The T26C made its competition debut at the 1948 Monaco Grand Prix. It retired after 16 laps with engine trouble, but the follow-up Coupe du Salon at Montlhery gave a 1-2-3 for the Talbot-Lagos of Rosier, Levegh and Cabantous. The first major victory came at the 1949 Belgian Grand Prix with Rosier at the wheel who didn't stop for the entire three and half hours. Superior fuel consumption and reliability helped him against savvy competition like the Alfa Romeo 4CLT with it's two-stage supercharged engine. Rosier's skill in the Talbot-Lago secured him the French Championship that year which also included a signature win at the French Grand Prix in Reims by Chiron.