24 Hours of Le Mans Motorcycle Race – H+22: Yamaha close to a 6th victory at Le Mans

Only two hours of racing remain at Le Mans. In the final two hours of the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans motorcycle race, the race has taken a dramatic turn. After a hectic morning, the pace has slowed as the finish line approaches. The leading teams are managing their lead, while the traffic is somewhat lighter due to the numerous retirements.

However, there's no question of easing the pressure for Yamaha. At the front, the number 1 bike continues its demonstration of mastery. Leandro Mercado, Marvin Fritz, and then Karel Hanika have taken turns without a hitch, building a comfortable six-lap advantage over the number 12 Suzuki. YART's objective will be to control this gap and navigate smoothly to the finish line, scheduled for 15:00 PM.

The Suzuki Yoshimura Sert Motul remains firmly in second place. The battle for third is heating up between the #37 BMW, now ridden by Michael van der Mark, and the factory Kawasaki. The Belgian machine must keep a close eye on the #11, which has closed the gap to within two laps after its numerous setbacks this morning, compounded by a 10-second stop-and-go penalty for an incident at turn 7. The gap, however, remains sufficient to allow for a controlled finish and a podium finish.

Further down the standings, the situation is unchanged. The top 10 is no longer evolving and the gaps have stabilized. The drivers are taking turns smoothly, in a controlled manner. With just under two hours to go, this final stretch of the race now resembles a test of endurance for the entire field.

Under these conditions, Yart-Yamaha would retain its title at Le Mans, while the Iwata factory would secure its 6th victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans motorcycle race.

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24 Hours of Le Mans Motorcycle Race 2026
The ranking after 18 hours of racing: