MOTORSPORT – THE official grid for the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) is set, with 14 of international motoring’s biggest manufacturers set to compete with an impressive 35 cars.
The entry list for next season has been announced by WEC. The new calendar is set to feature eight rounds, culminating with the thrilling season-finale in the kingdom, the Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain, scheduled for November 6 and 7 next year at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir.
Hitting the tarmac in tracks around the world are returning marques Alpine, Aston Martin, BMW, Cadillac, Corvette, Ferrari, Ford, Lexus, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG, Peugeot, Porsche, and Toyota, who will be joined for their first year in the WEC by Genesis – the premium arm of Hyundai.
The WEC’s top-tier Hypercar class will boast 17 cars in all, featuring Alpine, Aston Martin, BMW, Cadillac, Genesis, Peugeot, Toyota, and defending champions Ferrari, who took a clean sweep of titles in their third season with their 499P challenger.
In the LMGT3 category, two-time title winners Manthey are back in their Porsche 911 GT3 Rs. They will be lining up on the grid to headline an 18-car roster of LMGT3 contenders that also include Aston Martin, BMW, Corvette, Ferrari, Ford, Lexus, McLaren, and Mercedes-AMG.
Some of the biggest names in all of motorsport will be piloting these ultra-quick racing machines. They include Kamui Kobayashi and Sebastien Buemi in their respective Toyota Gazoo Racing GR010 Hybrids, Kevin Magnussen in the BMW M Team WRT M Hybrid V8, Paul di Resta in the Peugeot TotalEneriges 9X8, and the Ferrari AF Corse #51 trio of Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, and Antonio Giovineazzi, who will be looking to retain their FIA Hypercar World Endurance Drivers’ crown.
“The presentation of the FIA WEC entry list is a proud moment for us, particularly when it includes new additions, as is the case for 2026 with the arrival of two Genesis Hypercars,” said WEC CEO Frederic Lequien.
“We enjoyed a hugely entertaining season this year, welcoming more fans on-site than ever before and achieving the best engagement figures the series has ever seen. That is testament to the championship’s continuing growth, and with Ford and McLaren similarly set to swell the Hypercar grid in 2027, that popularity is only set to accelerate further.”
Automobile Club de l’Ouest president Pierre Fillon added: “The 2026 FIA WEC entry list once again brings together the most accomplished manufacturers, drivers, and teams in endurance racing.
“The Hypercar category celebrated an astonishing seven different winning crews from eight races in 2025, and the silverware was similarly widely distributed in LMGT3, where six different line-ups tasted victory.
“This exceptional level of competition confirms that every entrant is performing at the highest standard and hungry for success. We are set for another outstanding season – one that continues to advance technology, sport, and the future of endurance racing.”
The 2026 WEC season flags off with the curtain-raising Qatar 1,812km on March 28. It will be followed by rounds at Imola in Italy on April 19, Spa in Belgium on May 9, the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France on June 13 and 14, Interlagos in Brazil on July 12, at Austin in the US on September 6, and Fuji in Japan on September 27 before the final in Sakhir.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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