Akkodis ASP Team converted its recent front-running pace into a major result at the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans, with its two Lexus RC F LMGT3 entries finishing second and fourth in the production-based category.
The Jérôme Policand-led outfit had already demonstrated podium-challenging speed at Imola and Spa-Francorchamps. However, a series of reliability issues prevented the team from turning that performance into the results it appeared capable of achieving, leaving it with a solitary sixth-place finish from those two FIA World Endurance Championship rounds.
At Le Mans, both Lexus crews featured near the front from the opening practice session. The #78 entry eventually finished second after remaining in contention for victory into the final hour, while the #87 car recovered from a drive-through penalty to finish fourth, only 1.735 seconds away from the final podium position.
Akkodis establishes itself among the early frontrunners
Akkodis began the event strongly, as substitute driver Jack Hawksworth topped the LMGT3 timesheets in Free Practice 1 behind the wheel of the #78 Lexus. The team maintained that pace later in the week, with both RC F LMGT3 entries placing inside the top five in Free Practice 3 while running one-off liveries for the event.
The two crews then carried their form into Qualifying. Bronze-graded drivers Petru Umbrărescu and Tom van Rompuy progressed safely through the opening phase before Hadrien David and Clemens Schmid secured places in Hyperpole 2 for Hawksworth and José María López.
Hawksworth and López subsequently locked out the second row of the LMGT3 grid in the #78 and #87 cars. Hawksworth achieved his result despite losing one lap compared with his rivals after the door of the #78 Lexus refused to close at the start of the session.
Both Lexus entries move forward at the start
Schmid and Hawksworth each gained one position during the opening phase of the race. Once the first sequence of pit stops had played out, Hawksworth moved the #78 Lexus into the class lead and established the car at the front of the LMGT3 order.
Van Rompuy maintained that position after taking over the #78, while Umbrărescu moved the #87 Lexus into second place. As a result, Akkodis briefly held the top two positions with its pair of cars.
Both Lexus entries continued to run near the front throughout the twice-round-the-clock contest. However, the order changed during the night when the #33 TF Sport Corvette moved into the lead and the Akkodis cars lost several positions amid the changing pit-stop sequences and on-track battles.
After dropping to fourth, Hawksworth fought his way back towards the front. He first passed Zacharie Robichon in the pole-winning #27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin following an extended contest, before overtaking Jonny Adam in the sister Vantage to regain second place.
Hawksworth closes the gap in the final hour
Hawksworth continued to apply pressure during the closing stages and reduced the gap to race leader Jonny Edgar to 13 seconds in the final hour. However, he could not complete the pass before the chequered flag and brought the #78 Lexus home in second place.
The result rewarded a consistent performance from Hawksworth, David and van Rompuy, who kept the car in contention throughout the race. It also gave Akkodis ASP Team a podium at the FIA WEC season’s flagship event after its missed opportunities at Imola and Spa-Francorchamps.
“What a week!” enthused Hawksworth, who has impressed as a ‘stand-in’ for Akkodis in each of the most recent three editions of Le Mans.
Hawksworth praised the team’s preparation and execution across the entire event. He also highlighted the contribution of David and van Rompuy, who helped sustain the #78 crew’s challenge across the 24 hours.
“The team put in an incredible effort, prepared two amazing race cars and then executed perfectly for 24 hours, and it was a tonne of fun to drive with Hadrien and Tom, who produced an amazing performance throughout. It was so cool to stand on the podium after such a special race.”
David reaches the podium on his Le Mans debut
David made his first appearance in the 24 Hours of Le Mans after finishing second in the Road to Le Mans event at the Circuit de la Sarthe one year earlier. The 22-year-old Frenchman, therefore, arrived with previous experience of the circuit, although the FIA WEC race presented a considerably greater challenge.
For David, simply competing in the event represented the fulfilment of a long-held ambition. Finishing second on his debut added further significance to a week in which the #78 Lexus remained among the class leaders from practice through to the final laps.
“It was already the realisation of a childhood dream just to compete at Le Mans,” added 22-year-old Frenchman David, who was making his maiden appearance in the event after similarly finishing second at the Circuit de la Sarthe in the ‘Road to Le Mans’ as part of the Michelin Le Mans Cup 12 months earlier.
David also placed the result in the context of the work required to reach the event. In addition, he highlighted the age of the Lexus RC F LMGT3 compared with the other cars in the category.
“This is the culmination of years of hard work. The fight for the win went right the way down to the final laps, and we can take a lot of satisfaction and pride in what we have achieved. We have the oldest LMGT3 car in the paddock and we succeeded in finishing second in the biggest race in the world. It’s extraordinary!”
David and Hawksworth further demonstrated the pace of the #78 Lexus by setting the two fastest laps in LMGT3. Only 0.074 seconds separated their best efforts around the 13.626km circuit, while both drivers finished more than half a second ahead of every other competitor in the class.
Van Rompuy records another Le Mans podium
Van Rompuy’s second-place finish marked his third podium at Le Mans in four appearances. The Belgian played an important role during the early stages by maintaining the #78 Lexus at the front after taking over from Hawksworth.
He continued to support the crew’s challenge through his remaining stints, helping the car stay within contention across the changing conditions and race phases. Following the finish, van Rompuy emphasised the collective effort behind the result.
“It was an unforgettable result after 24 hours of pushing to the limit,” the Belgian mused.
Van Rompuy then thanked the team and everyone involved in preparing and running the car throughout the event.
“Huge thanks to the team and everyone who made it possible. I’m incredibly proud of this effort and of every single person involved. What a race!”
The #87 Lexus narrowly misses the podium
The #87 Lexus also remained in contention for a podium throughout much of the race. However, Schmid, López and Umbrărescu lost ground after receiving a drive-through penalty for contact on Sunday morning.
Despite that setback, the three drivers recovered positions and returned the car to the fight near the front. López completed the final stint and took the chequered flag in fourth place, only 1.735 seconds behind the third-placed car.
Schmid acknowledged the disappointment of missing the podium by such a narrow margin after 24 hours of racing. Nevertheless, he also recognised the work completed by his teammates and the wider Akkodis ASP Team throughout the week.
“Missing the podium by such a small margin after 24 hours of intense racing hurts, of course, but looking back at what we achieved together, I can only be proud,” reflected Schmid.
He subsequently thanked those who supported the #87 programme and helped the crew remain competitive despite the penalty.
“A huge ‘thank you’ to the entire Akkodis ASP Team, my team-mates and everyone behind-the-scenes who worked tirelessly throughout the week. The effort, commitment and teamwork were simply incredible.
“Le Mans is always special, and this year was no exception. We gave it everything we had and we’ll come back stronger.”
Akkodis completes Le Mans with two cars inside the top four
Akkodis ASP Team completed the 24 Hours of Le Mans with both Lexus entries inside the top four of the LMGT3 classification. The #78 crew remained in the victory fight until the closing stages and finished second, while the #87 car recovered from its drive-through penalty to finish less than two seconds away from third place.
The team also demonstrated its outright speed throughout the event. Both cars started from the second row, while David and Hawksworth produced the two fastest laps in the category during the race.
After reliability issues limited the team at Imola and Spa-Francorchamps, the Le Mans result reflected the pace Akkodis had shown during the previous rounds. The second and fourth-place finishes also gave the squad its strongest combined result of the season.
