The FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) held its inaugural 6 Hours of Barcelona on October 16-18, 2026, replacing the cancelled Qatar round. Ferrari topped both Hypercar and LMGT3 categories in initial free practice, with Robert Kubica setting the fastest Hypercar lap. Toyota remains the championship leader but faces stiff competition from BMW and Aston Martin. The event featured a split schedule to accommodate a clashing GT World Challenge race in Portugal.
Alpine’s Victor Martins set the fastest Hypercar time in FP2 at Fuji, while Ford’s Ben Tuck led LMGT3. Ferrari, struggling on dry asphalt, hopes rain will disrupt the pace of rivals like Toyota and Genesis. BMW skipped qualifying sims for long-run testing, and Toyota admitted setup issues in FP2.
Ford Racing program manager Dan Sayers identifies global communication as the primary hurdle in developing the manufacturer’s upcoming LMDh hypercar. The vehicle, which recently completed its initial shakedown, is being built across four distinct locations: Dearborn, Michigan; Concord, North Carolina; a facility near Paul Ricard, France; and Oxfordshire, UK. Sayers emphasizes that while the powertrain and control systems are centralized in the US, the chassis is constructed by ORECA in France, and race operations are managed by Venture Engineering in the UK. To mitigate risks of overlapping responsibilities, Ford has implemented structured integration meetings and daily contact between Detroit and ORECA. Additionally, 15 US engineers are joining the UK team to assist with on-track testing. Sayers notes that this in-house involvement is crucial for learning hybrid control systems and applying those insights to other Ford programs. The car features a bespoke 5.4-liter Coyote V8 engine and is set to debut in the FIA World Endurance Championship next year.
Ford Racing uses a Dearborn dyno to run a full Le Mans lap in real time with its 5.4L Coyote-based V8 Hypercar, while North Carolina drivers test the car in a buck; data from these sessions will refine the program ahead of its 2027 FIA WEC top-class return, extending Ford’s Le Mans legacy from the GT40 days.
Toyota's TR010 Hybrid #7 outsmarted its rivals in the Le Mans 24 Hours, with Nyck de Vries, Kamui Kobayashi and Mike Conway taking the victory by 11 seconds over the #20 BMW M Hybrid V8, while the sister #8 Toyota finished third. Cadillac's #12 faded to fourth after penalties, and the race also saw Inter Europol win LMP2 and Corvette take LMGT3 honors, marking Toyota's first Le Mans win since 2022 and its sixth overall.
Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway and Nyck De Vries led Toyota to victory in the 2026 Le Mans 24 Hours, securing a 1-3 finish by 10.9 seconds over the BMW of Frijns/Rast/Lind with Buemi/Hartley/Hirakawa third; Inter Europol won LMP2, TF Sport Corvette won LMGT3, and Toyota celebrated its sixth Le Mans win in nine years on a dramatic final stint.
A nine-hour safety-car restart at Le Mans propels Toyota back into the Hypercar lead as Cadillac’s three V-Series.Rs move to 2nd–3rd in a tight battle with BMW; the No. 50 Ferrari drops eight laps after a fire-extinguisher issue, while LMP2 remains led by the No. 30 Oreca and GT3 is headed by Heart of Racing’s Aston Martin (No. 27) with the TF Sport Corvette close behind.
Le Mans Tuesday kicked off with the traditional drivers’ photo, pit walk, and autograph sessions as teams prepare for the 24 Hours; AF Corse’s No. 83 Ferrari 499P won the pit-stop challenge, with LMP2 and LMGT3 class wins noted as well. Genesis Magma Racing teased a GT3 program with a Friday press conference, while Luc Donckerwolke unveiled the Box Buggy, a four-wheel-drive paddock EV. The event also brings changes to Le Mans qualifying across Hypercar, LMP2, and LMGT3, extensive Michelin tire plans, and the Hydrogen Village along with Toyota LH2 Racing demos, all ahead of Wednesday practice and the race weekend coverage.
Rainy Spa-Francorchamps sets the stage for the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa as WEC teams prep with driver debuts and schedule-driven shifts: van der Linde and Vanthoor return with BMW Team WRT, Aitken and Barrichello also join after IMSA duties, and Louis Deletraz makes his Hypercar debut in the No. 12 Cadillac. With Qatar’s race timing compressing Le Mans prep, teams emphasize cross-program data between BMW’s GTP and Hypercar efforts, while hydrogen-technology discussions and the FIAWEC+ app expand fan access at Spa.
Toyota’s updated TR010 Hybrid won the season-opening 6 Hours of Imola, securing its 50th WEC victory in its 100th start after a race-long strategic battle with Ferrari 499P; the No. 8 Toyota benefited from tire strategy and a virtual safety car that gave Hirakawa fresh tires, while the No. 7 Toyota moved into second thanks to a different stop strategy, and a drive-through penalty for the No. 50 Ferrari helped Buemi extend the lead. In LMGT3, Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO edged Garage 59 McLaren by 0.265 seconds, with Manthey Porsche third.
Robert Kubica set the pace in Imola’s opening FIA World Endurance Championship practice, steering the No. 83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P to a 1:31.739 and narrowly beating Ferrari’s No. 50 and No. 51, as Ferrari locked out the top three. Will Stevens led the best non-Ferrari lap in a Cadillac V-Series.R, with Peugeot, Toyota, Alpine and BMW also posting strong times; Charlie Eastwood topped LMGT3 in a Corvette, while two incidents briefly interrupted the session. Second practice is scheduled for 3:15 p.m. local time.
The 2025 Le Mans Test Day revealed that Peugeot and Aston Martin are unlikely to contend for victory due to poor performance and unfavorable Balance of Performance (BoP) adjustments, while Ferrari, Toyota, Alpine, Porsche, Cadillac, and BMW remain strong contenders. Toyota led the test times, but Ferrari is considered the favorite, with the race still open for several manufacturers. The test results suggest a competitive race ahead, though the actual outcome may differ.
Corvette Racing secures the GTE Am Driver's Championship in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) with a fourth-place finish at the 6 Hours of Monza. This victory marks the first time in WEC history that a core title has been clinched with two races remaining. The team's consistent performances throughout the season, along with lackluster performances from their rivals, allowed them to secure the championship early. The victory is a fitting end for Corvette Racing as they transition to a new era, focusing on a customer program in the GT3 space.
Toyota's #8 GR010 HYBRID LMH has been demoted to third place in the WEC Monza race after exceeding the power limit stipulated by the Balance of Performance regulations. The penalty, issued after the race, converted a five-second stop-go penalty into a 50-second post-race penalty, pushing the Toyota behind the #5 Porsche and #51 Ferrari. This reduces the #8 car's championship lead to 23 points. Meanwhile, Toyota's #7 car secured victory at Monza.
Porsche Penske Motorsport faced issues with their hybrid system and received penalties during practice sessions at Monza. Roger Penske expressed his support for raising the profile of WEC drivers. Ferrari continues to use its Le Mans-winning chassis at Monza. Michelin brought back the hard compound slick tire due to hot temperatures. Goodyear celebrates its 125th anniversary at Monza. Ben Keating aims to improve his record at Monza and secure the GTE-Am title. TF Sport hopes to have Keating back for their move to Corvette next year. Toyota's No. 8 car experienced engine issues at Le Mans, including ingesting a piece of Kevlar and hitting a squirrel. Aston Martin explores options for LMGT3 involvement next season. The Vanwall Vandervell 680 Gibson suffered an engine failure during practice.
