Nyck de Vries has claimed his maiden victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans after Toyota overcame a series of setbacks to win one of the most hard-fought editions of the endurance classic in recent years.

The Dutch driver, sharing Toyota’s #7 GR010 Hybrid with teammates Kamui Kobayashi and Mike Conway, helped deliver the Japanese manufacturer’s sixth Le Mans victory after starting from 14th on the grid.

Toyota’s triumph came after a tense and unpredictable race that saw the lead change hands multiple times across the 24-hour contest. The winning crew completed a remarkable recovery drive, capitalising on strategy, reliability and consistency as rivals BMW and Cadillac faltered during the closing stages.

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Toyota spent much of the event fighting from behind before gradually working its way into contention. The #20 BMW M Team WRT Hypercar ultimately finished second, while the sister #8 Toyota completed the podium. Cadillac, which had shown impressive pace throughout the week, looked capable of challenging for victory before losing ground during the final hours.

“It feels like the stars were aligned,” de Vries said after the race. “There were so many times during the race where we felt like we had no chance at all.”

The result marks the biggest achievement of de Vries’ endurance racing career and adds another major victory to a résumé that already includes the Formula E world championship.

Nine-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen praised the Dutchman’s performance, describing it as a dream fulfilled.

“To win at Le Mans fulfils a dream for him,” Kristensen said. “They were fighting the entire race, even with setbacks.”

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Elsewhere, Inter Europol Competition claimed victory in the LMP2 category, while TF Sport took top honours in LMGT3.

The 2026 event also featured a milestone for British driver Jamie Chadwick, who became the first woman to drive a Hypercar at Circuit de la Sarthe during the official test programme.

De Vries joined Rolex’s roster of motorsport ambassadors earlier this year, and the watchmaker continues as the race’s official timepiece partner. Le Mans winners traditionally receive a specially engraved Rolex Cosmograph Daytona alongside the famous winner’s trophy.

The FIA World Endurance Championship now heads to Brazil for next month’s Six Hours of São Paulo.