Mike Conway will retire from the World Endurance Championship at the end of the 2026 season.
Retirement Announcement
The decision came after the penultimate race in Barcelona on 18 October, as Conway stood beside teammates Nyck de Vries and Kamui Kobayashi—both still in contention for the title—while the team prepared for the series finale.
“It’s been an amazing journey, and one I wouldn’t change for the world. I’m immensely proud of the career I’ve had,” Conway said, reflecting on 20 years in motorsport.
He cited his second outright Le Mans victory this year as the catalyst for stepping away, and the timing of Toyota’s decision not to renew his contract is believed to have influenced the announcement.
Career Highlights
Conway’s résumé includes three Le Mans wins (2021, 2024, 2026), two LMP 1/Hypercar world titles, and four IndyCar race victories. He also helped Toyota secure the LMP1 championship in 2019‑20 and became the first Hypercar champion in 2021.
His beginnings in single‑seaters saw titles in Formula Renault UK and British F3, followed by GP2 sprint triumphs. A 2009 IndyCar test at Sonoma led to a move to the United States, where he collected wins for Andretti, Dale Coyne, and Ed Carpenter Racing before shifting focus to sportscar racing.
Team Transition and Replacement
Toyota has yet to announce a permanent successor to the 43‑year‑old, but Kevin Estre is expected to enter a loan arrangement with Porsche to fill the seat in Cologne next year.
The Toyota TR010 Hybrid, driven by Conway, Kobayashi and de Vries, remains the 2026 champion but sits second in the drivers’ standings, 10 points behind the sister #8 TR010 driven by Brendon Hartley, Ryo Hirakawa and Sébastien Buemi.
Legacy and Future
Conway’s testimonial to the Toyota family highlighted the support he received from the team since 2014, noting that “I can’t thank them enough, and I’ll always be part of the Toyota family.”
He will redirect his focus to family life, announcing that “I owe so much to so many people… In the end, I achieved everything I could ever have dreamed of.”
With the last chapter of his racing career closing after a decade with Toyota and a string of podiums, Conway’s name will remain synonymous with endurance triumphs and the rise of the Hypercar era.
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