Henri Dubois · Endurance-Korrespondent
Four months after claiming his second Le Mans victory, the Toyota factory driver announces his withdrawal from full-time motorsport, with two races left in the title fight.
Mike Conway, 43, is stepping back from full-time racing at the conclusion of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). The British driver made his announcement on October 6, ahead of the season's final two rounds in Barcelona and Monza. His last race will be the six-hour event at Monza on November 8. Conway has been with Toyota since 2014—twelve seasons in which he became one of the cornerstones of the factory effort.
Bowing out at the peak
The timing is striking. Back in June, Conway shared the winning Toyota number 7 with Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It was his second overall victory at the legendary endurance race, matching his 2021 triumph when he and Kobayashi brought home Toyota's first Hypercar win alongside José María López. Four months on, Conway's June success now stands as his final appearance at Le Mans as a full factory driver.
Yet his final season is far from decided. Heading into the two remaining races, the number 7 trio sits second in the driver standings, ten points adrift of Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Ryo Hirakawa in the sister car. Whether Conway will claim a third world title on his way out depends entirely on what unfolds in Barcelona and Monza.
Twelve years in the Toyota works program
Conway's WEC record stands at 20 overall victories and two driver world championships—the 2019/20 season and 2021. He experienced Toyota's LMP1 era and saw the team's transition into the Hypercar class, an environment that has undergone significant technical and sporting upheaval throughout his tenure. For a driver to remain with the same factory program through so many transformations speaks volumes about consistency in endurance racing.
Toyota paid tribute to his service in an official statement. Kamui Kobayashi, team principal and Conway's long-standing partner in the number 7, said: "It has been a pleasure to drive the number 7 with Mike for so many years." Conway was an incredible teammate in every respect, Kobayashi noted—not just for pace and consistency but as a person. Conway himself told Sportscar365 that personal factors also weighed on his decision: he wants to be present as his three-and-a-half-year-old daughter grows up.
Before joining the endurance ranks, Conway took the traditional open-wheel route: British Formula 3 champion in 2006, winner of the Macau Grand Prix, then GP2 and six seasons in IndyCar from 2009 to 2014. He claimed four victories there, twice at Long Beach (2011 and 2014), plus wins in Detroit (2013) and Toronto (2014).
The succession question remains open
Toyota has not officially named a replacement. According to Sportscar365, Kévin Estre, currently competing for Porsche Penske Motorsport in IMSA, is expected to step into Conway's seat from 2027 onward. Toyota has yet to confirm this.
Two races remain for the number 7 trio to fight for the championship. After the final driver change at Monza, Conway will hand over the cockpit for good—as one of the most successful drivers Toyota has ever fielded in endurance racing.
