The 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship is entering its second half with far more intrigue than expected. The cancellation of the Qatar and Bahrain rounds due to the Iran war forced a complete calendar overhaul, and the consequences ripple through the title race. Two new circuits, Barcelona and Monza, fill the void, but they also change the points landscape.
The most significant alteration is the reduction in total points on offer. The cancelled Qatar 1812km and Bahrain 8 Hours were bonus-point events, awarding up to 38 points to winners. In their place, Barcelona and Monza, both six-hour races, offer only 25 points for a win, standard for regular WEC rounds. That removes 26 points from the championship equation, the equivalent of an entire six-hour race.
The impact on team strategy is immediate. With Le Mans 24 Hours already completed and awarding double points, roughly 55% of the available points have been distributed. Previously, a poor result at La Sarthe could be offset by a strong showing in Bahrain, where 38 points were up for grabs. In 2024, Toyota overturned Porsche's advantage to clinch the manufacturers' title in Bahrain. Such a comeback is now nearly impossible.
Yet the championship is far from over. The remaining four rounds offer a total of 104 points, including the extra point for pole position at each event. With no team having scored more than 75 points so far, both titles remain wide open. The pressure now shifts to the races in the Americas, Asia, and Europe.
The two new circuits, Barcelona and Monza, present contrasting challenges to the ones they replace. Barcelona has never hosted a WEC round since the Prologue in 2019-20, and much has changed since then: LMP1 gave way to Hypercar, LMP2 was axed, and GTE became LMGT3. However, several manufacturers have tested their hypercars there, and some LMGT3 teams have even raced at the track in GT World Challenge Europe, so they won't be completely in the dark.
Monza, a regular fixture from 2021-23, offers plenty of data for teams. Top speed and low drag will be crucial, making Balance of Performance (BoP) particularly influential on the long straights. Ferrari even used Monza in July to compare its current 499P against its 2027 development car.
The circuit changes also deal a heavy blow to Toyota. Previously, Toyota was favored by the Sakhir track, where they have won eight consecutive races. Their renowned tire management would likely have made the TR010 unbeatable in Bahrain. The cancellation eliminates that opportunity. At the halfway point, two crews are tied atop the Hypercar standings with 75 points: Robin Frijns and Rene Rast in the BMW M Hybrid V8 #20, and Le Mans winners Kamui Kobayashi, Nyck de Vries, and Mike Conway in the Toyota #7.
Ferrari remains in contention, trailing the leading pair by 18 points. Cadillac, enduring a tough season, is 33 points behind the leaders. In the manufacturers' standings, Toyota leads BMW by five points, with Ferrari a further 39 points adrift. In LMGT3, the Corvette #33 TF Sport leads following its Le Mans win, but only Jonny Edgar has competed in all races so far. The revised calendar ensures 2026 will be one of the most unpredictable seasons in WEC history.
Baca Juga
BMW M Team WRT meraih kemenangan bersejarah di Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps 2026, mengakhiri puasa gelar manufacturer sejak tahun 1999.
FIA WEC menunda Qatar 1812km 2026 di Lusail akibat situasi geopolitik Timur Tengah. Seri pembuka kini menjadi 6 Hours of Imola pada April.
Garage 59 meluncurkan livery McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo untuk debut FIA WEC 2026 dengan dua mobil dan enam pembalap menjelang 6 Hours of Imola.
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