Toyota has secured the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship manufacturers’ title in emphatic fashion, completing a dominant one-two finish at the 6 Hours of Barcelona. Ferrari’s #50 499P claimed third place behind the two Toyota TR010 Hybrids, but the result was not enough to prevent the Japanese manufacturer from reclaiming the championship crown.
The Barcelona triumph marked Toyota’s first one-two finish since the 2025 8 Hours of Bahrain and delivered its eighth manufacturers’ world title in endurance racing. With the Hypercar manufacturers’ championship decided, attention now turns to Monza, where the two Toyota crews will fight for the drivers’ crown in the final round of the season.
Toyota dominates WEC Barcelona as Ferrari #50 claims third place
The #8 Toyota TR010 Hybrid, driven by Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryō Hirakawa, controlled proceedings from the start of the six-hour contest at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The trio maintained Toyota’s advantage throughout the race and crossed the finish line ahead of the sister #7 entry shared by Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries.
Neither Toyota faced a serious challenge for victory, underlining the Japanese manufacturer’s strength at the Catalan circuit. Behind them, the #50 Ferrari 499P secured the final podium position, providing a positive response to its retirement at Fuji and gaining valuable ground in the Hypercar drivers’ standings.
The result nevertheless confirmed that Ferrari would surrender the manufacturers’ championship it had won in 2025. The previous title-winning campaign had represented a landmark achievement for Maranello, as detailed in our coverage of Ferrari’s historic 2025 WEC championship triumph.
Cadillac holds off Ferrari #83 as BMW and Alpine struggle
Fourth place went to the #38 Cadillac, which adopted a different strategy during the closing stages. By taking on less fuel at its final stop, the Cadillac managed to remain ahead of the #83 Ferrari driven by Robert Kubica, resisting the Ferrari’s late challenge for position.
The #12 Cadillac finished sixth, ahead of the #15 BMW in seventh, completing a particularly difficult round for the German manufacturer.
Alpine’s #36 entry took eighth place after suffering a late setback. The car had been running sixth until the closing minutes, when a slow puncture forced Victor Martins to return to the pits for a tyre change, costing the team two positions.
The #009 Aston Martin and #35 Alpine completed the top ten.
Ferrari #51 suffers major tyre problems in difficult Barcelona race
Genesis endured a disappointing race after its impressive performance on Saturday. The #19 car finished 11th, while the #17 entry ended the contest in the penultimate position, a frustrating outcome following the promise shown earlier in the weekend.
For Ferrari, the biggest disappointment came from the #51 499P, which could manage only 15th place. The car suffered a severe deterioration in tyre performance during the middle phase of the race, undermining its chances of securing a competitive result.
The contrasting outcomes for Ferrari’s Hypercar entries highlighted a challenging weekend for the Italian manufacturer. While the #50 delivered a podium finish, the #51 struggled considerably, leaving Maranello with mixed emotions as Toyota celebrated its championship success. Ferrari’s wider Hypercar development challenges have also been examined in our analysis of the 499P’s upgrade plans and development prospects.
WEC drivers’ championship to be decided between Toyota crews at Monza
Although the manufacturers’ championship has already been settled, the Hypercar drivers’ title remains undecided. The battle will be fought exclusively between Toyota’s two crews at the final round in Monza.
The #8 crew of Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryō Hirakawa will arrive at the season finale with a 17-point advantage over the #7 Toyota shared by Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries.
With both cars competing for the same manufacturer, Toyota is guaranteed to celebrate another championship at Monza, regardless of which crew ultimately claims the drivers’ title.
Porsche #92 wins LMGT3 ahead of McLaren #10
In the LMGT3 category, the #92 Porsche emerged victorious, keeping the German manufacturer’s championship hopes alive. However, Porsche still faces a 20-point deficit to the leading Corvette heading into the decisive round at Monza.
The #10 McLaren, which secured pole position on Saturday, finished second after being unable to convert its qualifying advantage into victory.
Third place went to the #69 BMW, which had spent much of the race battling the McLaren for second position. The #34 Corvette finished fourth, ahead of the #21 Ferrari in fifth and the #61 Iron Lynx Mercedes in sixth.
The LMGT3 championship battle remains open, with three entries still mathematically in contention heading into the final race.
- Corvette #33: 94 points
- Porsche #92: 74 points
- Corvette #34: 70 points
The #33 Corvette therefore enters Monza with a 20-point advantage over the #92 Porsche, while the #34 Corvette remains in contention, 24 points behind the championship leader.
Monza set for decisive 2026 WEC season finale
The FIA World Endurance Championship now heads to Monza for the eighth and final race of the 2026 season, marking the series’ first return to the Temple of Speed since 2023.
Although Toyota has already secured the Hypercar manufacturers’ crown, two major championship battles remain unresolved. The Japanese manufacturer’s two crews will contest the Hypercar drivers’ title, while the LMGT3 contenders will fight for their own championship honours.
For Ferrari, Monza will provide a final opportunity to end a difficult title defence on a positive note in front of its home supporters. The Italian manufacturer will be looking to build on the #50 car’s Barcelona podium and recover from the problems that affected the #51 entry.
The contrast between Ferrari’s 2025 success and its more demanding 2026 campaign has been evident throughout the season, including the challenges encountered during the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans against Toyota. With the championship heading towards its conclusion, the final race offers Maranello one more opportunity to demonstrate the potential of the 499P before turning its attention towards the next campaign.
Leave a Reply