The #7 Toyota Racing TR010 Hybrid has taken the lead of the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time, after benefitting from the timing of a Full Course Yellow at the start of the 22nd hour.
The FCY, caused by the #27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin LMGT3 stopping at the Mulsanne Kink with a gearbox issue, forced both the #7 Toyota and #12 Cadillac to take emergency service.
This shuffled the Hypercar pecking order, especially given Brendon Hartley had already pitted the race-leading #8 Toyota, and therefore was running at FCY speed on a different part of the circuit.
As the race resumed, Nyck de Vries pitted the #7 Toyota once again for his actual pit stop, and emerged still in the lead, with the #20 BMW of Sheldon van der Linde vaulting up to second.
These positions have held since, with the Dutchman currently 16 seconds ahead of the BMW drivers. Hartley has made way for Sebastien Buemi, who is now 23 seconds off the lead in third, but on fresher tyres.
The #12 Cadillac, in which Will Stevens has replaced Norman Nato, is now 42 seconds back in fourth, with Robert Kubica’s #83 AF Corse Ferrari up to fifth but due to pit next of the lead lap runners.
In LMP2, the #43 Inter Europol Competition ORECA has overcut the sister #343 entry for the class lead, after the #343 had a longer pit stop when Reshad De Gérus handed over to Nico Müller.
Tom Dillmann currently has a 28-second margin over Müller, with the pair split by the #29 Forestier Racing by Panis ORECA, aboard which a charging Oliver Gray is only 12 seconds off the lead.
Status quo has held in LMP2 Pro/Am, with the #4 CrowdStrike Racing by APR ORECA still in a comfortable position.
And in LMGT3, the #33 TF Sport Corvette of Jonny Edgar is back out front, with the Briton five seconds ahead of the #23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin, aboard which Jonny Adam has replaced Eduardo Barrichello.
The #78 Akkodis ASP Team Lexus of Hadrien David is in third, only eight seconds off the lead, with the sister #87 Lexus 20 seconds further back in fourth.
As well as the #27 Heart of Racing retiring from podium contention, the #69 Team WRT BMW has also retired with a gearbox issue.
Team WRT has separately confirmed that it is yet to officially retire its #15 Hypercar, although it is waiting for a Safety Car before returning to the circuit, so if its electrical problems have not been resolved it won’t interfere with the race.
