Conway Announces Retirement at End of Season

Toyota FIA World Endurance Championship driver Mike Conway has announced that he will retire from top-flight motorsport at the end of the current season.

The 43-year-old Briton has enjoyed a glittering sports car racing career that has included two WEC drivers’ titles (in 2019-20 and 2021) and two victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans (2021 and 2026).

Conway also remains firmly in title contention this year and is only ten points adrift of fellow Toyota drivers Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa at the head of the standings.

He has been part of the Toyota lineup since 2014 but Sportscar365 had previously reported how Conway was unlikely to remain part of the Japanese manufacturer’s roster into next season.

With his retirement now officially confirmed, it is expected that Porsche Penske Motorsport IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship racer Kevin Estre will likely take his place at the wheel of a Toyota TR010 Hybrid in the WEC next year.

In a video released on social media, Conway described his racing career as “quite an emotional journey” and said that he will always “cherish” his Le Mans triumphs with Toyota — which he said was “really a place I can call home.”

Prior to signing with Toyota for the WEC, Conway was a rising single-seater star, winning the 2006 British Formula 3 title and Macau Grand Prix before progressing to GP2.

He became a Honda Formula 1 test driver but never had the chance to race in the category, instead spending six seasons competing in IndyCar between 2009 and 2014.

It was during this spell when he made his first foray into sports cars, finishing third in the WEC LMP2 standings in 2013 with G-Drive Racing before stepping up to the top LMP1 class with three Toyota outings the following year.

He has been an ever-present in Toyota’s lineup since 2015 and has also made sporadic endurance appearances in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, chiefly with Action Express Racing, including finishing runner-up in the 2018 Rolex 24 at Daytona in a Cadillac DPi-V.R. and taking three Petit Le Mans second places.

Conway’s Retirement Message in Full

“Hi guys. Just wanted to share something with you, that at the end of this season I will be retiring from being a professional driver.

“It’s been quite a journey to get to this point, and one that I am really proud of. Quite an emotional journey, it’s been, honestly – so many ups and downs, different racing categories, all the way up to where I have been now for the last 13 seasons with Toyota, which has been really a place I can call home.

“I guess this journey all started when I was eight years old, something that me and my dad decided to go and do one day.

“From there, the years rolled into each other and you go up through the categories, Formula Renault, Formula 3, GP2, some Formula 1 testing, which was pretty cool. Then going to America.

“I signed a contract to do IndyCar for a year. I had no idea about ovals or anything; it was a bit of a baptism of fire, honestly. I had some crashes, ended up having some success on tracks I actually liked, the street course and stuff like that.

“I ended up looking at sports cars as an alternative, which is what brought me here to Toyota, which has been a home now for 13 seasons and one that has been really fun.

“It has been an incredible journey, one that I couldn’t have imagined. Lots of cool teammates along the way, we had many laughs, and still do.

“Lots of victories, not just as a manufacturer but also drivers’ world titles, Le Mans obviously. That one got away from us so many times as a team, and as car 7 we tried many times, thought we had it, four, five second places at that place before we actually managed to win in 2021 with Jose (Maria Lopez) and Kamui (Kobayashi).

“That was a special one and one I’ll cherish for a long time. Obviously the most recent one was 2026 which felt really special as well.

“There are lots of thank yous. I guess first and foremost is family, my dad, mum, sister, brother. They’ve been part of this journey for a long time. Dad has been a huge part of that, he’s sorely missed today.

‘And even my little family now that’s growing. My little one now is three-and-a-half, and I want to be there to see her grow up, that’s definitely part of it. My wife as well, for her support.

“A shout out to Mark Blundell (manager) as well, he’s been with me for the last 20 odd years now. We’ve been through a lot, actually. Big thank you to Mark for all your support, man. It has been much appreciated.

“Some great teammates along the way, especially at Toyota. I’ve learned a lot from you guys and it has been a lot of fun sharing cars with you.

“Probably all the moments outside of the car have been the most memorable.

“There are so many thank yous honestly, everyone that I’ve worked with in the factory, not just on the race team, but everyone that is here full-time.

“Thank you to everyone in Japan for all your hard work, making this team such a success and to Akio Toyoda. Thank you for your support.

“From the first moment of racing at Rye House, stepping into a kart, to stepping on the top step of the podium at Le Mans, and all the people in between, a big thank you for the journey. You’ve all played a part along the way, and thank you for that.”

Jamie Klein contributed to this report