ROLEX TESTIMONEE DE VRIES WRITES A NEW CHAPTER AT THE 24 HOURS OF LE MANS 2026

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This past weekend, Rolex Testimonee Nyck de Vries and his #7 TOYOTA RACING teammates produced one of the most remarkable drives in recent history to take his maiden victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The French Tricolore flag marked the start of this journey at 4.00 p.m. local time on Saturday 13 June 2026, waving through 62 cars to commence the 94th edition.

From here, every moment of the 86,400-second test mattered, and when the Rolex clock finally completed its second rotation, the #7 car had climbed from 14th place on the grid to write a new chapter in the race’s century-long story. At a contest where time dictates everything, this year Rolex celebrates its 25th anniversary as Exclusive Major Partner and Official Timepiece, having first partnered the event in 2001.

Having mastered the clock on his third and now golden appearance in the Hypercar class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, an elated de Vries said:

“It feels like the stars were aligned. I’m incredibly relieved and grateful for such an achievement. Le Mans chooses you. There were so many times during the race where we felt like we had no chance at all, we were just focused on collecting points for the FIA World Endurance Championship – it proves that you should never give up and always hang in there. Having joined the Rolex family of Testimonees at the beginning of the year, I feel even prouder now to have secured the crown and become a Le Mans winner, so I’m incredibly happy. I carry a real sense of honour to be able to contribute to Rolex’s legacy and do something special for both myself and the brand. Racing at Circuit de la Sarthe and seeing the Rolex branding means something different to me now.”

Few appreciate the scale of achievement at Circuit de la Sarthe more than de Vries’ fellow Rolex Testimonee Tom Kristensen, who has won the race a record nine times. Kristensen, who shared a few words with de Vries before the race, said:

“To win at Le Mans fulfils a dream for him, that’s what Nyck told me. I believed earlier in the week that Toyota were favourites and were going to win, but I couldn’t predict which car, so I said to him, ‘it’s up to you to make the difference’ and he did exactly that.”

It was a tactical masterclass from TOYOTA RACING, as the Japanese team made the right decisions under extreme pressure to engineer a perfect victory, ahead of the #20 BMW M TEAM WRT in second and #8 TOYOTA RACING in third. In LMP2 victory went to #43 Inter Europol Competition while it was the #33 TF Sport that came out on top in LMGT3.

History was also made earlier in the week when Rolex Testimonee Jamie Chadwick became the first woman to drive a Hypercar at Circuit de la Sarthe during a test day. The British driver continues to break boundaries and make her mark across motor sport. Chadwick said:

“To drive a car like this, at a track like this, is something I’m going to look back on in a few years’ time and realize how special it was. I think there’s a huge transition happening now, and not just with me – there are so many female drivers paving the way, we’re going to see women at the highest level at Le Mans and ultimately on the top step of the podium.”

On Sunday afternoon, crowds flooded the track vying for a glimpse of the podium and the winners’ crowning moment. Emotions were at an all-time high for de Vries and his teammates as the trio stepped up to lift the trophy and receive their specially engraved Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytonas. The timepiece has become the ultimate symbol of achievement in endurance racing, and given it was the prize the Dutchman had set out to claim, it was a moment so significant that time seemed to stand still. Reflecting on this well-deserved victory, Kristensen continued:

“It has been another fantastic, historic Le Mans – tense all the way. Nyck and his team have done extremely well, even with setbacks they were fighting the entire race. And now, new names are engraved onto the trophy and they proudly take home the winners’ Daytona watch.”

The clock never truly stops in this discipline, and attention now turns to the next round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), the Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo, from 10–12 July 2026. This year, Rolex’s quarter-century celebration at the 24 Hours of Le Mans is accompanied by a second milestone, 10 years as Official Timepiece of the FIA World Endurance Championship. Continuing the Swiss watchmaker’s legacy in endurance racing dating back to the 1960s, Rolex honours the finest talents whose journeys are defined by time – with each feat testament to their commitment and perseverance.

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