Kamui Kobayashi left it late to put Toyota at the head of the timesheets in the second free practice session for the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans, as teams completed their first major running under the cover of darkness at the Circuit de la Sarthe.
The Japanese driver, one of Le Mans’ most accomplished qualifiers in recent years, posted a late benchmark of 3:26.096 in the #7 Toyota Racing GR010 Hybrid he shares with Mike Conway and Nyck de Vries.
It gave Toyota the top spot in FP2 ahead of the #83 AF Corse Ferrari, the #101 Cadillac WTR entry, and the #36 Alpine Endurance Team car, as the Hypercar field continued to look closely matched ahead of the weekend’s twice-around-the-clock contest.
The two-hour session also served a crucial purpose for the full grid, with drivers completing mandatory night laps as preparations intensified for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In LMGT3, BMW continued its productive Wednesday at La Sarthe as Augusto Farfus topped the class for Team WRT, while Esteban Masson led the way in LMP2 for Forestier Racing by Panis.
2026 FIA WEC: 24 Hours of Le Mans: FP2: Hypercar
Kobayashi delivers late Toyota benchmark
Toyota ended the first night practice session on top thanks to a late effort from Kobayashi, who set a 3:26.096 in the #7 Toyota Racing entry.
It was a strong response from the Japanese manufacturer after an eventful session for the car. Earlier in FP2, Nyck de Vries spun at the Goodyear Chicane, causing floor damage to the GR010 Hybrid and forcing the Toyota crew to carry out repairs.
Despite the setback, the #7 returned to the sharp end of the order, with Kobayashi’s late lap enough to secure first place by 0.220s.
AF Corse rebounds from qualifying disappointment
AF Corse enjoyed a much-needed boost in the evening session, as Yifei Ye placed the #83 Ferrari 499P second-fastest.
Ye, sharing the car with fellow 2025 Le Mans winners Robert Kubica and Phil Hanson, produced a best lap of 3:26.316, falling just over two-tenths short of Kobayashi’s session-topping effort.
The result marked an important recovery for the privately entered Ferrari after its qualifying disappointment, putting the #83 firmly back among the leading Hypercar contenders.
Cadillac remains firmly in the fight
Cadillac once again featured near the front, with Filipe Albuquerque taking third in the #101 Cadillac WTR entry. The Portuguese driver set a 3:26.387, just 0.291s away from the overall pace and only 0.071s behind Ye’s Ferrari.
However, the session was not entirely trouble-free for the #101 car. Albuquerque briefly lost power while entering the pit lane and was forced to restart the Cadillac V-Series.R. The issue was quickly rectified, allowing the car to resume its programme.
The #12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA car also showed strong pace, with Will Stevens setting a 3:26.420 to take fifth place. That left the JOTA-run Cadillac just 0.003s behind the fourth-placed Alpine.
Alpine, Genesis and Aston Martin impress
Alpine Endurance Team continued its encouraging form, with Le Mans Hypercar rookie Victor Martins placing the #36 Alpine fourth on a 3:26.417.
Genesis Magma Racing also maintained its impressive debut appearance at La Sarthe, as Mathieu Jaminet took sixth in the #19 GMR-001 Hypercar. His best time of 3:26.852 put the Genesis within 0.756s of Toyota’s benchmark.
Toyota’s #8 car was seventh after an action-packed session of its own. Brendon Hartley had a high-speed trip through the gravel at the second Mulsanne Chicane, but the car still ended FP2 with a best time of 3:26.912.
Aston Martin THOR Team once again showed promise, with the #007 entry of Harry Tincknell, Ross Gunn and Tom Gamble finishing eighth on a 3:26.935.
Late drama for JOTA and BMW
There was late drama for the #12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA car when Louis Delétraz suffered a puncture in the final 20 minutes of the session.
The Swiss driver had to complete a slow lap back to the pits before the car received a replacement front-right Michelin tyre and returned to the track.
BMW M Team WRT completed the Hypercar top ten, with the #20 M Hybrid V8 ninth and the sister #15 car tenth. However, the session ended with concern for Dries Vanthoor, who spun off at the exit of the Forest Esses and had to be recovered from the gravel trap.
Hypercar classification — FP2
- Toyota #7 — Toyota Racing — 3:26.096 — 25 laps
- Ferrari #83 — AF Corse — +0.220 — 31 laps
- Cadillac #101 — Cadillac WTR — +0.291 — 29 laps
- Alpine #36 — Alpine Endurance Team — +0.321 — 29 laps
- Cadillac #12 — Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA — +0.324 — 30 laps
- Genesis #19 — Genesis Magma Racing — +0.756 — 29 laps
- Toyota #8 — Toyota Racing — +0.816 — 31 laps
- Aston Martin #007 — Aston Martin THOR Team — +0.839 — 28 laps
- BMW #20 — BMW M Team WRT — +0.907 — 31 laps
- BMW #15 — BMW M Team WRT — +1.242 — 26 laps
- Ferrari #50 — Ferrari AF Corse — +1.256 — 31 laps
- Aston Martin #009 — Aston Martin THOR Team — +1.370 — 30 laps
- Alpine #35 — Alpine Endurance Team — +1.449 — 28 laps
- Cadillac #38 — Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA — +1.613 — 25 laps
- Peugeot #93 — Peugeot TotalEnergies — +1.735 — 30 laps
- Ferrari #51 — Ferrari AF Corse — +1.807 — 30 laps
- Genesis #17 — Genesis Magma Racing — +1.976 — 28 laps
- Peugeot #94 — Peugeot TotalEnergies — +2.377 — 30 laps
2026 FIA WEC: 24 Hours of Le Mans: FP2: LMGT3
Farfus puts Team WRT BMW on top
BMW continued its strong Wednesday at Le Mans as Augusto Farfus set the pace in LMGT3 for Team WRT. The Brazilian driver recorded a best lap of 3:55.132 in the #32 BMW M4 LMGT3, putting the car at the head of the class by 0.356s.
It was another productive session for WRT, which also placed its #69 BMW 16th in the category.
Iron Lynx and Manthey complete top three
The #61 Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG claimed second place in LMGT3, with Rui Andrade, Martin Berry and Maxime Martin’s car setting a best time of 3:55.488.
The reigning FIA WEC and Le Mans-winning #92 Manthey Porsche, running as The Bend Manthey this season, finished third.
Richard Lietz, who is aiming for a remarkable seventh class victory at Le Mans, helped place the car he shares with Yassin Shahin and Riccardo Pera on a 3:55.532. That left the Porsche only 0.044s behind the second-placed Mercedes.
McLaren, Ferrari and Aston Martin close behind
Garage 59 placed fourth with its #10 McLaren, as the British marque continues its pursuit of a Le Mans class success to echo its famous 1995 triumph. The #10 car set a 3:55.571, finishing just 0.439s off the class pace.
Completing the top six were the #21 Vista AF Corse Ferrari and the #23 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin, with Simon Mann and Eduardo Barrichello respectively setting the representative times.
The top six in LMGT3 were covered by less than six-tenths of a second, underlining the competitive depth of the class heading into the next sessions.
LMGT3 classification — FP2
- BMW #32 — Team WRT — 3:55.132 — 27 laps
- Mercedes #61 — Iron Lynx — +0.356 — 24 laps
- Porsche #92 — The Bend Manthey — +0.400 — 25 laps
- McLaren #10 — Garage 59 — +0.439 — 22 laps
- Ferrari #21 — Vista AF Corse — +0.451 — 27 laps
- Aston Martin #23 — Heart of Racing Team — +0.597 — 28 laps
- Porsche #91 — Manthey DK Engineering — +0.645 — 25 laps
- Ferrari #54 — Vista AF Corse — +0.683 — 27 laps
- Mercedes #79 — Iron Lynx — +0.706 — 25 laps
- Lexus #78 — Akkodis ASP Team — +0.841 — 23 laps
- Corvette #33 — TF Sport — +1.064 — 26 laps
- Ferrari #57 — Kessel Racing — +1.193 — 25 laps
- Aston Martin #59 — Racing Spirit of Léman — +1.249 — 27 laps
- Corvette #34 — Racing Team Turkey by TF — +1.325 — 24 laps
- Aston Martin #27 — Heart of Racing Team — +1.355 — 27 laps
- BMW #69 — Team WRT — +1.460 — 27 laps
- Ferrari #150 — Richard Mille AF Corse — +1.476 — 27 laps
- Ferrari #74 — Kessel Racing — +1.629 — 27 laps
- Lexus #87 — Akkodis ASP Team — +1.634 — 24 laps
- Corvette #13 — 13 Autosport — +1.635 — 25 laps
- Ford #88 — Proton Competition — +2.276 — 25 laps
- Ford #77 — Proton Competition — +2.424 — 27 laps
- Corvette #2 — TF Sport — +2.722 — 26 laps
- Mercedes #62 — Team Qatar by Iron Lynx — +2.785 — 23 laps
- McLaren #58 — Garage 59 — +3.208 — 26 laps
2026 FIA WEC: 24 Hours of Le Mans: FP2: LMP2
Masson leads Forestier Racing by Panis to P1
Forestier Racing by Panis topped the LMP2 times in FP2, with Esteban Masson delivering the class benchmark. Masson set a 3:33.645 in the #29 Oreca-Gibson, giving the team a comfortable advantage of 1.320s at the head of the category.
It was a strong showing for the #29 entry, which completed 28 laps during the two-hour session.
Heinrich impresses again for CrowdStrike Racing by APR
CrowdStrike Racing by APR finished second overall in LMP2 and also led the Pro/Am sub-class.
Laurin Heinrich, one of Porsche’s highly rated young drivers, produced the best time in the #4 Oreca-Gibson he shares with George Kurtz and Alexander Quinn. His 3:34.965 placed the car second in the overall LMP2 classification and ensured it emerged as the leading Pro/Am entry.
AF Corse completed the top three with its #183 car. The entry of François Perrodo, Matthieu Vaxivière and Ben Barnicoat ended the session with a best time of 3:35.765.
Trouble for United Autosports and Proton Competition
The session brought problems for United Autosports, as Grégoire Saucy suffered a braking issue into Indianapolis in the #22 Oreca-Gibson. The car was recovered and took no further part in the session, leaving the team to begin repairs after completing only 10 laps.
There was also an early incident for the #44 Proton Competition entry, as Horst Felbermayr Jr had an excursion that caused a small amount of damage to the car.
LMP2 classification — FP2
- Oreca #29 — Forestier Racing by Panis — 3:33.645 — 28 laps
- Oreca #4 — CrowdStrike Racing by APR — +1.320 — 30 laps
- Oreca #183 — AF Corse — +2.120 — 29 laps
- Oreca #43 — Inter Europol Competition — +2.466 — 25 laps
- Oreca #9 — Proton Competition — +2.627 — 27 laps
- Oreca #28 — IDEC Sport — +2.671 — 27 laps
- Oreca #14 — TDS Racing — +2.712 — 29 laps
- Oreca #30 — Duqueine Team — +2.996 — 25 laps
- Oreca #37 — CLX Motorsport — +3.053 — 27 laps
- Oreca #24 — Nielsen Racing — +3.317 — 28 laps
- Oreca #222 — United Autosports — +3.612 — 26 laps
- Oreca #99 — AO by TF — +3.645 — 27 laps
- Oreca #25 — Algarve Pro Racing — +3.832 — 29 laps
- Oreca #343 — Inter Europol Competition — +3.867 — 27 laps
- Oreca #3 — DKR Engineering — +4.598 — 25 laps
- Oreca #48 — RD Limited — +4.878 — 29 laps
- Oreca #44 — Proton Competition — +5.326 — 27 laps
- Oreca #26 — Vector Sport — +5.721 — 29 laps
- Oreca #22 — United Autosports — +8.776 — 10 laps
What comes next at Le Mans
With the first night practice session complete, teams now have a clearer picture of their long-run pace, night-time balance, traffic management and reliability preparations ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Toyota’s late pace with Kobayashi put the Japanese manufacturer on top in Hypercar, but Ferrari, Cadillac, Alpine, Genesis and Aston Martin all showed enough speed to suggest the fight at the front remains wide open.
In LMGT3, BMW and Team WRT continued their strong start to the event, while Forestier Racing by Panis gave itself a major boost in LMP2 as the final preparations continue at the Circuit de la Sarthe.
See the full entry list for the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans.
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