading

That's it for our live coverage, but we will bring more reaction on the TNT Sports website in the coming hours.

We also have a report for you to digest.

24 Hours of Le Mans

Toyota team lost faith but 'can have a good beer' after Le Mans win

14/06/2026 at 20:49

24 Hours of Le Mans

Kobayashi brings home Toyota No. 7 for 2026 Le Mans win alongside De Vries and Conway

14/06/2026 at 16:02

Until next year!

Watch emotional scenes as Toyota celebrate the victory of the No. 7 car at Le Mans

Video credit: TNT Sports

Toyota dominate

An outstanding, clever and patient win for Toyota's No.7 trio.

After years of relative struggle, they have reclaimed the 24 Hour of Le Mans crown. Will the same three reconvene for another tilt in 2027?

LMP2 won by Inter Europol

Another winner confirmed.

TF Sport wins LMGT3

'It feels like a long time ago' - Kobayashi thrilled

Kamui Kobayashi reflects on the four years since the last Toyota win.

Speaking from the car, he says: "It's also not the first time, but it feels like a long time ago."

'It's pure joy' - De Vries celebrates

"Frankly speaking, I thought we were out of contention many times. We had an early puncture," Nyck de Vries begins.

"We had a sensor issue which cost us a lot of striaght-line speed. We were afraid [we did not] have the speed and the pace. It just goes to show Le Mans never ends until it's done.

"It's a collective achievement. We've been working for twoand-half years now. The dynamics are great. We complement each other. It's pure joy."

Conway - 'You go to the end'

Mike Conway, almost in tears, is asked how he feels. He says: "I don't know. These are so bloody hard to win.

"My team-mates are amazing. The team, incredible work. Just thank you to everyone. Even in the first couple of hours, we felt it wasn't looking good. We had some issues with the power as well.

"We just stuck in there, and, like always, team spirit... you go to the end, you know?"

'Do not underestimate this race' - Gade praises Toyota

Leena Gade tells TNT Sports: "Do not underestimate this race. The work for it starts a year in advance. It's not just about turning up for the week. It's about preparation, it's about testing.

"It's about the resilience of the team, engineers, drivers."

'You are the best!' - Toyota No.7 comms

On the team radio: "Winner! Amazing. You are the best. It is a team effort. Wow, we were waiting a long time for this."

Toyota win 24 Hours of Le Mans 2026!

Kobayashi brings home No.7 over the finish line.

It was not always a sure thing, but the trio raced most intelligently despite decent challenges from the No.8 Toyota, with BMW's No.20 and Cadillac's No. 12 running them hard.

Kobayashi on course for victory

With eight minutes remaining, Kobayashi has more than 10 seconds on Frijn, who is in turn more than 10 clear of Buemi. Stevens, in the Cadillac, trails both Toyotas and the BMW.

15 minutes remaining

The end of the race is looming. Kobayashi appears in control.

Frijns moves into second spot

Frijns clears Buemi, and you wonder if Toyota have sacrificed Buemi. Did he purposefully obstruct the BMW as long as possible to help out Kobayashi ahead of him?

Kobayashi racing clear

He has 20 seconds on Buemi, with Frijns less than a second behind him.

Stevens is almost 30 seconds behind him too, so while there are always potential upsets ahead, this feels decisive.

Toyotas in charge once more

Stevens pits. Kobayashi assumes the lead, his team-mate behind him.

The No.20 BMW with Frijns at the helm is in third, and Stevens comes back out in fourth spot. Under 90 minutes remaining.

Stevens heads the pack for Cadillac

Stevens is ahead in No.12 for Cadillac. Buemi in No. 8 and Kobayashi in No. 7, both for Toyota, are third and second respectively.

Van der Linde reports brake disc

BMW's No.20 reports that there are problems with a knocking brake disc.

He tells his team the car needs to have its brake pumped before the braking zone. With 90 minutes remaining, it's an issue to watch.

Hot conditions on track

With the end of the race approaching, we've just been hearing about the conditions the drivers will be experiencing on track.

According to TNT commentator Leena Gade, the track temperature is around 47 degrees Celsius, with the air 30 degrees and "getting hotter."

That heat will pose specific issues for both drivers and technicians, especially as they manage their tyres.

Standings with two hours left

As we head into the final two hours of the 94th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, here's how the Hypercar are lined up:

1) Nyck de Vries (Toyota)

2) Sheldon van der Linde (BMW)

3) Sebastien Buemi (Toyota)

4) Will Stevens (Cadillac)

5) Robert Kubica (Ferrari)

'This could change their race!' - FCY leads to emergency pitstops

Racers needed to come in for emergency supplies a moment ago, which has upset the order at the top.

De Vries leads, then BMW's Van der Linde is back, and Hartley dropped back from pole to third, and is heard now worrying about the state of his tyres in the heat.

'This could change their race!' - Toyota and Cadillac forced into pits for emergency fuel under FCY

Video credit: TNT Sports

'My brakes exploded' - Disaster for Pin

'My brakes exploded!' - Disaster for Pin and Duqueine as Verschoor can't stop car failure

Video credit: TNT Sports

Watch Hartley steal the lead

Here's Brendon Hartley moving past to take the lead.

'Round the outside!' - Toyota take the lead of Le Mans as Hartley gets Nato after safety car restart

Video credit: TNT Sports

Full circuit yellow is now in effect, after the No.32 BMW spins out. Let's see what happens with the leadership as this shakes out.

De Vries through next

Nyck de Vries is next to past Nato. The Toyotas are both pulling away from the Cadillac already.

Here is the Manx Missile speaking to TNT Sports a few moments ago.

'When will we see you in a car?' - Kristensen asks Cavendish the question on everyone's lips

Video credit: TNT Sports

Hartley leads

Hartley gets into Nato's slipstream, edges around him, and darts across for the upcoming corner and moves into the top spot.

New drivers for Toyota

De Vries steps in for No. 7 - he is in third spot.

Ahead of him in No. 8 is Hartley.

Nato leads for Cadillac.

Hirakawa undercut for Toyota

Watch how the Japanese driver pulled off a move ahead of his stable-mate.

Toyota get tactical as Hirakawa sets fastest lap then comes in to pits for undercut

Video credit: TNT Sports

Toyotas close in

There's about a second separating the top three cars.

Interestingly, it's reported that tyres are starting to overheat as the dirty air and weather starts to have an effect.

The cars will now have to manage a worsening grip situation, and any pitstop will be costly.

Frijns down to fourth

Frijns has dropped down into fourth after a pitstop, leaving the two Toyotas to trail Nato who now holds pole position.

270 minutes remaining

As we approach four and a half hours remaining, let's take stock. Nato trails Frijns by more than four seconds. Then, in third and fourth you have the No.7 and No. Toyotas, respectively.

Safety car pits

Nato still trails Frijn as the BMW No. 20 timed his move into space well, leaving an LMGT car as a blocker.

Toyota loses time again

More problems for the No. 8 of the Japanese outfit. They're having a grim time this morning.

We're coming up on five hours remaining.

Toyota No. 8 again lose time in pits as front left causes more problems

Video credit: TNT Sports

'Look at the damage!'

A Manthey Porsche suffered a crash which led to extensive repair to a barrier, and brought out the safety car.

'Look at the damage!' - Scary moment as Guven caught up in huge crash

Video credit: TNT Sports

Toyota No. 8 problem - 'This is not right'

Toyota suffered another blow, perhaps explaining De Vries' disappointment a little earlier.

'This is not right!' - Toyota No. 8 takes longer pit stop due to front left issue as lead slips away

Video credit: TNT Sports

Problem with No. 50 Ferrari

Molina's Ferrari has come to a stop, and it seems like the car cannot be restarted.

The marshals are attending to the vehicle.

Driver swap for the leaders

Frijns takes over in the BMW No. 8 as Van der Linge exits. Nato steps in for the Cadillac No. 12.

No. 91 out after crash

The No. 91 Manthey collided into a barrier after a serious fault with the car. As a result, some cars are coming in and the race organisers will look to carry out repairs. There's a SC 1/4 intervention.

'Not really in contention'

Nyck De Vries conceded that the Toyota does not have the pace to properly compete at this weekend's event.

'Not really in contention because of that' - De Vries explains Toyota's struggles at Le Mans

Video credit: TNT Sports

Van der Linde pits

The No. 9 Proton has an advertising hoarding stuck to it, which could bring a yellow flag.

Van der Linde pits in his BMW, allowing the Cadillac No. 12 back in front. Deletraz has been told to make use of track limits to make up some time.

The Cadillac is a minute clear, but is due for another stop. Six hours remaining.

Deletraz's penalty

Watch the Cadillac No. 12 lose the lead.

Cadillac No. 12 lose the lead as Deletraz has to come in for a drive-through penalty

Video credit: TNT Sports

Robichon admits fatigue

Hartley moves past Deletraz as James Robichon is interviewed on TNT Sports.

The Canadian says it took "five minutes" for him to find the energy to pick up a bottle of water after a driving session, and he has managed just an hour of sleep so far.

He says he is planning on caffeine to get him over the line.

Van der Linde up to first

The BMW man now has an 18-second advantage after Deletraz has to do his full service. Hartley remains in third.

'Heartbreak for Bourdais'

The Cadillac No. 38 is out with a mechanical problem. He looks utterly distraught.

'Heartbreak' for Bourdais and No. 38 Cadillac after mechanical ends victory hopes

Video credit: TNT Sports

Deletraz up to first

The Cadillac man has moved back in front with fewer than seven hours remaining.

He's on the medium lyres while Van der Linde is on hards for now.

There's a full course yellow now, and the Cadillac needs to come back in after the yellow for a service.

Deletraz down to third

Deletraz down to third after undergoing a long-lap penalty for a slowzone infringement. Hartley takes the lead, with Van der Linde in behind.

Estre hits the wall - 'Unbelievable!'

Here is the crash around the eight-hour-remaining mark.

'Unbelievable' - Estre hits gravel and wall after losing rear

Video credit: TNT Sports

Deletraz leads

The Cadillac leads Hartley in the Toyota. Deletraz is going about 3:28/29 most laps and seems comfortable for now.

Slow zone

The TDS Racing mechanics are forlornly holding pieces of body parts in the pits but Estre still hasn't moved. Unlike me, who's off for some long-overdue sleep leaving Alex Netherton to bring you home!

Into the wall!

It's a nightmare for Kevin Estre! He bounces off the kerb and is then completely out of sorts for Indianapolis, heading straight for the wall. Right now it's just yellow flags but he's not going anywhere.

Cadillac lead see-saw 24 Hours of Le Mans with 8 hours to go

Cadillac Hertz Team Jota have overcome heartbreak to lead the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a third of the race to go through the #12 car.
Robin Frijns had closed to two seconds behind the leaders for BMW M Team WRT #20 but after he made way for Rene Rast and Will Stevens took over from Norman Nato in the Cadillac, the gap exploded back out leaving the American team in a strong position.
The key moment of the night was the power steering issue that struck Cadillac #38 who had taken the lead with 13 hours to go thanks to a strong shift by Jack Aitken, but then pulled into the garage for 28 minutes that dropped the car down to 17th.

Toyota also had a bad night that began promisingly when the only safety car of the race left #8 with a 16-second lead. However, Brendon Hartley went off to wipe out his advantage and hand Cadillac a 1-2, before their own misfortune.
Stevens is due to finish his shift soon, but the current battle to watch is between Toyota's Hartley and BMW's Sheldon van der Linde in the #8 and #20 cars, separated by two seconds in the net battle for second.
Meanwhile penalties and a fire extinguisher issue for #50 have left Ferrari unlikely to win a third successive 24 Hours of Le Mans, they're currently battling the Alpine Endurance Team pair and Toyota #7 for the remaining places in the top five.
In LMP2, Richard Verschoor and Julien Andlauer's storming pace for Duqueine has the #30 car sitting pretty and looking like only a mechanical issue can deny them victory.
And a frustrating drive-through penalty for the Heart of Racing Team #27 car has handed the initiative to TF Sport in LMGT3. Nicky Catsburg and Cumbrian Jonny Edgar are set to take the rest of the running in the Corvette that enjoys a 100-second lead right now.

WATCH: Masson's moment of fortune

For a few seconds it looked like it could be curtains for the Frenchman.

Masson 'very lucky' to avoid barrier after going off-road

Video credit: TNT Sports

Van der Linde closing

The South African goes a full second quicker than Hartley on the last lap, cutting the gap to two seconds dead! He's the fastest driver on track right now.

Van der Linde in for Rast

I was wrong - South African Sheldon van der Linde is in for Rast and picks up four seconds behind the BMW of Brendon Hartley.

Rast's stint in the BMW has been pretty damaging for #20 as they've dropped from single digits behind the lead to third place, but with both Hartley and Van der Linde starting their shifts around the same time this will be a fascinating next half-hour.

Don't forget, the BMW loves the warmer temperatures too.

Buemi swaps for Hartley

That was one of his last actions in the seat of the Toyota #8 as Brendon Hartley takes over. It was his mistake early on at night that allowed Cadillac to take the lead, so the Kiwi has a massive incentive to get them back in contention now.

Rene Rast has also pitted, but will likely remain in the car.

Buemi sets fastest lap

It's the first one in a while, as Toyota #8 pilot Sebastian Buemi puts in a 3:25.968 that's over three seconds quicker than Rene Rast's fastest effort.

Fantastic LMP2 Battle

It's a right old ding-dong between Mikkel Jensen (United Autosports) and Adrien Closmenil (CLX Motorsport), with the Frenchman eventually triumphing in the back-and-forth fight. It's only for 11th in class, but it's the most exciting action going on right now.

De Vries blasts Giovinazzi away

He's charging hard in the #7 Toyota and flies past Giovinazzi on the Mulsanne straight, claiming sixth. He's only 2.7 seconds behind fifth-placed Antonio Felix da Costa, too.

However, the Alpine's straight-line speed makes them hard to pass.

Tale of the tape

If you're just waking up, you missed a pretty eventful night!

The major news is that the Cadillac Hertz Team Jota #38 - which was leading with 13 hours to go - is now OUT. It entered the garage for 28 minutes, falling to seven laps behind the leader before it was eventually withdrawn.

Meanwhile the Toyota Racing pair have fallen away from the battle for the lead but #8 is looking set for a podium finish and is still ready to capitalise on any more misfortune in front.

BMW M Team WRT #20 is the closest challenger to the lead #12 Cadillac and was as close as two seconds away at one stage, but has now fallen behind with Will Stevens setting a scoring pace up front.

The combination of Richard Verschoor and Julien Andlauer has Duqueine sitting pretty in LMP2 while Jonny Edgar has just confirmed to TNT Sports that he and Nicky Catsburg will be the only drivers involved for the rest of the LMGT3 race, in the #33 TF Sport Corvette that leads by over one minute.

Leaders with 9 hours to go

Verschoor and Catsburg are looking strong in LMP2 and GT3 but the race for Hypercar victory is certainly still open, with 19 seconds separating the lead pair.

Hypercar:

1. No.12 Cadillac (Stevens)

2. No.20 BMW (Rast)

3. No.8 Toyota (Buemi)

4. No.7 Toyota (Conway)

5. No.51 Ferrari (Giovinazzi)

LMP2:

1. No.30 Duqueine (Verschoor)

2. No.43 Inter Europol Competition (Yelloly)

3. No.343 Inter Europol Competition (De Gerus)

4. No.26 Vector Sport (Cullen)

5. No.29 Forestier Racing by Panis (Rousset)

LMGT3:

1. No.33 Corvette (Catsburg)

2. No.27 Aston Martin (James)

3. No.23 Aston Martin (Newell)

4. No.78 Lexus (Hawksworth)

5. No.74 Ferrari (Heriau)

Slow zone called

It's in the same place at the end of the lap, and drivers need to make sure they keep honest this time. It's for the #99 TF Oreca car of Dane Cameron who has ran through the gravel and now sits stuck in the barrier surrounded by a cloud of tyre smoke.

Buemi making up ground

He's got the gap to the front down from about 46 seconds to 38.3, and his no one was faster than the #8 Toyota on the last lap.

Slew of drive-throughs

It's a potentially huge announcement for the front of the LMGT3 race as the Heart of Racing Team #27 Aston Martin and the Kessel Racing #74 Ferrari have both been slapped with drive-throughs for Slow Zone infringements.

They'd both been competitive but that will hand the advantage to the leading Lexus and Corvette cars now.

Meanwhile the #83 AF Corse Hypercar's outside shot at the podium has taken a dent as it's picked up a drive-through too.

Taylor: Sad to see #38 demise

Cadillac Hertz Team Jota's Jordan Taylor caught up with TNT Sports' Laura Winter and paid his respects to the #38 car that was leading but is now out of the race:

"They were so fast, they've have a tough week with their qualifying on pole taken away and now the race they were just the dominant car so it's sad to see.

"But thankfully we have three Cadillacs here, #12 car leading so we're still in contention and all the engineers from that car are now going to support the other two to put all of our minds together.

Hopefully we'll finish today with a Cadillac on top."

Podium battle evolves again

Mike Conway remains in the Toyota #7 while Ferrari have done a double-change with Antonio Giovinazzi taking over in #51 and Philip Hanson now driving #83 for AF Corse.

Cadillac's Will Stevens in #12 continues to lead BMW #20 driver Rene Rast at the front of the hypercar pack.

Masson off

The #29 LMP2 Oreca 07-Gibson got caught in traffic trying to overtake an LMGT3 pack and had to take to the gravel at high speed!

He looked destined for the barrier but just about managed to bring the nose around in time to take the escape road back to track.

Scary stuff.

Slow zone deployed

It's on the last section of track before the line, to enable marshals to brush gravel back into the trap.

Alesi smoking

And not in a cool way, either. It looks like a puncture or tyre issue for the car that had been running in the LMGT3 mid-pack.

Driver changes up front

Will Stevens and Rene Rast have taken over up for Cadillac and BMW, with 14 seconds separating the leaders. Meanwhile in the LMP2 category, Julien Andlauer is continuing his strong showing in the race.

Leaders with 10 hours to go

Here is how they look as the light streams in!

Hypercar:

1. No.12 Cadillac (Nato)

2. No.20 BMW (Frijns)

3. No.8 Toyota (Buemi)

4. No.101 Cadillac (Taylor)

5. No.7 Toyota (Conway)

LMP2:

1. No.30 Duqueine (Andlauer)

2. No.343 Inter Europol Competition (De Gerus)

3. No.43 Inter Europol Competition (Yelloly)

4. No.29 Forestier Racing by Panis (Masson)

5. No.37 CLX Motorsport (Aguilera)

LMGT3:

1. No.33 Corvette (Edgar)

2. No.27 Aston (James)

3. No.74 Ferrari (Blattner)

4. No.23 Aston (Adam)

5. No.2 Corvette (Green)

Sunrise in France

It's getting noticeably lighter above the Circuit de la Sarthe! And if you do want to tune in and see the rest of the action, remember the race is live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.

24 Hours of Le Mans

24 Hours of Le Mans: Schedule, start times, how it works, how to watch

08/06/2026 at 16:15

Genesis #19 stopped again

This time it had the good grace to fail in the pitlane, and the team is taking the opportunity to do a deeper dive into whether there is a long-term fix.

Buemi is back

When he left earlier tonight, the Toyota #8 was in the lead. It's now down in third, as Nato comes in for a refuel, but expect Buemi to fly into the sunrise now.

Driver change for Alpine

Up front, Nato has restored his lead to five seconds as Frijns' charge has faded while Antonio Felix da Costa has taken over in the Alpine #35 as they chase the top five. Right now Victor Martins is the blue car charging hardest though, a tenth behind Kubica in the AF Corse #83.

Go go go!

Genesis are old hands at this now and Daniel Juncadella is up and running again in no time. He rejoins the race seven seconds behind the Aston Martin #009.

Yellow flag

The Genesis #19 is stuck once again, it remains to be seen whether the fix that worked earlier will do the trick for a second time.

Kobayashi out

It's been a strong stint by the Japanese driver, and now Mike Conway takes over in the #7 Toyota. Yifei Ye has also made way for Kubica in the #83.

Leaders with 11 hours to go

Frijns has cut Nato's lead to just over two seconds as the Hypercar category is heating up once again!

Hypercar:

1. No.12 Cadillac (Nato)

2. No.20 BMW (Frijns)

3. No.7 Toyota (Kobayashi)

4. No.8 Toyota (Hirakawa)

5. No.83 Ferrari (Ye)

LMP2:

1. No.343 Inter Europol Competition (Garg)

2. No.30 Duqueine (Andlauer)

3. No.43 Inter Europol Competition (Dillman)

4. No.29. Forestier Racing by Panis (Masson)

5. No.9 Proton Competition (Ohta)

LMGT3:

1. No.27 Aston Martin (Drudi)

2. No.23 Aston Martin (Barrichello)

3. No.33 Corvette (Edgar)

4. No.21 Ferrari (Mann)

5. No. 74 Ferrrari (Marschall)

Driver change up front!

Norman Nato is into #12 for Cadillac Hertz Jota, while Robin Frijns has also pitted but continues in the leading BMW. Nato inherits a nine-second lead, the chasing Toyotas are both around two minutes back.

Luckless Bourdais back out

When the Frenchman took over he was in the net lead, now he's 17th and eight laps down. It's gutting for Cadillac, is there any chance they can recover to finish in the top 10?

#101 serves drive-through

The Alpine #35 is up into fourth now and though it's due a pit-stop, the drive-through plus AF Corse switching to James Calado and the misfortune for #38 means the French team are well in the hunt for the top five now.

Trouble for Peugeot

They're having an even worse night than Cadillac, and Theo Pourchaire has just had a lengthy pit-stop to disassemble and fix the rear of the car.

But Bourdais can only dream of such a quick change as he's still sat in the pits and now seven laps down.

Life at Alpine?

We've barely mentioned them all race, but the drive-through for #101 has brought the car of Charles Milesi into play in the race for the top five!

Yifei Ye has pitted and allowed the Alpine into fifth though that will quickly be reversed at the next pit-stop, yet Milesi is only 9 seconds behind the Cadillac now.

Bourdais still stationary

As Kobayashi exits the pitlane, the once-leading car remains stuck in the pits and is now three laps down with no end to the torment in sight.

Deletraz's lead over Robin Frijns is 35 seconds but the Dutchman was the more recent driver change.

Drudi hits the front

In the LMGT3, Mattia Drudi has returned to first place for the Heart of Racing Team, they're in a nip-and-tuck battle against the other Aston Martin and Corvette #33.

Standby penalty

It's all happening! Now the #8 Toyota's penalty has been changed to a standby drive-through as the script could be flipped with Deletraz now set to battle two Toyotas.

Cadillac in trouble

The #38 car has already dropped to 11th and is showing no signs of getting moving any time soon. Bourdais had only done four laps, the front nose is off as the team seem to be desperately looking for something inside.

Chaos up front

The entire race has flipped! Firstly, #8 Toyota has been given a drive-through penalty alongside #101 Cadillac for FCY infringements, and even more importantly the lead Cadillac has pulled into its garage!

Leaders with 12 hours to go

Now they've settled down, here's how things stand. Toyota have switched from Hartley to Ryo Hirakawa in #8 so it'll be interesting to track where the Cadillac #12 ends up when Deletraz's next stint is done.

Hypercar:

1. No.12 Cadillac (Deletraz)

2. No.38 Cadillac (Bourdais)

3. No.20 BMW (Frijns)

4. No.8 Toyota (Hirakawa)

5. No.7 Toyota (Kobayashi)

LMP2:

1. No.343 Inter Europol Competition (Garg)

2. No.43 Oreca 07-Gibson (Dillman)

3. No.30 Duqueine (Pin)

4. No.26 Vector Sport (Lomko)

5. No.9 Proton Competition (Ohta)

LMGT3:

1. No.74 Ferrari (Patrese)

2. No.27 Aston Martin (Drudi)

3. No.23 Aston Martin (Barrichello)

4. No.33 Corvette (Catsburg)

5. No.21 Ferrari (Mann)

Halfway stage

Congratulations, we are halfway through the 24 Hours of Le Mans!

Aitken done for now

He clambers out of the #38 Cadillac Hertz Jota car, with Sebastien Bourdais taking over. It's been a fantastic shift by the Brit who's taken his team into the lead.

Gutsy move by Kobayashi

He slides past Taylor in the #101 Cadillac and can now set his sights on fifth-placed Sheldon van der Linde.

He went full-send up the inside and forced the American to respect his space, Kobayashi is flying right now.

Driver changes

Amidst the chaos, there are a host of driver changes in the Hypercar category. The new lineup is:

Aston Martin 007 - Tom Gamble

Aston Martin 009 - Alex Riberas

Toyota 7 - Kamui Kobayashi

Toyota 8 - Ryo Hirakawa

Cadillac 12 - Louis Deletraz

Cadillac 38 - Jack Aitken

Cadillac 101 -Ricky Taylor

BMW 15 - Dries Vanthoor

BMW 20 - Sheldon van der Linde

Genesis 17 - Luis Delipe Derani

Genesis 19 - Paul-Loup Chatin

Alpine 35 - Charles Milesi

Alpine 36- Victor Martins

Ferrari 50 - Miguel Molina

Ferrari 51 - Alessandro Pier Guidi

Ferrari 83 - Yifei Ye

Peugeot 93 - Stoffel Vandoorne

Peugeot 94 - Theo Pourchaire

Green flag

Incredibly, the Genesis GMR-001-Hypercar springs back into life and drives away! And because of the FCY, it's only lost one lap.

Genesis desperate

Race director Eduardo Freitas is telling the marshalls to move the car from its exposed location, as Genesis tell Chatin to restart the car.

Lost power

The car has completely shut down, and Paul-Loup Chatin looks disconsolate in the cockpit.

Another FCY!

Genesis Magma Racing's #19 has pulled up on the Mulsanne Straight and this should be a longer stoppage.

That's extra tough for the team because that was the better-placed Genesis.

Green flag

The first stoppage lasted almost an hour but this time it's a quick fix and we are back underway with Aitken trying to boost his 30-second lead over Deletraz.

Into the gravel

We have a Full Course Yellow! It's the second one of the day, thanks to Enzo Trulli locking up in the Algarve Pro Racing LMP2 car at Arnage.

He ploughed into the gravel, but the race director has opted against calling out the safety car.

Leaders after 11 hours

Hypercar:

1. No.38 Cadillac (Aitken)

2. No.12 Cadillac (Deletraz)

3. No.8 Toyota (Hirakawa)

4. No.20 BMW (Van der Linde)

5. No.101 Cadillac (Taylor)

LMP2:

1. No.343 Inter Europol Competition (Muller)

2. No.30 Duqueine (Pin)

3. No.26 Vector Sport (Cullen)

4. No.43 Oreca 07-Gibson (Dillman)

5. No.9 Proton Competition (Reid)

LMGT3:

1. No.33 Corvette (Catsburg)

2. No.27 Aston Martin (Robichon)

3. No.78 Lexus (Hawksworth)

4. No.74 Ferrari (Patrese)

5. No.87 Lexus (Maria Lopez)

Elsewhere on TNT Sports

You can keep on watching the Le Mans action on TNT Sports or HBO Max, but we also have live text coverage of Scotland v Haiti which is just about to kick off!

Scotland v Haiti LIVE - FIFA World Cup latest as John McGinn starts in Boston with expectant Tartan Army set for first finals match since 1998

24 Hours of Le Mans

24 Hours of Le Mans: Schedule, start times, how it works, how to watch

08/06/2026 at 16:15

Genesis still in the fight

After Jaminet's monster shift that's been a bit sullied by the collision, they're trying to pull themselves back into the podium fight. There are three cars in front of them and two of them will be pitting imminently, so it's time for Paul-Loup Chatin to get to work.

Redemption for Hartley

At least somewhat, he pulled off a brilliant overtake on Deletraz to take second place and will now try to cut down Aitken's 16-second lead.

Stevens makes way

It's been a fantastic shift by the Englishman, and he's replaced by Louis Deletraz in the Cadillac Hertz Team Jota #38 - that means their teammate Aitken takes the lead for now.

Ireland to the fore

Charlie Eastwood is into the LMGT3 lead, with the #27 Aston of Zachaire Robichon pitting. Back in Hypercars, Jaminet looks to have recovered from colliding with an LMP2 car and is closing on the Alpine of Frederic Makowiecki.

Leaders after 10 hours

Mathieu Jaminet has come a cropper in the #9 Genesis, taking him out of the podium fight so here is how things stand with 14 hours to go.

Hypercar:

1. No.12 Cadillac (Stevens

2. No.38 Cadillac (Aitken)

3. No.8 Toyota (Hartley

4. No.7 Toyota (De Vries

5. No.20 BMW (Van der Linde)

LMP2:

1. No.343 Inter Europol Competition (Muller)

2. No.30 Duqueine (Verschoor)

3. No.9 Proton Competition (Reid)

4. No.43 Inter Europol Competition (Smiechwoski)

5. No.26 Vector Sport (Cullen)

LMGT3:

1. No.27 Aston (Robichon)

2. No.34 Corvette ( Eastwood)

3. No.21 Ferrari (Rovera)

4. No.23 Aston Martin (Adam)

5. No.150 Ferrari (Agostini)

LMP2 shake-up

We're due another round of pit-stops in the second category as the tight fight between Duqueine, Inter Europol and Proton continues. In GT3, the Heart of Racing Team continues to rule.

Jaminet on the charge

Genesis are squarely in the hunt for the podium, as now Mathieu Jaminet cuts into third-place Hartley's advantage. Sheldon van der Linde has taken over the #20 BMW care while Antonio Giovinazzi is looking to move his Ferrari up from seventh.

Toyota Racing cling on

Jack Aitken has jumped Hartley for Cadillac! The Toyota #8 pitted from under the nose of Stevens so #12 leads, while #38 is ahead of Hartley in the Toyota.

Hartley scrambling

The Kiwi has been on the radio reporting a flatspot, he has managed to extend his lead a little bit but he's still in serious trouble.

Remember, if you want to watch this crucial stint, it's live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.

24 Hours of Le Mans

24 Hours of Le Mans: Schedule, start times, how it works, how to watch

08/06/2026 at 16:15

Trouble for Hartley

His lead has been cut to a second, it looks like he made a mistake in the first sector and we have a race for the lead!

Leaders after nine hours

Here's how we look with 15 hours to go, the #50 Ferrari is back up and running but it's well off the back.

Hypercar:

1. No.8 Toyota (Hartley)

2. No.12 Cadillac (Stevens)

3. No.38 Cadillac (Bamber)

4. No.20 BMW (Rast)

5. No.19 Genesis (Albuquerque)

LMP2:

1. No.26 Vector Sport (Fittipaldi)

2. No.9 Proton Competition (King)

3. No.343 Inter Europol Competition (Garg)

4. No.43 Inter Europol Competition (Smiechowski)

5. No.30 Duqueine (Verschoor)

LMGT3:

1. No.27 Aston Martin (Drudi)

2. No.74 Ferrari (Marschall)

3. No.87 Lexus (Schmid)

4. No.21 Ferrari (Rovera)

5. No.23 Aston (Adam)

Toyota back in front

As we hit the 9-hour mark, both lead Cadillac Hertz Team Jotas pitted allowing Hartley back in front at around 10 seconds ahead of the pair.

In GT3, Mattia Drudi continues to lead for the Heart of Racing Team piloting an Aston Martin.

Big moment at the front

Richard Verschoor is back into first place in the LMP2 category for Duquiene Racing, while the lead Toyota has pitted for a driver change between Buemi and Brendon Hartley - meaning Will Stevens' Cadillac hits the front in Hypercar.

Driver switches

Nyck de Vries and Robert Kubica have both entered the fray for #7 Toyota and #83 Ferrari, while Buemi is starting to re-establish his lead over Stevens.

In LMP2, Bijoy Garg leads but is being hunted by Harry King in the battle for the lead between #343 and #9.

Ferrari update

TNT Sports' Jethro Bovingdon reports it's a fire extinguisher problem on the #50 Ferrari that's forced it into the pits, it's now three laps down and soon to be pushed into last place amongst the Hypercars.

The Cadillacs are coming

Will Stevens and Earl Bamber fire the #12 and #38 Cadillacs past Rene Rast in the #20 BMW, and Stevens immediately cuts four seconds from Buemi's lead.

Filipe Albuquerque is closing on Rast next.

Ferrari #50 in touble

Nicklas Nielsen pulls straight into the garage and leaps out.

We are go go go!

One of the McLarens got all out of shape but we narrowly avoid a collision. Now we're back underway we can see that Buemi's lead over Rast is 16 seconds.

Restart incoming

The safety car has been asked to pick up the pace, as we're not far away from the restart!

You can tune in now on TNT Sports and HBO Max to watch all the action kick off again.

24 Hours of Le Mans

24 Hours of Le Mans: Schedule, start times, how it works, how to watch

08/06/2026 at 16:15

Pass Around underway

So we're not far away from the race resuming! Cars between the safety car and category leader can now overtake the safety car to get us back in order.

Leaders after eight hours

Here is how things stand at the one-third stage. They've started to merge behind the safety car while above the track, there's a snazzy drone show going on.

Hypercar:

1. No.8 Toyota (Buemi)

2. No.20 BMW (Rast)

3. No.12 Cadillac (Stevens)

4. No.38 Cadillac (Bamber)

5. No.50 Ferrari (Nielsen)

LMP2:

1. No.30 Duqueine (Andlauer)

2. No.343 Inter Europol (Garg)

3. No.26 Vector Sport (Fittipaldi)

4. No.43 Inter Europol (Smiechowski)

5. No.9 Proton Competition (King)

LMGT3:

1. No.27 Aston Martin (Drudi)

2. No.74 Ferrari (Marschall)

3. No.21 Ferrari (Mann)

4. No.77 Ford (Powell)

5. No.87 Lexus (Schmid)

Midnight in Le Mans

The fireworks are up as a new day begins in France - and we are exactly a third of the way through the race. The safety car is still out with Toyota looking strong and we have a switch in the live commentary too, as I Adam Dickinson replaces Ciaran Baynes.

The safety car is still out

A frustrating wait for all drivers to get back to racing.

What timing for Buemi and Toyota

They went into the pits in 15th place and will resume in first.

Yellow flags are out...and so is the safety car

The LMP2 leader Andlauer came off the track and on return brought with him a lot of gravel and other debris.

More trouble for BMW #15

A steering issue now. You wonder how long it will be before they pull the pin.

Cadillac back in front

Bamber, who took over from Bourdais, has the lead in the Cadillac , ahead of Buemi - who has replaced Hirakawa. With Stevens, who came in for Nato, in third.

Leaders after Seven Hours

1) 20 - Frijns (BMW)
2) 8 - Buemi (Toyota)
3) 38 - Bamber (Cadillac)
4) 12 - Stevens (Cadillac)
5) 50 - Nielsen (Ferrari)

The leaders switching to soft tyres

A necessity as the temperature goes down along with the sun. It's relative, still a humid 30 degrees track temperature.

The night has descended...

There are few more iconic sights in sport.

Magnussen has taken over from Vanthoor

But is now three laps behind the leaders in his team's BMW.

Six-hour update...

1) 38 - Bourdais (Cadillac)

2) 20 - Frijns (BMW)

3) 8 - Hirakawa (Totota)

4) 12 - Nato (Cadillac)

5) 51 - Calado (Ferrari)

Bourdais is currently enjoying a 32-second lead in front.

Puncture for BMW pole-sitters

"It doesn't feel like a puncture but it is a puncture," says Vanthoor. "The right rear tyre is off the rim."

He has to go around much of the track with the chassis around the back right wheel hanging off. This is surely the end of victory hopes for this BMW.

Brake issue for Bourdais' Cadillac

Hirakawa's Toyota has a 40-second lead now to Bourdais, who is complaining about a break issue. They will hope not something which severely hinders their chances.

Five Hours in...

The Hypercar leaderboard:

1) Bourdais (Cadillac)
2) Frijns (BMW)
3) Hirakawa (Toyota)
4) Nato (Cadillac)
5) Vanthoor (BMW)

Nightmare for Berry in LMGT3

It looked like he has a rear left puncture and he is ordered to come back slowly to the pit lane as smoking billows from the Mercedes tyre.

Toyota in front now in Hypercar

With drivers switching over, Ryo Hirakawa now has the lead ahead in the Toyota (after taking over from Brendon Hartley), with Jack Aitken's Cadillac replacement Sebastien Bourdais next. Robin Frijns, Sheldon van der Linde's replacement in the BMW is next. Norman Nato is in the other Cadillac, taking over from Louis Deletraz and Victor Martins in the Alpine is up to fourth.

Aitken takes lead once more

A bold overtake from Aitken with their wheels almost touching, as he moves inside Van der Linde on old tyres to take top position again. Aitken's fellow Cadillac Deletraz is next with Hirakawa in the Toyota in fourth.

Aitken pit stop gives BMW lead again

Coming back in fourth Aitken immediately went past Cadillac team-mate Deletraz into third. Van der Linde is 40 seconds in front but will take a pit stop himself shortly.

Current leaderboard

1) Sheldon van der Linde (BMW)

2) Brendon Hartley (Toyota)

3) Jack Aitken (Cadillac)

4) Louis Deletraz (Cadillac)

5) Charles Milesi (Alpine A424)

Aitken has the lead!

The Cadillac driver burst through on a late-breaking manoeuvre and is over a second in front of van der Linde's BMW, who is 20 seconds clear of Deletraz's Cadillac in third.

Aitken on van der Linde's tail

The British-Korean driver is in second place and less than a second behind the BMW driver.

Latest Hypercar standings

1) Sheldon van der Linde (BMW)

2) Jack Aitken (Cadillac)

3) Louis Deletraz (Cadillac)

4) Brendon Hartley (Toyota)

5) Charles Milesi (Alpine A424)

Another yellow flag avoided

A bollard was knocked onto the track but a corvette helpfully knocked it off the track.

An awkward coming together!

Hypercar field so tight now

Josie Marie Lopez in the Akkodis ASP has gone past Eric Powell's Proton Ford to go into third in the LMGT3.

Full course yellow flag announced

The whole race has been placed on a yellow flag because of debris reported on the course.

It means all the cars will have to reduce their speeds until the debris is cleared.

The leader, Sheldon van der Linde of BMW, decides this is the best time to pit.

Could that have a big implication on the race?

Hypercar standings at three-hour mark

1) Sheldon van der Linde (BMW)

2) Louis Deletraz (Cadillac)

3) Alessandro Pier Guidi (Ferrari)

4) Ricky Taylor (Cadillac)

5) Raffaele Marciello (BMW)

Vibration issue in No. 19 Genesis car

There appears to be some issues with vibration for the No. 19 car of Genesis.

Mathieu Jaminet brings the car into the pit lane and is replaced by Paul-Loup Chatin but as the car re-enters the race, the on-board camera appears to show the vibration continuing.

Race-leading Toyota pits early…again

It is the theme of the first three hours but the Toyota No. 8 car is yet again pitting before the rest of the pack.

Brandon Hartley brings the car into the lane for a refuelling having previously opened up a 30 second lead over the next car.

He re-enters the fray in 11th position.

The Toyota is pitting a full lap before any of their competitors so their fuel conservation will be interesting to monitor over the course of the race.

Rast: 'Race is in one piece and we have a decent pace'

After a successful first stint on track, BMW's Rene Rast is enjoying a break having been replaced by Sheldon van der Linde.

And speaking to TNT Sports, Rast said he believed his car had a "great start" to this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans.

"I started fourth and had a great getaway and jumped to second and on the first corner I went first," the German driver said.

"And then I just tried to maintain a decent gap without risking too much, especially in the GT traffic because its difficult to avoid contact. But in the end, we are quite happy with the pace we have."

Rast's biggest opponent during the first few hours was the No. 8 Toyota who has set the early pace.

He acknowledged that it will be a tough test against a faster car, but said that "anything can happen."

"The Toyota is a bit faster. They look to be very competitive so we need to see how the race evolves. But the most important thing is that the race is in one piece and we have a decent pace," he said.

"They are on a completely different strategy to us. But anything can happen, it's a long race and the temperatures will change in the night and nobody knows how the cars will react in the colder temperatures."

Ferrari battling, Fuoco spins out

Oh, some drama between the two Ferrari cars in the Hypercar section!

Antonio Fuoco and Alessandro Pier Guidi are dipping and driving trying to separate one from another, as Fuoco looking to hold off Pier Guidi for his seventh position.

It is a gripping battle, and it is Fuoco who pays the price as he comes into contact with the leading driver in the LMP2 section, driven by Richard Verschoor for Duqueine, and spins out.

It's a big blow for Fuoco who falls to ninth.

No. 8 Toyota continues to set fastest times

Even with Sebastien Buemi replaced by Brandon Hartley, Toyota's No. 8 car is flying.

Hartley has just set the fastest lap time so far of three minutes, 26.580 seconds and have a lead of almost 30 seconds.

Buemi: 'Take it step by step, no mistakes'

Sebastien Buemi, now getting a well-deserved rest after an excellent start to the race for Toyota, explained that the start to the race was "a bit tricky."

The Swiss driver also added that the car's skills have caused the team to rely on their unique strategies, which have so far paid off.

"We are not very fast on the straight, we are good in the corners but not on the straight," Buemi told TNT Sports. "So it's very difficult for us to pass anyone.

"So we decided to stop a bit early to be a bit on our own. And it paid off, at least for car No. 8, because we're able to sit in front of the others.

"But it's just the start of the race and we are trying to understand what works and what doesn’t work. But so far it's nice to know we have a rhythm.

Buemi added: "We don't want to be exposed in terms of strategy, especially if there's any safety cars or neutralization. We take it step by step, no mistakes."

How to watch 24 Hours of Le Mans 2026

A reminder that you can watch all the action from 24 Hours of Le Mans live on TNT Sports.

It is available to stream both live and on-demand on HBO Max.

Driver change for leading car

There has just been the first driver change for the fastest car on the track, with Toyota swapping out Sebastien Buemi for Brendon Hartley.

Hartley will have a tough task to follow up Buemi's speed but the driver from New Zealand is an experienced endurance driver so could be up to the test.

At the time of the change, the No. 7 car had lead of over 25 seconds but enters the race at the back of the Hypercar pack.

Bird: 'These pit stops are intense'

As the race enters its third hour, teams are having to navigate changing drivers to maintain freshness and keep the speed up.

You might have thought how difficult it is to participate in these rushed changes. And TNT Sports pundit Sam Bird - who has twice competed at Le Mans - has been giving us some insight.

"These pit stops are intense as a driver. Normally the driver that has just driven jumps out and then you've got to insert your seat," Bird explained.

"You've then got to adjust your belt, get that done up, plug your radio in, plug your water in, make sure everything's correct. And off you go again. And it seems to happen so quickly. There's not a lot of time in these pit stops so no errors can happen."

Hypercar standings as we approach two hours

1) Sebastien Buemi (Toyota)

2) Rene Rast (BMW)

3) Ferdinand Habsburg (Alpine)

4) Earl Bamber (Cadillac)

5) Will Stevens (Cadillac)

Buemi continues to excel

Toyota's early pitting strategy is paying off so far, with Sebastien Buemi absolutely flying as they approach the two-hour mark.

Buemi's lead over second-placed Rene Rast of BMW is now almost 20 seconds and he continues to set the fastest lap times.

Alpine's Ferdinand Habsburg is just over four seconds behind Rast in third.

Van Uitert leads LMP2

LMP2 is current being led by the No. 28 car driven by Job van Uitert of IDEC Sport.

Van Uitert has a lead of over a second over Julien Andlauer of Duqueine.

Get up close and personal at 24 Hours of Le Mans

'It's killing the tyres' - Sorensen on conditions

The weather and tyres have been two of the biggest talking points today, with new Michelin tyres and very hot conditions at the start of today's race causing issues for drivers and teams.

And Marco Sorensen of Aston Martin admits that he struggled in his first stint on track.

"It was quite a challenge out there, if I'm fully honest," Sorensen told TNT Sports. "It's hotter conditions than we've had all week.

"It's killing the tyres more, for sure, and the car is really floating around out there. So it's a very fine balance to keep the pace and not overheat the tyres. We seem to be doing alright so hopefully we can keep up."

Round two of Hypercar stops

Here comes the second wave of pit stops for the Hypercar racers.

Leader Rene Rast of BMW is still on track, but the mass stoppage has offered an opportunity for Toyota's Sebastien Buemi to make his way back up the standings, now in ninth position.

We have not seen any tyre or drivers changes in the Hypercar section, so there is plenty of variables to come.

Buemi now pits, second wave expected soon

And just like that, the race leader - Sebastien Buemi of Toyota - enters for his second pit stop of the race.

BMW's Rene Rast returns to the front but Alpine' Ferdinand Habsburg is right on his tail.

Can Toyota's pitting strategy work in the long term?

Toyota have built the early advantage in the Hypercar race, largely thanks to their unique pitting strategy.

The team decided to bring in both of their cars for a tune up laps before many of their competitors.

And it has paid off so far, with Sebastien Buemi setting the early pace and comfortably the fastest car on track.

But can this work over the 24-hour long race? Toyota's other car, driven by Mike Conway, has pitted for the second time and Buemi will likely have to join soon.

How to watch 24 Hours of Le Mans 2026

With just under 23 hours of racing left, a reminder that you can watch all the action from 24 Hours of Le Mans live on TNT Sports.

It is available to stream both live and on-demand on HBO Max.

Toyota to Buemi: 'Really, really good job'

Toyota's staff have just been heard telling Sebastien Buemi that he is doing a "really, really good job."

And that's no surprise as he extends his lead to almost 10 seconds over second place and has just set the fast lap time of the race so far.

First hour completed

With all of the cars now having pitted, 24 Hours of Le Mans is settling into a rhythm.

Toyota's Sebastien Buemi is the current leader and is the fastest car on the track, extending his lead over BMW's Rene Rast.

As the 60-minute mark hits, the Hypercar racers are navigating overtaking drivers in the slower cars as they try to avoid collisions.

Cavendish: 'It's a bucket list thing to do'

'I'm buzzing like a kid in a sweet shop' - Cavendish can't wait to kick off Le Mans

Video credit: TNT Sports

Rast pits, Buemi leads

BMW's Rene Rast does indeed go into the pits and it means that Toyota's Sebastien Buemi is the new leader.

Rast rejoins the race in second position, with Alpine's Ferdinand Habsburg in third.

There is also a brief yellow flag after Martin Berry of Iron Lynx spins out and has damage to the front-right of his car.

First raft of Hypercar pit stops

After 45 minutes of racing, we are seeing the first stint of pit stops in the Hypercar section.

Toyota's two cars went early so are benefiting from the empty track but with plenty of time to go, there is sure to be more changes.

The current leader, Rene Rast of BMW, is still on the track and has a lead of over nine seconds.

Genesis 'breaking a bit more' after 'special' opening laps

With the race beginning to calm down after a chaotic few open laps, teams are taking stock and evaluating their plans for the next portion of action.

And according to Cyril Abiteboul - team principal of Genesis Magma Racing - he is "breathing a bit more."

"We're not going to be breathing a lot over the 24 hours but the opening laps are always something special," Abiteboul told TNT Sports.

"You can't gain a lot but you can lose a lot in the opening laps. Things are starting to settle a bit, we lost a few positions but that was a bit expected. Lets see how things settle now we are catching traffic. That is where things will be important for certain guys."

The two Genesis cars, driven by Andre Lotterer and Daniel Juncadella, sit in fifth and 15th in the Hypercar standings respectively.

Pole car continues to fall

The BMW car which began the race on pole continues to slump down the standings.

Kevin Magnussen is first overtaken by Earl Bamber of Cadillac and then by Ferrari's Antonio Giovianazzi to drop to seventh.

Action-packed start

First pit stop of the race

As the race leaders enter their eighth lap, the first Hypercar has entered the pit lane.

It is Toyota's Mike Conway who is receiving some attention from the mechanics?

Could that suggest an issue for Conway and Toyota? The No. 7 car rejoins the race last in the Hypercar standings.

Hypercar leaders begin overtaking

It is the first crunch moment of the race for the leading Hypercar contenders as they approach the back of the LMGT3 cars and look to pass them.

As TNT Sports commentator Will Brundle explains, many of the LMGT3 drivers will be unaware they are looking to be overtaken which could result in congestion.

Rene Rast (BMW) has a lead of over six seconds second-placed Will Stevens (Cadillac).

Lie of the land after 25 minutes

Here's where we are in the Hypercar standings after the opening 25 minutes of the 2026 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans:

1) Rene Rast (BMW)

2) Will Stevens (Cadillac)

3) Ferdinand Habsburg (Alpine)

4) Kevin Magnussen (BMW)

5) Filipe Albuquerque (Cadillac)

Sargeant: 'As far as you can get from what I am used to'

Logan Sargeant is racing for Proton in the LMGT3 race having previously raced for Williams in the Formula One.

And adjusting to life at Le Mans has taken same time for the American.

'As far as you can get from what I am used to' - Sargeant compares Le Mans to Formula One career

Video credit: TNT Sports

Cavendish with the flag

Rast stretching his lead

Although it's still a chaotic pack behind him, Rene Rast of BMW is stretching his lead at the front of the race.

We have just heard though that Toyata's Sebastien Buemi is matching Rast's pace, despite being in 14th position.

Tyre tactics

There's been plenty of talk around the tyres ahead of this year's race with the introduction of new Michelin tyres.

With not much previous data available on the new technology, different hardness of tyres has been chosen across the board and it will be key to see how they handle the changes over the next 23 and a bit hours.

Plenty of early drama already

After a chaotic opening between the huge number of cars, it is Rene Rast of BMW who finds himself first in the opening minutes.

It was a poor start from BMW Kevin Magnussen has meant he has fallen to third despite starting on pole.

And they're off!

Here we go!

The 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans is underway thanks to Mark Cavendish's flag.

Warm-up lap almost finished

The cars are approaching the start line have wound their way around the long track in Le Mans.

Breaks have been warmed, oil has been heated and engines are ready for action.

We're almost ready to go!

How to watch 24 Hours of Le Mans 2026

With the action around the corner, a reminder that you can watch all the action from 24 Hours of Le Mans live on TNT Sports.

It will be available to stream both live and on-demand on HBO Max.

Cavendish gets start underway

Mark Cavendish, this year's starter, has just told the drivers to start their engines.

A flyover from the French military has passed over head and the cars are on the track!

We're just under 10 minutes away from the start.

Touching moment between father and son

Brown: 'Really happy' with McLaren 2027 preparations

One addition to next year's 24 Hours of Le Mans will be McLaren who will be introduced to the race in 2027.

And McLaren CEO Zak Brown says he is "really happy" with how the team's preparations are coming along.

"All our partners are doing a great job, rolled out on time, getting the milage that we want, a big testing programme," Brown told TNT Sports.

"Really happy with our drivers. It's a tall order with all the competition on this grid so we're trying to be as prepared as possible. But two thumbs up to everyone so far."

Brown is in attendance, despite his McLaren team taking part in a key Forumla One race this weekend in Barcelona.

But he explained he will be "keeping an eye on Barcelona" while taking in the "amazing" Le Mans action.

The build-up is ramping up

With the beginning of the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans just around the corner, the pre-race traditional pageantry is getting underway.

The huge trophy has been driven down the starting grid past all the teams who have lined up beside their cars.

Now the French national anthem is being sung, with most of the 150,000 strong fans in attendance joining in.

Three members of the Calvary Regiment of the Republican Guard, adorned in their full outfits and on horseback, have handed the French flag to the official starter, Mark Cavendish.

Cavendish 'like a kid in a sweet shop'

Mark Cavendish is the one with the honour of getting things under way in just under half an hour after being named the official starter of the race.

And the cycling legend told TNT Sports that he's "buzzing" to be given such a "honour."

"It's amazing, isn't it? It's a bucket list thing to do," Cavendish said. "What a honour to get the chance to do this. I'm buzzing like a kid in a sweet shop."

Cavendish knows a thing or two about endurance sports having won the Tour de France twice.

And he believes there are a "lot of similarities" between long-distance cycling and 24 Hours of Le Mans.

"It's the mental fatigue of doing something over a number of hours. That's the hardest thing," he explained.

"It's something you can't feel unless you do it. That's where the stress comes. A lot of these guys ride bikes, they faster than I do now! There's a lot of similarities, there's a lot of differences but it's incredible to see the best drivers in the world doing what they do at this incredible sporting event."

Coping with conditions vital, says Vanthoor

More from Dries Vanthoor to TNT Sports who has been discussing how BMW are planning to maintain their spot atop the leaderboard.

"Obviously, it's very hot. It's the same for everyone. Tyre choices are going to be important," he said. "I'm not going to complain but it's also hot for the car.

"But I just think we've got to stay out of trouble. I think we've been suffering a lot of kerb damages so riding the kerbs at Le Mans is not great for the cars.

"But you have to find the fine line between not taking too much and making it to the end. We have to stay calm and make it to Sunday morning and then go from there."

'Huge moment' as BMW receive their medals after Cadillac disqualified

Video credit: TNT Sports

Vanthoor: 'Great feeling' to win pole

The Hyperpole qualifying was filled with drama but the beneficiary was BMW's Dries Vanthoor who ended on top following the deletion of Jack Aitken of Cadillac's time.

Speaking to TNT Sports, Vanthoor described earning first place on the pole as a "great feeling" and a result of plenty of hard work put in.

"It was a great result for the team who's been working so hard over the last couple of years to improve our car and to give them something back as a reward, I was very happy," the 28-year-old said.

"The session went really well. I felt really comfortable and could just do my thing and my laps as I would like. It was maybe not how it would go in a normal session but the pole is a pole and a win is a win so I'm happy with that.

"But it's a small part of a big race and there's a long way to go."

Sun is shining in France

There are perfect conditions for this weekend's race which should set up a thrilling 24 hours of action.

The temperature is high, there is barely a cloud in the sky with the racing just under an hour away.

How does 24 Hours of Le Mans work?

Le Mans, the race itself is simple: race continuously over a 24-hour period and the team (each made up of three drivers) that covers the most distance over the course of the race will win.

No driver can race for more than 14 hours in total at Le Mans and there are three different classes of cars: Hypercar, LMP2 and LMGT3. The Hypercars are the fastest cars in endurance racing.

Grid positions for 24 Hours of Le Mans are decided across three qualifying sessions (qualifying, Hyperpole 1, and Hyperpole 2).

Cadillac 'disgusted' to lose pole

In case you missed it, there was drama in the Hyperpole 2 session. Cadillac thought they had secured pole after Jack Aitken had gone fastest ahead of BMW's Dries Vanthoor on his final flying lap, only for that time to be deleted while the team celebrated on the podium.

The stewards determined that Cadillac had released their car too early from the pit lane and they were therefore hit with a penalty.

"The driver failed to follow the race director's instructions by leaving the working lane to join the fast lane before being authorised to do so," the stewards' bulletin read.

That decision dropped Cadillac down to 10th on the grid and saw BMW take a maiden pole at Le Mans.

Earl Bamber, who drives for Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA, said he was "disgusted" with the decision.

'Disgusting!' - Bamber fumes as Cadillac lap time deleted, BMW awarded pole position

Video credit: TNT Sports

How to watch and stream 24 hours of Le Mans 2026

You can watch all the action from 24 Hours of Le Mans, including free practice, qualifying, Hyperpole and the race, live on TNT Sports.

It will be available to stream both live and on-demand on HBO Max.le

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