MOTORSPORT – THE revised 2026 calendar of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) was announced yesterday.
The new schedule was issued following the unfortunate events that are taking place in the kingdom and across the region, which forced the postponement of the Qatar 1,812km – originally the first of eight rounds in this year’s campaign.
The FIA WEC revealed yesterday that the Qatari event will now be held from October 22 to 24 at Lusail International Circuit (LIC). It will be the seventh and penultimate round, and it will set the stage for an exciting season-finale in the kingdom with the Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain on November 6 and 7.
The new championship will be flagging off with the 6 Hours of Imola in Italy from April 17 to 19, and with a pre-season Prologue scheduled to take place on April 14, also in Italy.
“Following collaborative and constructive discussions with the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF), LIC, and the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, FIA WEC is pleased to confirm that the event is now set to take place from October 22 to 24, making it the penultimate round of the 2026 season,” said an FIA WEC statement.
“The safety and security of competitors, personnel, and fans remain of the utmost importance to QMMF, LIC, the FIA, and the FIA WEC organisation, and all parties will continue to monitor developments across the region.
“Racing will get underway with the 6 Hours of Imola in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region on April 17 to 19. The iconic Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari will similarly host the traditional Prologue group test on April 14, allowing competitors to settle into the groove and fine-tune their cars in advance of the race weekend.”
Imola will be followed by rounds at Spa in Belgium on May 9, the iconic 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 arriving at the Gulf.
The WEC grid for the upcoming campaign is set to feature 14 of international motoring’s biggest manufacturers, with an impressive 35 cars.
Hitting the tarmac 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 made a clean sweep of the Hypercar 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, who also include Aston Martin, BMW, Corvette, Ferrari, Ford, Lexus, McLaren, and Mercedes-AMG.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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