Three weeks after Fuji, the World Endurance Championship returns to action for the inaugural 6 Hours of Barcelona, the penultimate round of the 2026 season. The field will resume its battle for the world titles from 16-18 October.
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will host the WEC for the first time, with the venue chosen by the ACO and FIA as a replacement for the Qatar 1812km, which could not take place because of the ongoing geopolitical situation in the Middle East.
Although the Catalan circuit has never hosted a WEC race, most of the field is familiar with the venue through other endurance and GT championships, including the European Le Mans Series and GT World Challenge. Barcelona is also a regular destination for testing, with teams frequently using the Montmelo circuit to prepare for races.
The Hypercar class will be particularly intriguing, with Toyota seemingly on course to secure yet another world title in both the drivers’ and manufacturers’ championships. However, BMW and Team WRT will fight until the end in an attempt to derail the Japanese manufacturer’s bid.
Ferrari, meanwhile, has not yet been mathematically eliminated from the title fight, and Maranello is unlikely to surrender without a fight. The 499Ps will be looking to challenge their rivals and return to winning ways on a circuit that should suit the Italian manufacturer’s LMH car better than Fuji.
Cadillac will welcome Alex Lynn back to the line-up after his injury. The Briton will be keen to give the team a strong send-off before moving to McLaren, aiming to secure a good result at the wheel of Jota’s factory V-Series.R.
Alpine, meanwhile, will be looking to reproduce its strong form from Japan, where it came agonisingly close to victory.
Genesis heads to Barcelona with plenty of confidence, having completed extensive testing at the circuit during the development of its GMR-001. Aston Martin and Peugeot complete the Hypercar field, with both manufacturers eager to make their mark.
In LMGT3, meanwhile, Corvette and TF Sport appear to have established a healthy advantage over their rivals as they seek to convert their pace into another strong result.
Among their challengers is the Aston Martin entry run by The Heart of Racing, featuring the impressive Mattia Drudi. The Italian is one of six drivers facing a particularly demanding weekend, travelling between Spain and Portugal to compete in the WEC round and the final race of the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup at Portimao.
Porsche and Ferrari will also be looking to secure a strong result. Ford, Mercedes, McLaren, BMW WRT and Lexus are likewise among the potential contenders for honours over the weekend.
Barcelona 6 Hours Schedule
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Barcelona – Free Practice 1 |
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Barcelona – Free Practice 2 |
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Barcelona – Free Practice 3 – LMGT3 |
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Barcelona – Qualifying – LMGT3 |
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Barcelona – Hyperpole – LMGT3 |
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Barcelona – Free Practice 3 – HYPERCAR |
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Barcelona – Qualifying – HYPERCAR |
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Barcelona – Hyperpole – HYPERCAR |
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Barcelona – Race |
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The WEC has adopted a unique split schedule for Saturday due to the clashing GT World Challenge Europe finale in Portimao.
FRIDAY 16 October
Free Practice 1: 11:30-13:00 local time
Free Practice 2: 16:30-18:00 local time
SATURDAY 17 October
Free Practice 3 LMGT3: 08:50-09:50 local time
LMGT3 qualifying: 11:50-12:02 local time
LMGT3 Hyperpole: 12:10-12:20 local time
Free Practice 3 Hypercar: 12:40 – 13:40 local time
Hypercar qualifying: 15:40-15:52 local time
Hypercar Hyperpole: 16:00-16:10 local time
SUNDAY 18 October
Race (6 hours): 12:00 local time
FIA WEC 2026: how to watch the Barcelona 6 Hours
The entire World Endurance Championship can be watched on Eurosport in most parts of Europe, and MotorTrend and HBO+ in North America.
The championship has also launched the brand-new FIAWEC+ website and app, which also includes Live Timing provided by official timekeeper Al Kamel.
As is the case with every round other than Le Mans, Free Practice 1 and 2 will not be broadcast live on TV, but both sessions can be followed via official timing.
Live coverage begins with Free Practice 3 live.
#17 Genesis Magma Racing Genesis GMR-001: Andre Lotterer, Pipo Derani, Mathys Jaubert
Photo by: FIA WEC / DPPI
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