2018 24 Hours of Le Mans

After the mayhem of recent years, endurance racing fans may have been crying out for a normal race. It’s not good for the heart to run at 130bpm for a full day, after all.

It’s time again for one of the greatest spectacles in racing, the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

This weekend marks the 86th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It coincides with a pivotal time for the world’s greatest race. Rising costs for the top-level LMP1 prototypes have left Toyota as the only factory-backed entrant in the class. Meanwhile, organizers are busy developing a cheaper and more marketable formula to replace it that would ideally encourage manufacturers to invest again. 

The 86th 24 Hours of Le Mans is almost upon us. To celebrate, Toyota has taken its own GT86 and given it the Le Mans treatment.

British sports car maker Ginetta has officially unveiled its new LMP1 race car, ahead of the 2018/19 World Endurance Championship.

It’s official: Toyota Gazoo Racing has announced it will compete in the 2018 WEC season. The team will continue its TS050 Hybrid program, furthering the development of hybrid technology. As a result of the announcement, Toyota will be the only factory team competing in the LMP1 class.

UPDATE: A previous draft of this story suggested this news was a sure thing. We’ve updated the article to reflect its speculative nature — apologies for any confusion.