Ferrari hunts for redemption against dominant Toyota: WEC 6 Hours of Spa 2026 preview and schedule

Ferrari 499P: Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi, Ferrari WEC 2025

WEC 6 Hours of Spa: Ferrari trails Toyota in Belgium, preview and schedule

The WEC heads to the Ardennes for the second round of the 2026 season. After the opening race at Imola, the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps traditionally represents the ultimate dress rehearsal ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In Hypercar, Toyota arrives as the favourite following its victory at Imola, but Ferrari knows it can still play a major role, recalling its strong one-two finish in 2025. In LMGT3, pressure is instead on BMW and WRT, who won at Imola with the #69 M4 and currently lead the category. Weather could be a decisive factor, with heavy rain forecast during the race. Let’s look at the key storylines, schedule, and timing for the 2026 6 Hours of Spa.

Still Toyota vs Ferrari at Spa?

The victory on Italian soil for Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Ryo Hirakawa confirmed the strong form of the new Toyota TR010 Hybrid. The Japanese prototype, winning Toyota’s 100th World Championship race, already showed excellent energy management, tyre usage, and race strategy, taking victory on its very first outing with the updated LMH package.

Ferrari, meanwhile, continues with a more pragmatic approach. As known, Maranello has chosen not to immediately deploy its full “development tokens”, instead focusing on optimising the 499P that performed so strongly in the 2025 WEC season. While Toyota currently leads the manufacturers’ standings by 13 points, the pace shown by reigning champions Pier Guidi, Giovinazzi, and Calado suggests the gap is not unbridgeable, even with a less heavily updated Hypercar, especially if operational execution is improved and mistakes like the #50 penalty at Imola are avoided.

At Spa, pit stop execution and adaptability to changing conditions—especially weather—will be crucial, not only for the factory crews but also for the AF Corse-entered #83 499P driven by Robert Kubica, Phil Hanson, and Ye Yifei, who are looking to bounce back after a difficult strategic outcome at Imola.

Alpine, BMW and Cadillac chasing a leading role

Attention then shifts to the chasing pack, where the battle for third force status features Alpine, BMW, and Cadillac. The updated BMW M Hybrid V8 has not matched Toyota or Ferrari at the top end but has shown strong consistency, allowing Team WRT to arrive at its home round with ambitions of a stronger result. With IMSA commitments at Long Beach, both Dries Vanthoor and Sheldon van der Linde missed Imola, but they are confirmed for Spa in the #15 and #20 LMDh entries.

At the same time, the Alpine A424 showed encouraging signs at Imola, particularly with the #35 finishing fourth. The challenge remains balancing performance across both cars, as Alpine has rarely seen both entries perform at the same level since joining WEC full-time, something also evident at Imola, where the #36 struggled, partly due to a penalty.

For Cadillac-Jota, the four points scored in Italy are not enough, especially considering the pace shown by the #12 before its penalty. Historically, Spa has not been a strong track for Cadillac, but the new aerodynamic package could improve efficiency, previously a weakness of the LMDh.

Cadillac also brings notable changes: Jack Aitken returns to the #38 entry after missing Imola due to IMSA duties, while Louis Deletraz joins the #12 crew, replacing Alex Lynn following neck surgery.

Genesis, Aston Martin and Peugeot under pressure

Things look more complicated for Aston Martin and Peugeot, both chasing progress that must come quickly if Spa is to avoid another difficult weekend. While Aston Martin’s Valkyrie starts from the two points collected at Imola, Peugeot must rebound after a disappointing Italian round. Meanwhile, Genesis GMR-001 enters the spotlight after a promising debut and will aim to confirm its potential on a track that challenges every technical area, providing valuable data ahead of Le Mans.

WRT ready to defend LMGT3 lead at home

The LMGT3 class also promises intense battles, with the BMW M4 GT3 Evo from Team WRT aiming to extend its lead in the drivers’ standings. Dan Harper, Parker Thompson, and Anthony McIntosh arrive in Belgium holding a seven-point advantage over the #33 Corvette from TF Sport (with Blake McDonald again replacing injured Ben Keating), but they will need to watch Ferrari’s strong challenge.

AF Corse drivers Alessio Rovera, Simon Mann, and François Heriau carry positive memories from last year, including a win for the #21 and a podium for the #54. Spa’s long straights should also favour Ford entries from Proton Competition, while Ferrari and McLaren teams—especially Garage59—look to recover after a painful retirement for the #10 at Imola when victory was within reach.

Also worth noting is Eduardo Barrichello’s season debut in the Aston Martin THOR #23, replacing Kobe Pauwels who competed at Imola due to Barrichello’s IMSA commitments.