BERGERAT MONNOYEUR · Finale Race⏱ 2h02

McLaren (kart #3) crossed the finish line first in the Endurance Final held on September 9, 2026 at Le Mans Karting International – Piste Alain Prost B (980 m), completing 100 laps in 121 minutes ahead of a 30-kart field. It was a hard-fought victory: Haas (#17) and Toyota (#7) rounded out the podium, finishing respectively 15.330 seconds and 22.326 seconds behind the winner, both also completing 100 laps.

The top five was completed by Alfa Romeo (#29) at 47.827 s and Peugeot (#9) at 1:00.845, both on 100 laps. From 6th place onward, teams dropped to 99 laps: AF Corse (#13), Williams (#16), Cadillac (#8), Iron Lynx (#14), and Alpine (#31) filled positions 6 through 10. The best lap of the entire race was set by Williams in a stunning 1:01.237.

The pace analysis reveals a compelling gap between on-track performance and final classification. Williams posted the fastest median pace of any team in the field (1:02.340, ranked 1st in pure pace), yet finished only 7th — a stark illustration of how endurance racing rewards consistency and clean execution over raw speed alone. At the other end of the spectrum, Haas delivered the race's most impressive strategic result: ranked only 11th in pure pace (median 1:03.702), the team converted that into a 2nd-place finish — a gap of nine positions between pace ranking and final classification.

Alfa Romeo stands out as a well-rounded package: 2nd in pure pace (median 1:02.699) and the most consistent team in the top 12, with a standard deviation of just 0.92 s — the tightest lap-time spread of any analysed team. AF Corse, although 8th in pace, matched Alfa Romeo's discipline with a similarly low standard deviation of 0.90 s, the best of all, finishing 6th overall despite being a lap down.

Toyota (3rd place, 3rd in pace at 1:02.791) demonstrated that when pace and position align, the result speaks for itself. McLaren, the winner, ranked only 6th in pure pace (median 1:03.319), underscoring that race management and consistency (standard deviation: 1.00 s) were decisive factors in securing the victory.

Among the notable underperformers relative to pace, Racing Bulls (#24) — not included in the full 12-team analysis but flagged in the race notes — finished 22nd overall despite ranking 4th in pure pace. That gap points to significant time lost elsewhere during the race, though without pit stop data the exact cause cannot be determined.

Key takeaways for teams: This race confirms that raw lap time alone does not win endurance races at Le Mans Karting International. McLaren's victory on a median pace ranked 6th shows that lap-time consistency (σ = 1.00 s) and clean race management can outweigh pure speed. Williams had the pace to win but could not convert it into a result. Haas's 9-position overperformance versus pace ranking is the race's clearest strategic lesson. For future rounds, teams should prioritise reducing lap-time variance — even modest gains in consistency, as shown by Alfa Romeo and AF Corse, translate directly into final positions gained.