The 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship season will not begin in Qatar. The Qatar 1812km, originally scheduled for 26–28 March at Lusail International Circuit, has been postponed due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. WEC was the first major motorsport series to act, announcing the decision on 3 March, with a revised date confirmed shortly after.
The season now opens at Imola. The 6 Hours of Imola on 17–19 April becomes round one, with the Prologue test also relocated to the Italian circuit, set for 14 April.
Qatar finds a new home
Qatar has not been lost from the calendar. The 1812km race is rescheduled to 22–24 October, slotting in as the penultimate round of the season ahead of the 8 Hours of Bahrain on 7 November. The season therefore closes with back-to-back Middle East rounds, assuming conditions allow.
That last point is worth keeping in mind. The Bahrain finale remains on the books, but the conflict that forced Qatar's move is still very much active. If things do not settle over the summer, those closing rounds will face the same scrutiny all over again. For now, they stand.
WEC CEO Frédéric Lequien acknowledged the situation plainly.
– We have all been working hand-in-hand since Saturday morning to find the best solution for staging the event, and while we still need a few more days to finalise the exact revised date, I can confirm it will be during the second half of the 2026 season.
The revised 2026 calendar
|
Round |
Race |
Date |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
6 Hours of Imola |
19 Apr |
|
2 |
6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps |
9 May |
|
3 |
24 Hours of Le Mans |
13–14 Jun |
|
4 |
6 Hours of São Paulo |
12 Jul |
|
5 |
Lone Star Le Mans, Austin |
6 Sep |
|
6 |
6 Hours of Fuji |
27 Sep |
|
7 |
Qatar 1812km, Lusail |
24 Oct |
|
8 |
8 Hours of Bahrain |
7 Nov |
Six of the eight rounds are unchanged. Imola, which was already round two on the original calendar, inherits the opener slot naturally. It is a very different way to begin a season: cold April air in northern Italy rather than floodlit desert heat, with the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari providing an old-school backdrop that many in the paddock will not mind one bit.
For those following the new Genesis Magma Racing entry, which we covered ahead of what was supposed to be their Qatar debut, Imola now becomes the moment Korea's first Hypercar makes its competitive bow.
