From miracle survivor to winner of the world’s greatest endurance race, the very likeable Robert Kubica narrowly escaped death in Formula 1 in Montreal in 2007 after a terrible accident. He went on to win the Grand Prix a year later, to the day, the only one of his career, and then in rallying after a horrific crash in which his car was literally impaled on a safety barrier. The surgeons were exceptional and, after 17 hours of surgery, Robert was saved! All this to say that safety and medicine have made incredible progress in a short space of time, which is very reassuring.
Every year, we say the same thing: it’s going to be amazing, and we’re always blown away by each edition (personally, this was my 45th pilgrimage to the Sarthe region).
This time, it was world tennis star Roger Federer who gave the starting signal in front of an estimated crowd of 332,000 enthusiasts during a breathtaking weekend.
As for the atmosphere, among other events in the ‘Village des 24 Heures’, there were a few concerts organised by the ACO (Automobile Club de l’Ouest) to add to the already electric atmosphere! On Friday: Pascal Obispo, Kungs, Eddy de Pretto; The Avener and Kool and the Gang on Saturday. You can hear the music on one side and the roaring engines on the other: it’s really special. A real treat for the ears! An experience not to be missed.
As for the race, it was close and thrilling right to the end, with only 14 seconds separating the winning yellow AF Corse Ferrari 83 from the Porsche Penske, and the official Ferrari 51 in third place, 28 seconds behind, having won in 2023.
And all this at 340 km/h on the Mulsanne Straight!
Yet it had started well for the Cadillac clan, as in qualifying, the Cadillac Hertz Team Jota, driven by British driver Alex Lynn, was the fastest of the Hypercars, ahead of the other American car, driven by Jenson Button and Sébastien Bourdais, among others. The other brands represented followed: Porsche, Ferrari, Alpine, BMW, Aston Martin, Toyota and Peugeot, all fitted with Michelin tyres, had come to shine and possibly win… but that’s another story, and as the pope of endurance racing, Dr Wolfgang Ulrich, head of the Audi team and 13-time winner (plus one if you count Bentley), says: Le Mans chooses its winner!
The winners: a Pole, Robert Kubica; a Chinese driver, Yifei Ye, the first in the history of the 24 Hours; and Philip Hanson, who is the 35th British driver to lift the coveted trophy.
In LMP2, the Polish team Inter Europol Competition won again, as it did in 2024. Hats off!
In GT3, the battle was also fierce, with Porsche Manthey, Ferrari AF Corse and TF Sport’s Corvette taking the podium.
And so, I will eagerly await 13 and 14 June 2026 to devote a week to this event that will always hold the same passion for me, and I can only encourage you to go with your family or friends to experience some unforgettable moments.
