As we approach the start of the 2026 World Championship, here is a complete guide to the stages of the FIA WEC, featuring the calendar, circuit profiles, and TV broadcasting times.
The 2026 FIA WEC season kicks off on the heels of a 2025 campaign that will remain in the memory of fans for a long time. It was a championship that saw Ferrari establish itself as the technical benchmark of the Hypercar class. This supremacy was built race by race and culminated in a historic third consecutive victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, albeit with the privateer #83 499P. By also securing a vital podium with the factory #51, Ferrari paved the way to clinching the Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ World Titles, certifying a dominance made evident by four victories in eight seasonal rounds.
This success has inevitably reshaped the paddock hierarchy for 2026, alongside unthinkable exits and high-profile arrivals. The 2026 WEC championship will have to do without the two factory Porsche 963s, as well as the privateer entry fielded by Proton Competition. This significant absence on the grid will be partially compensated for by the absolute debut of Genesis Magma Racing, a new entity called upon to measure itself immediately against an extremely high level of competition.
If Ferrari presents itself at the start as the team to beat, it is equally true that the competition promises to be fiercer than ever. Cadillac, BMW, Alpine, and above all Toyota have worked intensely during the winter, introducing technical “jokers” (evolution kits) with the stated goal of closing the technical and performance gap that emerged last season.
The LMGT3 class also restarts after a 2025 in which Porsche repeated its 2024 success, battling until the final round in Bahrain with the Vista AF Corse Ferrari. Like the premier class, many changes are on the horizon for the next championship: Valentino Rossi has effectively left the WEC championship and the #46 BMW, and the much-loved all-female Iron Dames squad will also exit the World Endurance scene.
Against this backdrop, the 2026 FIA WEC calendar takes shape. Below is the stage-by-stage analysis, including track descriptions, TV times, and all the useful information to follow a season that promises to be among the most intense and hard-fought of the Hypercar era.
How and where to follow the 2026 FIA WEC World Championship
For fans looking to follow the Endurance World Championship, the correct reference remains the multi-year European agreement signed between the FIA WEC and the Discovery Group. This guarantees coverage of the championship through Eurosport channels and the Discovery+ platform in numerous markets across the continent, including Italy.
In the absence of a dedicated official announcement for Italy for 2026, it is reasonable to expect substantial continuity compared to recent seasons, with races streamed on Discovery+, including free practice, qualifying, Hyperpole, and the race itself.
An alternative to Discovery channels is the championship’s official service, FIA WEC TV, which allows for a low-cost annual subscription to follow all events in several languages. It is also possible to purchase a single event. Like Discovery+, the dedicated app allows you to follow events live starting from FP3, while for other sessions, a free live timing service with GPS tracking remains available.
Finally, we are awaiting official confirmation regarding potential coverage of the races on Sky channels, as happened in 2025. For those who missed last season’s news, the agreement between Eurosport and Sky effectively ended, closing the possibility for subscribers to access Eurosport programming. However, it has been noted that on the new HBO Max platform (launching in Italy on January 13, 2026), it will be possible to add a sports plan that includes Eurosport 1 and Eurosport 2.
WEC 2026: Calendar, track info, and TV times
Prologue & Qatar 1812 km
The prologue and the first stage of the 2026 WEC championship will take place at the Lusail International Circuit in Qatar from March 22 to March 28. The circuit is 5,419 meters long and includes 16 corners. The track features a long finish straight of 1,068 meters, with sectors characterized by medium-slow corners and 90-degree turns. The third sector stands out for three fast right-handers (12-13-14). The highly abrasive asphalt and the nature of the corners make this track very hard on tires.
2025 Edition Recap: The 2025 edition saw absolute dominance from Ferrari. They secured Hyperpole with the #51 and went on to achieve a historic 1-2-3 finish in the race. Toyota managed to mitigate the damage with fifth and sixth, while Porsche struggled to reach the points zone. In LMGT3, the TF Sport Corvette #33 won, followed by the United Autosport McLaren #59.
- Thursday 26/03/26: FP1 – 10:20 | FP2 – 15:30 (Live Timing)
- Friday 27/03/26: FP3 – 09:00 | Quali – 14:00 | Hyperpole – 14:40
- Saturday 28/03/26: Race – 09:00
6 Hours of Imola
The Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola enters its third year on the calendar. The track, inaugurated in 1953, is 4,909 meters long with 19 corners driven anti-clockwise. Technical highlights include the Piratella, Acque Minerali, and Rivazza corners. The long start-finish straight is the only real point for overtakes.
2025 Edition Recap: Ferrari again reigned supreme. In the race, the Ferrari 499P #51 finished ahead of the #20 BMW and the #36 Alpine. In LMGT3, the Manthey Porsche #92 took revenge, winning ahead of Valentino Rossi’s BMW #46.
- Friday 17/04/26: FP1 – 12:00 | FP2 – 17:15
- Saturday 18/04/26: FP3 – 11:00 | Quali/Hyperpole – 14:45
- Sunday 19/04/26: Race – 13:00
6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps
The championship moves to the “University of F1” in Belgium. Measuring 7,004 meters with 19 corners, it features the famous Eau Rouge-Raidillon and the Kemmel straight. It is the ideal test bench for teams preparing for Le Mans.
2025 Edition Recap: Third consecutive success for Ferrari, with the #51 and #50 cars taking a 1-2 finish. Alpine again secured third place. In LMGT3, Ferrari also smiled, finishing first and third.
- Saturday 09/05/26: Race – 13:00
24 Hours of Le Mans
The queen of endurance races at the Circuit de la Sarthe. Only for this event, LMP2 prototypes return to the grid. The 13km track includes the Hunaudières straight and the technical Porsche Curves.
2025 Edition Recap: A historic third straight win for the Maranello team, this time with the customer AF Corse #83. Porsche Penske #6 took second, while Ferrari #51 took third. Toyota finished outside the podium spots.
- Saturday 13/06/26: Race – 16:00
6 Hours of São Paulo
The championship lands at Interlagos in Brazil. The 4,309-meter track is anti-clockwise with a very technical middle sector and the famous Senna S.
2025 Edition Recap: Cadillac broke Ferrari’s dominance, securing a 1-2 finish in the race. Ferrari struggled, with the factory cars finishing out of the points.
- Sunday 12/07/26: Race – 16:30
6 Hours of COTA (Lone Star Le Mans)
Located in Austin, Texas, the COTA track is 5,513 meters long. It features a sequence of fast corners inspired by Silverstone and Istanbul’s turn 8.
2025 Edition Recap: A rain-affected race saw a battle between Ferrari and Porsche, with the Porsche #6 winning after a late Safety Car restart. Peugeot secured an excellent third and fourth.
- Sunday 06/09/26: Race – 20:00
6 Hours of Fuji
Toyota’s home race in Japan. The 4,563-meter track features a massive 1.5km straight and a technical final sector that punishes rear tires.
2025 Edition Recap: A shock result as Alpine took its first-ever Hypercar victory with the #35 car, followed by Peugeot and Porsche. Ferrari and Toyota both struggled significantly.
- Sunday 27/09/26: Race – 04:00
The 2026 season finale of the FIA World Endurance Championship took place at Sakhir, Bahrain, from 5–7 November 2026 at the Bahrain International Circuit. A relatively modern track, inaugurated in 2004, it was designed to allow multiple configurations, similar to what happened in Formula 1 during 2020 when two different layouts were used in the same season due to COVID restrictions.
In its classic layout, the circuit measured 5.412 km and featured 15 turns. The track was largely a stop-and-go circuit with numerous straights, heavy braking zones, and corners requiring short-radius grip, with the exception of Turns 5–6–7, which opened the second sector, and Turns 11 and 12, which closed it. These were medium-radius corners taken at medium speeds.
Another unique feature of the circuit was its location in the middle of the desert, which made it prone to sand being blown onto the track. This created challenges for the cars in terms of grip, cooling, and overall reliability.
WEC 2026 calendar and TV times – Bahrain International Circuit
2025 edition recap
The 2025 edition had seen Toyota finally rise from the ashes, dominating both qualifying and the race, finishing first and second in both sessions. Ferrari, with three cars, secured maximum points for the season, taking both world titles, four wins in eight rounds, and a historic third consecutive victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans—a record-breaking year for the Maranello squad.
Porsche Penske, the other title contender, struggled on this circuit, with a Balance of Performance (BoP) that was not in their favor, finishing outside the points and allowing Ferrari to control the race from start to finish.
In the LMGT3 class, the championship battle unfolded between Porsche and Ferrari, with Ferrari ultimately conceding to the Stuttgart-based team, finishing fourth overall.
The race was won by the Lexus of Team Akkodis ASP #87, with the Mercedes of Team Iron Lynx #61 taking its first podium of the season in second. The Aston Martin of Team Heart of Racing #27 completed the podium.
Hypercar podium – LMGT3 podium
1. Toyota GR010 #7 1. Lexus Akkodis ASP #87
2. Toyota GR010 #8 2. Mercedes Iron Lynx #61
3. Ferrari 499P #50 3. Aston Martin Heart of Racing #27
TV schedule (subject to changes)
Thursday 05/11/2026
Free practice 1 – 10:15 (FIA WEC TV live timing only)
Free practice 2 – 15:30 (FIA WEC TV live timing only)
Friday 06/11/2026
Free practice 3 – 10:00 (live timing – Discovery+ – FIA WEC TV)
LMGT3 qualifying – 14:00 (live timing – Discovery+ – FIA WEC TV – HBO Max)
LMGT3 Hyperpole – 14:20 (live timing – Discovery+ – FIA WEC TV – HBO Max)
Hypercar qualifying – 14:40 (live timing – Discovery+ – FIA WEC TV – HBO Max)
Hypercar Hyperpole – 15:00 (live timing – Discovery+ – FIA WEC TV – HBO Max)
Saturday 07/11/2026
Race – 12:00 (live timing – Discovery+ – FIA WEC TV – SKY/NOW – HBO Max)
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