Fuoco, Molina and Nielsen won the 2026 Lone Star Le Mans after a late hydraulic failure forced the leading No. 7 Toyota to retire at COTA.
Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen won the 2026 Lone Star Le Mans on September 6, securing Ferrari AF Corse’s first FIA World Endurance Championship victory of the season after the leading No. 7 Toyota retired in the closing minutes.
Toyota failure settles six-hour race
The No. 50 Ferrari 499P remained in contention throughout the six-hour race at Circuit of the Americas, before the result changed with about 10 minutes to go.
The leading No. 7 Toyota lost power steering due to a suspected hydraulic failure. Its retirement elevated Fuoco, Molina and Nielsen to first place and put Ferrari in control at the decisive stage of round five.
Ferrari capitalizes on late opportunity
The winning Ferrari recovered from a difficult start and stayed with the front-runners, despite not controlling every phase of the race. Ferrari said the No. 50 had “ran at the front throughout the race.”
After Toyota stopped, the Ferrari crew managed its advantage to the checkered flag and defeated the No. 38 Cadillac by 4.7 seconds.
No. 50 completes 167 laps
Fuoco, Molina and Nielsen completed 167 laps in 6:00:07.219 to claim the Hypercar victory.
The confirmed driver podium listed Fuoco first, Molina second and Nielsen third, matching the three-driver lineup of the winning No. 50 Ferrari AF Corse entry. Cadillac separated the leading Ferrari from the other headline contenders in the race classification.
Strong weekend produces Ferrari victory
Ferrari had displayed its speed before the race. Antonio Giovinazzi put the No. 51 Ferrari on pole, while the sister No. 50 crew led the manufacturer’s challenge during the six-hour contest.
The result handed Ferrari its first WEC win of 2026 and brought Fuoco, Molina and Nielsen a major points haul. Toyota’s retirement from the lead also denied the No. 7 crew a finish in a race it had controlled late.
Championship continues after COTA
The Lone Star Le Mans result completed round five of the 2026 season, with the No. 50 crew departing Texas after turning Toyota’s mechanical setback into Ferrari’s first victory of the campaign.
