Nekkos and the Shirogane Knights Triumph at Le Mans as Championship Battles Intensify Across HoloProto

Le Mans, 6 June – The 2026 HoloProto Le Mans 600 produced another one of this season's turning points as the merged World Series qualifier format made its debut at Circuit de la Sarthe. With only three rounds available to secure World Series qualification and the expanded points system rewarding consistency throughout the field, drivers faced enormous pressure across both Split A and Split B races.

Split A belonged to Mohamed Shaqif Redza, representing Momosuzu Nene in the No. 77 Oreca 07, who converted strong pace into a landmark victory after 23 demanding laps around the legendary French circuit. Shaqif Redza emerged at the head of a tightly contested race, finishing ahead of Maverick Deuxieme, representing Omaru Polka in the No. 46, and Dan Evans, representing Airani Iofifteen in the No. 15.

The victory significantly strengthened the Nekko's position in both the World Series and Japan Series standings. Having entered the weekend outside the spotlight compared to several title favourites, the Malaysian driver now finds himself firmly in contention for Tsuyo qualification after scoring the maximum 200 points available.

Deuxieme's runner-up finish proved equally valuable. Already one of the strongest performers this season, the Polka representative took the lead atop World Split A over Ayame driver Hoshizono Ryo and strengthened his hold on the Japan Split A championship lead. While he missed out on victory, his consistency across the opening two rounds has made him the benchmark in the group.

Evans continued his remarkable start to the International campaign with third place. The Airani Iofifteen representative now commands a substantial lead in the International standings after adding another major points haul to his Fuji victory. The Indonesian class contender has rapidly emerged as one of the strongest championship favourites in the entire field.

Behind the podium, Jake Goodwin, representing Ookami Mio in the No. 30 Oreca, delivered one of his best performances of the season to finish fourth, while Isekaijin Mikolev, representing Sakura Miko in the No. 35 Oreca, completed the top five. Both drivers made significant gains in the Japan championship standings and revived their hopes of securing Tsuyo qualification.

Further down the order, Raijin Kaczynski, representing Yuzuki Choco in the No. 74 Oreca 07, finished seventh and became one of the biggest beneficiaries of the new points format, climbing dramatically in the World Split A standings. Consistent points finishes from Ozne Wizard, Aqua Azurii, and Alticer Antanarau also kept their Tsuyo aspirations alive heading into Mandalika.

The race's defining moment came almost immediately when Rey Mark Rosales, representing Shiranui Flare in the No. 20 Oreca 07, took excessive kerb through Turn 1 on the opening lap. The resulting loss of control triggered a multi-car incident that eliminated several contenders from victory contention and effectively ended Rosales' race. The accident would prove costly for Flare's World Series hopes, leaving Rosales rooted at the foot of the standings.

Split B produced an equally compelling contest, with Lexi Boan, representing Shirogane Noel in the No. 08 Oreca 07, claiming a dominant victory to vault herself into championship contention. After entering the weekend trailing several rivals, Boan executed a flawless race to secure the maximum points and move to the top of Japan Split B.

Finishing second was Ayrin, representing Hakos Baelz in the No. 85 Oreca 07, who delivered the strongest result of the season for the EN roster. The podium immediately elevated Ayrin into the World Series Tsuyo positions and transformed the outlook of the campaign.

Third place went to Callum Gibbens, representing Roboco in the No. 64 Oreca 07, who continued his reputation as one of the most consistent performers in prototype racing. The result pushed Gibbens into the World Split D Tsuyo positions and reignited his Japan Series challenge.

Just behind the podium, Jake Martinez, representing Tokoyami Towa in the No. 10 Oreca 07, finished fourth ahead of Hanami Kiriko, representing Himemori Luna in the No. 31 Oreca 07, while Lorenzo Ricci, representing Houshou Marine in the No. 6 Oreca 07, recovered to sixth after a difficult opening phase. Ricci's result was particularly important after a disappointing Fuji round, helping him climb back into the fight for Japan Tsuyo qualification.

The biggest story of Split B, however, involved defending champion Joshua Azurid, representing Mori Calliope in the No. 4 Oreca 07. Attempting an ambitious overtake on Ayrin near Indianapolis during the opening lap, Azurid misjudged the move and spun across the circuit. The resulting accident collected multiple cars and relegated the defending champion to last place. With only one point from Fuji and no score from Le Mans, Azurid's title defense is now effectively over as the season reaches its halfway point.

Among the DEV_IS runners, Allie Jay, representing Kikirara Vivi in the No. 51 Ligier JSP217, emerged as the highest-finishing Ligier driver in fourteenth. The ballast-laden Ligiers faced a difficult challenge against the faster Oreca field, but several DEV_IS contenders remained competitive enough to score valuable championship points. The quartet of Dag Patterson, Masa Raido, Joey, and Saerin all completed the race despite finishing one lap down.

With two of the three World Series qualifying rounds now complete, the championship picture has become increasingly clear. In World Split A, Deuxieme leads Hoshizono Ryo and Danilo Goyena, while Evans holds a sizeable advantage in World Split B. World Split C is headed by Seo Byeong-Eun despite a difficult Le Mans race, while World Split D remains exceptionally competitive with Yuri-Rafael de Oliveira narrowly leading Saerin, Daniel Barguer and Masa Raido.

The Japan Series battle has become a NePoLaBo duel between Deuxieme and Shaqif Redza in Split A, while Boan's Le Mans victory has placed her firmly in control of Split B. Meanwhile, Evans continues to dominate the International standings, holding a massive lead over Sven Jensen and Hiyuta Asano heading into the next round at the recently rescheduled Buriram circuit this weekend for Round 4.

Attention now turns to Mandalika for the World Series, where the four-split World Series format will return for the final qualifying round. With Tsuyo and Zako positions still far from settled across all championships, the Indonesian circuit is set to host the most important weekend of the HoloProto season so far.