All articles tagged with #wec
Hypercar teams at the 6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas will run shorter stints due to a 10-15% reduction in available energy, likely pushing the race to about seven stops and forcing adjustments in driver order and tire use. While teams say it won’t be a game-changer, the change adds strategic variety and aims to prevent pit-lane congestion by separating Hypercar from LMGT3 pace.
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.
The No. 51 Ferrari AF Corse topped the times in the first free practice session of the FIA World Endurance Championship at Monza, with Alessandro Pier Guidi setting the fastest lap. The Hertz Team JOTA Porsche came in a close second, followed by the No. 5 Porsche. The Hypercar category saw the top nine cars within 0.6 seconds of each other. In LMP2, Team WRT took the top two spots, while the No. 54 AF Corse Ferrari led in the GTE Am category. The session ended early due to technical issues at race control.
Friday at Le Mans saw no track action, but there were driver parades, pit walks, and announcements, including Alpine's new LMDh car and the Ford Mustang GT3. The NASCAR Garage 56 car will start from the back of the LMP2 grid, and the ACO has signed a ten-year contract extension with Rolex as the official timepiece of the race. The WEC and IMSA will have one date clash next year, and Imola will replace Monza as the Italian WEC round. Racing Team Turkey's plans for next year are uncertain, and Porsche won the Sustainable Endurance Award presented by DHL.