Samwise Sportscar & Endurance Newsletter
Monday, June 8, 2026
Gamble Leads Le Mans Test Day for Aston Martin
Tom Gamble topped the 2026 Le Mans Test Day timesheets aboard the No. 007 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Valkyrie, setting a best lap of 3:26.293 to lead both sessions at Circuit de la Sarthe on Sunday. Gamble was 0.108 seconds clear of Brendon Hartley’s No. 8 Toyota in second place, with Norman Nato’s No. 12 Cadillac completing the top three. The top ten Hypercar entries ended the day within a single second of Gamble’s benchmark, underscoring the tightness of the 2026 field ahead of the race on June 13. Gamble described the Valkyrie’s improvement over its Le Mans debut in 2025 as “night and day.”
Sources: Motorsport Week, Racer
Toyota No. 8 Rebuilt in Hours to Finish Test Day Second
The No. 8 Toyota TR010 Hybrid team faced a setback during the morning session of the Le Mans Test Day on Sunday when the car made contact with two slower cars, bringing out the red flag. The Toyota crew rebuilt the car in the break between sessions and returned it to the track for the afternoon session. Brendon Hartley then set a lap of 3:26.401 in the afternoon to place the No. 8 second overall on the day, just a tenth of a second behind the Aston Martin. Sister car No. 7, shared by Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, and Nyck de Vries, finished the Test Day in eighth position.
Sources: Toyota Gazoo Racing
Genesis GMR-001 Gains Pace at Le Mans in Test Day Debut
Genesis Magma Racing contested its first Le Mans Test Day on Sunday, marking a milestone for the South Korean manufacturer in its debut WEC season. The two GMR-001 Hypercars — No. 17 piloted by Pipo Derani, Mathys Jaubert, and André Lotterer, and No. 19 shared by Paul-Loup Chatin, Daniel Juncadella, and Mathieu Jaminet — continued to find their footing at Circuit de la Sarthe. The team gained close to a second in performance between sessions during the Test Day, building confidence ahead of the June 13 race start. Genesis completed extensive pre-event testing at Le Castellet, giving all six drivers time in the GMR-001 prior to Le Mans week.
Sources: Genesis Newsroom
BMW Takes Maiden WEC Hypercar Win at Spa to Lead Championship into Le Mans
BMW M Team WRT claimed the marque’s first FIA WEC Hypercar class victory at the 2026 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, with Robin Frijns, René Rast, and Sheldon van der Linde converting an alternative pit stop strategy into a historic one-two for BMW. The No. 20 car crossed the line by just under two seconds ahead of the No. 15 BMW crew of Kevin Magnussen, Raffaele Marciello, and Dries Vanthoor, with the No. 50 Ferrari of Molina, Fuoco, and Nielsen completing the podium. BMW now leads the manufacturers’ standings with 59 points, ahead of Toyota with 52 and Ferrari with 42, heading into the Le Mans round beginning June 10.
Sources: Pitdebrief
Ferrari’s 499P Eyes Fourth Consecutive Le Mans Victory Against Sternest Field Yet
Ferrari’s 499P heads into the 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans as the car to beat, having won the race in 2023, 2024, and 2025 — an unbeaten streak at Circuit de la Sarthe since the car’s debut. No manufacturer has won four consecutive Le Mans since Ferrari itself won six in a row between 1960 and 1965. The Scuderia faces its sternest challenge yet with seven rival manufacturers — Aston Martin, Alpine, BMW, Cadillac, Genesis, Peugeot, and Toyota — all fielding competitive Hypercar machinery. Three Ferrari 499Ps will line up for the race starting June 13, with BMW currently leading the WEC manufacturers’ championship heading into the round.
Sources: 24h-LeMans.com
All 62 Le Mans Entries Clear Scrutineering as Great Week Opens
All 62 entries cleared technical and administrative checks across two days of scrutineering held in the centre of Le Mans on June 5 and 6 ahead of the 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans. The field comprises 18 Hypercar entries, 25 LMGT3 cars representing nine manufacturers, and 19 LMP2 entries. All eight Hypercar manufacturers — Aston Martin, Alpine, BMW, Cadillac, Ferrari, Genesis, Peugeot, and Toyota — advanced through verification, with debutant Genesis cleared to take the track at the circuit for the first time. Free practice begins June 10, with the race scheduled to start at 4:00 PM local time on June 13.
Sources: 24h-LeMans.com
Porsche Runs Silver Tribute Livery at Le Mans to Mark 75 Years in Motorsport
Manthey Racing will run two Porsche 911 GT3 R cars in special silver livery at the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans to celebrate 75 years of Porsche in motorsport. The No. 91 and No. 92 entries draw their design from the 1951 Porsche 356 SL Coupé, which secured Porsche’s first Le Mans class victory in the hands of Auguste Veuillet and Edmond Mouche. The minimalistic silver design features the iconic round number panel on the sides and a black “75” in a vintage white circle on the roof. Proton Competition’s No. 75 will also carry anniversary silver, giving the grid three tribute liveries from the Zuffenhausen manufacturer.
Sources: Porsche Newsroom
Manthey Seeks Third Straight LMGT3 Crown as Ferrari Leads Test Day Times
Manthey Racing arrives at the 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans as the LMGT3 class title holder, having won the class in both 2024 and 2025 with the Porsche 911 GT3 R. The team fields two entries — No. 91 and No. 92 — against nine manufacturers in the 25-car class, which includes Aston Martin, BMW, Corvette, Ferrari, Ford, Lexus, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG, and Porsche. Ferrari leads the grid by manufacturer count with five 296 GT3 Evo entries. Vista AF Corse’s No. 54 Ferrari set the fastest LMGT3 time in Sunday’s Test Day with a 3:56.646, with the No. 91 Manthey Porsche second at 3:56.655.
Sources: 24h-LeMans.com
WEC Hypercar — Drivers
1. Robin Frijns / René Rast / Sheldon van der Linde — #20 BMW M WRT — 35 pts
2. Brendon Hartley / Ryō Hirakawa / Sébastien Buemi — #8 Toyota Gazoo — 26 pts
3. Kamui Kobayashi / Mike Conway / Nyck de Vries — #7 Toyota Gazoo — 25 pts
WEC Hypercar — Teams
1. BMW M Team WRT — 59 pts
2. Toyota Gazoo Racing — 52 pts
3. Ferrari AF Corse — 42 pts
IMSA GTP — Drivers
1. Jack Aitken — 1,760 pts
2. Laurin Heinrich — 1,616 pts
3. Julien Andlauer — 1,606 pts
4. Felipe Nasr — 1,606 pts
5. Renger van der Zande — 1,552 pts
6. Nick Yelloly — 1,552 pts
IMSA GTP — Manufacturers
1. Cadillac — 1,797 pts
2. Porsche — 1,772 pts
3. Acura — 1,676 pts
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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