Winning Heroes Class would be a marvel, says Goads supervisor Pochettino
From LMP1 Glory to Hypercar Dominance: The Legacy of Alonso's 2019 Le Mans Triumph
On a sun-drenched afternoon at the Circuit de la Sarthe in June 2019, Fernando Alonso stood atop the podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the second consecutive year. Alongside his Toyota teammates Kazuki Nakajima and Sébastien Buemi, the two-time Formula 1 world champion had just secured not only a back-to-back victory in the world's most famous endurance race but also the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) drivers' title. It was the culmination of the unique 2018-19 "Super Season"—an eight-round marathon that spanned two calendar years and included the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice.[reference:0]
Seven years later, the motorsport landscape has been transformed. The LMP1 class that Alonso conquered is gone, replaced by a Hypercar category that has sparked a golden age of manufacturer competition. Toyota remains a dominant force, having extended its Le Mans winning streak. And Alonso himself, after a brief retirement and return to F1, is eyeing new challenges—including a potential return to the Dakar Rally. This is the story of how the 2019 Le Mans victory became a pivot point for both a legendary driver and an entire discipline of motorsport.
🏆 The 2019 Le Mans Victory: Luck, Strategy, and a World Championship
The 2019 24 Hours of Le Mans was a race defined by dramatic twists and heartbreak. Toyota's No. 7 TS050 Hybrid, driven by Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, and José María López, had dominated the majority of the race, leading by over two minutes as the final hour approached. The No. 8 Toyota of Alonso, Buemi, and Nakajima appeared destined for second place—enough to secure the world championship, but not the victory.[reference:1]
Then, with just under an hour remaining, disaster struck the No. 7 car. A puncture warning flashed on the dashboard, and López pitted to replace what was believed to be the affected front-right tyre. A sensor issue resulted in the wrong tyre being identified, meaning López left the pits still carrying a slow puncture. He was forced to limp around the Circuit de la Sarthe for another lap before pitting again to change all four tyres, handing the lead—and the victory—to the No. 8 crew.[reference:2]
Alonso, ever candid, did not pretend his team had been the fastest. "We didn't have the pace for 24 hours. We were not as quick as car 7, and definitely we didn't deserve to win on the track," he admitted. "The luck today was a big factor as it is in motorsport."[reference:3] But he also recognised the unforgiving nature of endurance racing: "The race chose us to win it, and we take it."[reference:4]
💡 Analyst Perspective: A Victory That Meant Everything
Alonso's 2019 Le Mans win was not just another trophy. It marked his first FIA world championship in 13 years—since his second Formula 1 title with Renault in 2006.[reference:5] It also completed an extraordinary chapter in his career: two Le Mans victories, a WEC title, and the second leg of motorsport's elusive "Triple Crown" (victories at the Monaco Grand Prix, Le Mans 24 Hours, and Indianapolis 500). The Spaniard had proven he could win at the highest level in a discipline entirely different from Formula 1.
The victory also carried historical weight for Toyota and Japan. Kazuki Nakajima became the first Japanese circuit-racing world champion in FIA history.[reference:6] Toyota secured both the drivers' and manufacturers' titles, completing a clean sweep of the 2018-19 Super Season. Across the eight rounds, the No. 8 crew took five victories, including both runnings of Le Mans, and finished 41 points clear in the final standings.[reference:7]
📅 The WEC Super Season: A Unique Experiment
The 2018-19 FIA World Endurance Championship was a one-of-a-kind "Super Season" designed to transition the series from a spring-to-autumn calendar to a winter schedule. Spanning 14 months from May 2018 to June 2019, it included eight rounds across Europe, Asia, and North America—and uniquely featured the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice, as both the second round (in 2018) and the finale (in 2019).[reference:8]
Alonso committed to the full Super Season, balancing a gruelling schedule that included his final Formula 1 campaign with McLaren. It was a demanding commitment that reflected his genuine desire to fight for a world championship, not merely to add a Le Mans trophy to his cabinet. "Last year was hard because I committed to do F1 plus the full WEC, not just Le Mans, because I wanted to fight for one more world championship," he said.[reference:9]
The Super Season also marked the twilight of the LMP1 hybrid era. Porsche had withdrawn its factory team at the end of 2017, leaving Toyota as the sole major manufacturer in the top class. The TS050 Hybrid, first introduced in 2016, would go on to win 19 WEC races, three Le Mans victories, 16 pole positions, and set 15 fastest laps before its retirement at the end of the 2019-20 season.[reference:10]
🔄 Alonso's Post-2019 Career: Dakar, F1 Return, and the Triple Crown Quest
Even before the 2019 Le Mans victory, Alonso had confirmed he would not continue with Toyota for the 2019-20 WEC season. His widely anticipated replacement was Brendon Hartley, a two-time WEC champion and former Toro Rosso F1 driver.[reference:12] Alonso stated: "I've enjoyed being part of the Toyota Gazoo Racing team in the WEC, but this chapter is now coming to an end. It's a good time to face other challenges."[reference:13]
Those "other challenges" materialised quickly. In January 2020, Alonso tackled the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia, driving a Toyota Hilux alongside five-time bikes winner Marc Coma as his navigator. Despite limited experience in rally-raid, Alonso impressed—peaking with a second-fastest stage time—before two separate crashes consigned him to 13th place overall.[reference:14]
Then, in 2021, Alonso made a stunning return to Formula 1 with Alpine, the team with which he had won his two world championships (then known as Renault). He would later move to Aston Martin in 2023, where he remains competitive into his mid-40s.[reference:15] But even as he chases a third F1 title, Alonso has not forgotten the Dakar. "I will try 99% Dakar again," he said in 2023. "Winning Dakar for me it is a high priority as well. If I win in Formula 1, in endurance racing and in Dakar, that will feel for me something special, as a driver and as a person."[reference:16]
Notably, Alonso has not returned to the Indianapolis 500 since failing to qualify in 2019. The third leg of the Triple Crown remains elusive.[reference:17] In 2024, he stated that his "only priority" is a third F1 title, and that a Dakar return is more likely than another Indy 500 attempt.[reference:18]
🚀 The Hypercar Era: A Golden Age for Endurance Racing
If Alonso's 2019 victory marked the end of one era, it also foreshadowed the beginning of another. In June 2019—just days before the Le Mans race—Toyota confirmed it would compete in the new "Le Mans Hypercar Prototype" (LMH) category, set to replace LMP1 for the 2020-21 WEC season.[reference:19]
The Hypercar regulations were designed to attract multiple manufacturers by reducing costs and allowing greater design freedom. The strategy has worked spectacularly. By 2026, the WEC Hypercar grid features entries from Toyota, Ferrari, Porsche, Cadillac, Peugeot, Alpine, BMW, and Lamborghini—a level of manufacturer participation unseen in top-level endurance racing for decades.
Toyota has maintained its dominance. The GR010 Hybrid, which replaced the TS050, won Le Mans in 2021, 2022, and 2023, extending the Japanese manufacturer's winning streak to five consecutive victories. The streak was finally broken in 2024 when Ferrari claimed its first outright Le Mans win since 1965. But Toyota remains a formidable force, with the GR010 Hybrid continuing to evolve and compete for victories.
In 2025, a new chapter was written at Le Mans. Robert Kubica, the former F1 driver whose career was nearly ended by a rally crash in 2011, drove the No. 83 AF Corse-run Ferrari to victory in the Hypercar class alongside Yifei Ye and Phil Hanson. Alonso hailed Kubica as a "legend" after the triumph—a poignant moment that connected two generations of drivers who have transcended adversity.[reference:20]
🇯🇵 Toyota's Continued Success: From TS050 to GR010
Toyota Gazoo Racing's journey from the 2019 Le Mans victory to the present day is a story of sustained excellence. The TS050 Hybrid, which carried Alonso to his two Le Mans wins, was retired after the 2019-20 season having amassed an extraordinary record: 19 WEC victories, three Le Mans wins, 16 pole positions, and 15 fastest laps.[reference:21]
Its successor, the GR010 Hybrid, was developed under the Hypercar regulations and debuted in 2021. Powered by a 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo engine paired with a hybrid system, the GR010 produced approximately 671 horsepower—the maximum allowed under the regulations. It proved immediately competitive, winning Le Mans in its debut year and adding victories in 2022 and 2023. The car has been driven by a rotating cast of drivers including Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway, José María López, Brendon Hartley, and Ryo Hirakawa.[reference:22]
Toyota's commitment to endurance racing extends beyond the track. The lessons learned from the TS050 and GR010 have directly influenced the development of road cars like the GR Super Sport and GR Yaris. As GAZOO Racing Company President Shigeki Tomoyama stated in 2019: "In order to win Le Mans, a fast car alone is not enough. We also need a strong car and team."[reference:23] That philosophy—continuous improvement and the transfer of racing knowledge to road cars—remains at the core of Toyota's motorsport identity.
🏅 The Legacy of 2019: A Bridge Between Eras
Seven years on, the 2019 Le Mans 24 Hours stands as a bridge between two distinct eras of endurance racing. It was the final great triumph of the LMP1 hybrid age—a period defined by extraordinary technological sophistication but ultimately undermined by soaring costs and manufacturer withdrawals. And it was the prelude to the Hypercar revolution that has since reinvigorated the WEC with unprecedented manufacturer participation.
For Fernando Alonso, the 2019 victory was the peak of his sports car career. It delivered a world championship in a second discipline, cemented his status as one of the most versatile drivers in motorsport history, and set the stage for his eventual return to Formula 1 as a more "complete" driver.[reference:24] His journey since—Dakar, Alpine, Aston Martin—has been defined by the same restless ambition that drove him to Le Mans in the first place.
And for Toyota, the 2019 win was a validation of decades of persistence. The Japanese manufacturer had first entered Le Mans in 1985 and endured years of heartbreak—including the devastating 2016 loss when the leading Toyota broke down on the final lap. The 2018-19 Super Season sweep, capped by that dramatic 2019 victory, was the culmination of a long and often painful journey. It established Toyota as the benchmark in endurance racing, a status it retains to this day.
📊 Le Mans & WEC: 2019 vs. 2026
| Aspect | 2019 (Super Season Finale) | 2026 (Current Era) |
|---|---|---|
| Top Class | LMP1 (Toyota sole major hybrid manufacturer) | Hypercar (Toyota, Ferrari, Porsche, Cadillac, Peugeot, Alpine, BMW, Lamborghini) |
| Toyota Le Mans Wins | 2 (2018, 2019) | 5 consecutive (2018-2023); streak broken by Ferrari 2024 |
| Toyota Race Car | TS050 Hybrid (1,000PS, 2.4L V6 twin-turbo) | GR010 Hybrid (671PS, 3.5L V6 twin-turbo) |
| Fernando Alonso Status | Le Mans winner (2x); WEC champion; leaving Toyota | F1 driver with Aston Martin; eyeing Dakar return; Triple Crown incomplete |
| No. 8 Toyota Drivers | Alonso / Buemi / Nakajima | (No. 8 retired; Toyota now fields Nos. 7 and 8 with rotating lineups) |
| WEC Calendar | 8-round Super Season (May 2018 – June 2019) | 7-8 rounds (varies by year); winter schedule |
| Manufacturer Participation | Toyota only major LMP1 hybrid; privateer LMP1s | 8+ major manufacturers in Hypercar |
📋 The Bottom Line: Key Takeaways for 2026
🏆 2019 Was the End of the LMP1 Era: Alonso's dramatic victory, gifted by the No. 7 Toyota's tyre sensor failure, was the final great triumph of the hybrid LMP1 age before the Hypercar revolution transformed endurance racing.
🇯🇵 Toyota Remains the Benchmark: From the TS050 to the GR010, Toyota has won five consecutive Le Mans races (2018-2023) and remains a dominant force in the WEC Hypercar class.
🚀 Hypercar Has Revitalised Endurance Racing: The LMH and LMDh regulations have attracted Ferrari, Porsche, Cadillac, Peugeot, Alpine, BMW, and Lamborghini—creating the most competitive top class in decades.
🔄 Alonso Is Still Chasing Greatness: Now in his mid-40s and driving for Aston Martin in F1, Alonso has not given up on winning a third world championship—or conquering the Dakar Rally. The Triple Crown's third leg (Indy 500) remains elusive.
🏅 The 2019 Victory Cemented Alonso's Legacy: Winning Le Mans twice and claiming the WEC title proved Alonso could win at the highest level in a discipline entirely different from Formula 1, establishing him as one of the most versatile drivers in motorsport history.
🔮 The Future Is Bright for Endurance Racing: With a packed Hypercar grid, growing global interest, and the continued presence of iconic manufacturers, the WEC is experiencing a golden age that traces its roots directly to the transitional 2018-19 Super Season.
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