24 Hours of Le Mans – H+20: Suzuki consolidates its 2nd place behind Yamaha

Between 9:00 and 11:00, the race went through a turbulent phase. The No. 37 BMW once again drew attention with further reliability issues. Spotted emitting smoke as early as 9:30, it then had to make a lengthy pit stop at 9:44, immobilized for over six minutes due to an oil leak. This incident cost it up to eight laps, seriously jeopardizing its chances, even though it still managed to stay in the top three.

Meanwhile, the Suzuki #12 capitalized perfectly on these setbacks to consolidate its second place, building a significant gap over its pursuers while remaining at bay from the Yamaha #1, the solid leader for several hours. This period was also marked by several retirements, including that of Team National Motos (Honda #55), as well as the likely retirement of the #9 Tecmas (BMW). Elsewhere, Corentin Perolari set the fastest lap of the race with a time of 1:35.698 on lap 638. The Frenchman and his team are maintaining a high pace despite the early difficulties experienced by the Honda #5.

At 10:00 AM, the situation at the front of the race seemed to have stabilized, but this respite was short-lived. Shortly after 10:20 AM, the Yamaha #22, ridden by Julien Mortier, suffered an engine failure before crashing into the tire wall. The incident immediately brought out the safety car. Oil had spilled onto the track, and race control had to assess the condition of the asphalt, while cleanup trucks were deployed to secure the circuit.

🟡𝗦𝗔𝗙𝗘𝗧𝗬 𝗖𝗔𝗥🟡

A major setback for Team 202: the engine of motorcycle #22 has just failed on the pit straight.#24hMotorcycles #FIMEWC pic.twitter.com/SlgHAQqRzB

— 24 Heures Motos (@24heuremotos) April 19, 2026

In this uncertain context, leader Karel Hanika is cautiously managing his four-lap advantage with only two stints remaining for each rider. While Yamaha is currently the favorite to defend its title at Le Mans, the final quarter of the race promises to be unpredictable.

ALSO READ > 24 Hours of Le Mans – H+18: The night proved costly for BMW

24 Hours of Le Mans Motorcycle Race 2026
The ranking after 20 hours of racing: