2026 | WEC | 24 Hours of Le Mans | FP1 | Cadillac leads one-two as Duqueine and Akkodis top LMP2 and LMGT3

Cadillac made the strongest possible start to official running for the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans, as Earl Bamber placed the #38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA entry at the top of the Hypercar order in FP1.

The three-hour session at the Circuit de la Sarthe opened Wednesday’s track action for the 94th running of the French endurance classic. With 62 cars and 186 drivers entered, the field used FP1 to build on Sunday’s test day work, refine baseline set-ups, and prepare for both qualifying later today and the race itself.

Warm and sunny conditions greeted the FIA World Endurance Championship field. However, overnight rain on Tuesday had washed away much of the rubber laid down during the test day. As a result, the circuit was almost green again when FP1 began, although support races earlier in the day had helped lay down some grip before the WEC field returned to the track.

2026 Grand Marshal Sarah Bovy waved the green flag at 14:10 local time, with Kevin Magnussen leading the field out of the pit lane in the #15 BMW M Hybrid V8.

2026 FIA WEC: 24 Hours of Le Mans: FP1: Hypercar

Cadillac takes early control at Le Mans

Cadillac led the way in Hypercar, as Bamber delivered a 3:23.786 in the #38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R. The New Zealander, a two-time Le Mans winner with Porsche, produced two consecutive quick laps late in the session, with the second proving good enough to put the gold Cadillac at the top.

That lap placed Bamber 1.562s clear of the #101 Cadillac WTR entry. Jordan Taylor had initially set the benchmark for the American manufacturer with a 3:25.348, continuing the form the Wayne Taylor Racing-run car showed during test day.

Consequently, Cadillac became the first manufacturer this week to break into the 3:25s, 3:24s and then the 3:23s. After claiming pole in 2025, the Detroit marque made another strong statement around the Circuit de la Sarthe.

BMW denies Cadillac a top-three lockout

Cadillac looked set for a one-two-three in the closing stages after the #12 Hertz Team JOTA car moved into third with Will Stevens at the wheel. However, BMW M Team WRT interrupted that run late on.

René Rast placed the #20 BMW M Hybrid V8 third with a 3:25.533. The WEC points leader, who shares the car with Robin Frijns and Sheldon van der Linde, ended the session just 0.185s behind Taylor’s #101 Cadillac.

The #12 Cadillac eventually settled for fourth. Its session included time lost in the pits while the team rectified an issue with the brake pedal, but a 3:26.033 still ensured three Cadillacs finished inside the top four.

Alpine and Toyota join the lead group

Alpine emerged as the strongest non-Cadillac challenger. The #35 Alpine A424, shared by António Félix da Costa, Charles Milesi and Ferdinand Habsburg, ended fifth with a 3:26.078.

Toyota Racing followed in sixth with the #8 GR010 Hybrid. Sébastien Buemi delivered a 3:26.491, keeping the Japanese manufacturer inside the top six as it continues its pursuit of a sixth overall Le Mans victory.

Ferrari also showed signs of recovery after a difficult opening test day. The #50 Ferrari AF Corse 499P, winner of the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans, finished seventh on a 3:26.494. Although it slipped down the order late on, the lap kept Ferrari within the lead group.

Seven manufacturers inside the top nine

Aston Martin continued its encouraging development with the Valkyrie. The #009 Aston Martin THOR Team entry placed eighth, while the sister #007 car completed the top ten.

Between them, Genesis Magma Racing placed the #17 GMR-001-Hypercar ninth. Pipo Derani set a 3:26.603, adding another manufacturer to an already varied leading order.

With Cadillac, BMW, Alpine, Toyota, Ferrari, Aston Martin and Genesis all represented inside the top nine, FP1 offered another reminder of how difficult this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans could be to call.

Late drama for Ferrari and Alpine

The final phase of FP1 brought drama for several Hypercar runners. The #83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P, the reigning Le Mans-winning entry, hit trouble when Yifei Ye lost control at Mulsanne Corner. The Chinese driver lightly reached the tyre wall but was able to bring the yellow Ferrari back to the pits.

Alpine also had a difficult end to the session. Frédéric Makowiecki clattered the barriers at the exit of the Forest Esses in the #36 Alpine A424 and was forced to park the car.

There was also concern for the session-leading #38 Cadillac, as Jack Aitken toured slowly back to the pits at the end of FP1.

Hypercar classification — FP1 provisional

1. Cadillac #38 – Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA – 3:23.786 — 40 laps
2. Cadillac #101 – Cadillac WTR – +1.562 — 37 laps
3. BMW #20 – BMW M Team WRT – +1.747 — 35 laps
4. Cadillac #12 – Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA – +2.247 — 27 laps
5. Alpine #35 – Alpine Endurance Team – +2.292 — 34 laps
6. Toyota #8 – Toyota Racing – +2.705 — 44 laps
7. Ferrari #50 – Ferrari AF Corse – +2.708 — 44 laps
8. Aston Martin #009 – Aston Martin THOR Team – +2.790 — 44 laps
9. Genesis #17 – Genesis Magma Racing – +2.817 — 34 laps
10. Aston Martin #007 – Aston Martin THOR Team – +2.919 — 34 laps
11. Toyota #7 – Toyota Racing – +2.962 — 41 laps
12. Alpine #36 – Alpine Endurance Team – +2.963 — 38 laps
13. Genesis #19 – Genesis Magma Racing – +3.036 — 36 laps
14. BMW #15 – BMW M Team WRT – +3.059 — 45 laps
15. Ferrari #51 – Ferrari AF Corse – +3.150 — 43 laps
16. Peugeot #93 – Peugeot TotalEnergies – +3.228 — 40 laps
17. Ferrari #83 – AF Corse – +3.540 — 36 laps
18. Peugeot #94 – Peugeot TotalEnergies – +3.561 — 41 laps

2026 FIA WEC: 24 Hours of Le Mans: FP1: LMP2

Pin produces late LMP2 benchmark

Doriane Pin starred in LMP2, delivering a superb late lap to put the #30 Duqueine Team ORECA-Gibson at the top of the class. Pin’s 3:35.248 came in the closing stages and gave Duqueine valuable momentum before qualifying. The lap was enough to beat the #14 TDS Racing entry, with Kevin Estre moving into second on the final lap.

IDEC Sport had led much of the early running. Job van Uitert continued his strong test day form and produced a 3:36.189, but the #28 ORECA ultimately finished third after late improvements from Pin and Estre.

Tight margins define the class

LMP2 looked highly competitive from the opening hour. Eight cars were separated by less than a second early in the session, as teams traded positions across the timesheets.

AO by TF placed fourth with the #99 ORECA, while United Autosports completed the top five with the #22 car. AF Corse, CrowdStrike Racing by APR and Inter Europol Competition followed closely behind, each finishing within 1.158s of Pin’s benchmark.

However, there was early disruption. The #37 CLX Motorsport car lost the rear under braking near the Esses before Tertre Rouge, triggering a yellow flag and then a Slow Zone while marshals recovered the car.

The #9 Proton Competition entry also had trouble in the first hour after spinning on the run down to Tertre Rouge. Although the car avoided the barriers, suspension damage forced it back to the pits.

LMP2 classification — FP1 provisional

1. ORECA #30 – Duqueine Team – 3:35.248 — 33 laps
2. ORECA #14 – TDS Racing – +0.710 — 42 laps
3. ORECA #28 – IDEC Sport – +0.941 — 37 laps
4. ORECA #99 – AO by TF – +0.976 — 41 laps
5. ORECA #22 – United Autosports – +1.130 — 31 laps
6. ORECA #183 – AF Corse – +1.152 — 41 laps
7. ORECA #4 – CrowdStrike Racing by APR – +1.155 — 40 laps
8. ORECA #43 – Inter Europol Competition – +1.158 — 41 laps
9. ORECA #29 – Forestier Racing by Panis – +1.390 — 42 laps
10. ORECA #25 – Algarve Pro Racing – +1.648 — 43 laps
11. ORECA #26 – Vector Sport – +1.888 — 41 laps
12. ORECA #24 – Nielsen Racing – +2.098 — 39 laps
13. ORECA #343 – Inter Europol Competition – +2.326 — 37 laps
14. ORECA #48 – RD Limited – +2.547 — 41 laps
15. ORECA #37 – CLX Motorsport – +2.564 — 37 laps
16. ORECA #3 – DKR Engineering – +3.068 — 35 laps
17. ORECA #222 – United Autosports – +3.296 — 40 laps
18. ORECA #44 – Proton Competition – +3.586 — 39 laps
19. ORECA #9 – Proton Competition – +34.474 — 9 laps

2026 FIA WEC: 24 Hours of Le Mans: FP1: LMGT3

Hawksworth flies to the top for Lexus

Akkodis ASP Team led the way in LMGT3, as Jack Hawksworth set a 3:55.737 in the #78 Lexus RC F LMGT3. Hawksworth, who joins regular drivers Tom van Rompuy and Hadrien David this week while Esteban Masson races in LMP2, produced the benchmark early in the session. It remained unbeaten for the rest of FP1.

Team WRT made it two BMWs immediately behind the Lexus. The #32 BMW M4 LMGT3 Evo, shared by Augusto Farfus, Sean Gelael and Darren Leung, finished just 0.100s behind Hawksworth. The sister #69 BMW followed only 0.001s further back.

Front-engined cars fill the top four

The top four in LMGT3 was made up entirely of front-engined machinery. Behind the Lexus and two BMWs, the #62 Team Qatar by Iron Lynx Mercedes moved into fourth with a 3:55.904.

Racing Team Turkey by TF completed the top five with its Corvette, while the second Akkodis ASP Lexus rounded out the top six. As a result, Lexus, BMW, Mercedes and Corvette all started the week firmly inside the competitive window.

The margins were extremely close across the category. The top four were separated by just 0.167s, while the top ten were covered by less than eight tenths.

LMGT3 classification — FP1 provisional

1. Lexus #78 – Akkodis ASP Team – 3:55.737 — 29 laps
2. BMW #32 – Team WRT – +0.100 — 40 laps
3. BMW #69 – Team WRT – +0.101 — 37 laps
4. Mercedes #62 – Team Qatar by Iron Lynx – +0.167 — 16 laps
5. Corvette #34 – Racing Team Turkey by TF – +0.410 — 39 laps
6. Lexus #87 – Akkodis ASP Team – +0.445 — 35 laps
7. Aston Martin #27 – Heart of Racing Team – +0.478 — 37 laps
8. Corvette #33 – TF Sport – +0.574 — 41 laps
9. Mercedes #61 – Iron Lynx – +0.743 — 40 laps
10. Porsche #92 – The Bend Manthey – +0.759 — 42 laps
11. McLaren #58 – Garage 59 – +0.831 — 37 laps
12. Ferrari #57 – Kessel Racing – +0.843 — 41 laps
13. McLaren #10 – Garage 59 – +1.083 — 39 laps
14. Porsche #91 – Manthey DK Engineering – +1.112 — 41 laps
15. Ferrari #21 – Vista AF Corse – +1.280 — 38 laps
16. Corvette #2 – TF Sport – +1.304 — 36 laps
17. Ferrari #54 – Vista AF Corse – +1.364 — 41 laps
18. Aston Martin #23 – Heart of Racing Team – +1.426 — 34 laps
19. Ferrari #74 – Kessel Racing – +1.494 — 40 laps
20. Ford #88 – Proton Competition – +1.501 — 30 laps
21. Ferrari #150 – Richard Mille AF Corse – +1.634 — 37 laps
22. Mercedes #79 – Iron Lynx – +1.646 — 38 laps
23. Ford #77 – Proton Competition – +1.715 — 40 laps
24. Corvette #13 – 13 Autosport – +2.169 — 35 laps
25. Aston Martin #59 – Racing Spirit of Léman – +2.378 — 36 laps

Qualifying next at Le Mans

The action does not stop with FP1. Qualifying follows later today, with the top 15 cars in Hypercar, LMP2 and LMGT3 advancing to Thursday’s Hyperpole phase.

Before the field returns to night running in FP2, Wednesday evening will therefore provide the first major moment of jeopardy. Some teams will continue to hide their full race pace, but there will be no room to hold back completely as the fight for Hyperpole places begins.

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