TOYOTA AND FERRARI READY FOR A NEW BATTLE AT THE 6 HOURS OF SPA
The FIA World Endurance Championship moves to the Ardennes for the second round of the 2026 season. After the opening race at Imola, the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps once again becomes the final major test before the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Toyota arrives as the favorite after its strong win in Italy, but Ferrari believes it can fight back, especially after its impressive performance at Spa in 2025. In LMGT3, BMW and Team WRT carry the pressure after winning at Imola with the #69 BMW M4 GT3 and taking the lead in the standings. Weather could also play a big role this weekend, with heavy rain currently expected during the race.
Toyota heads into Spa with confidence after the victory of Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Ryo Hirakawa at Imola. The updated Toyota GR010 Hybrid immediately showed excellent pace and race management in its first appearance. The Japanese team looked especially strong in tire management, energy control, and strategy execution, proving once again why Toyota remains the benchmark in Hypercar competition.
Ferrari, however, is staying calm and focused. The Italian manufacturer decided not to use its development tokens yet, choosing instead to continue refining the Ferrari 499P that already performed very well during the 2025 season.
Even though Toyota currently leads the manufacturers’ championship by 13 points, Ferrari believes the gap is still manageable. The reigning world champions Alessandro Pier Guidi, Antonio Giovinazzi, and James Calado showed enough speed at Imola to suggest Ferrari can challenge for victory if the team avoids mistakes and penalties.
Spa’s changing weather and difficult strategy calls will make pit-stop timing and quick decisions extremely important, not only for the factory Ferraris but also for the AF Corse #83 car driven by Robert Kubica, Phil Hanson, and Ye Yifei, who are looking for a stronger result after a disappointing strategy at Imola.
Behind Toyota and Ferrari, the fight for the role of third-best team is becoming increasingly interesting. Alpine, BMW, and Cadillac all showed promising signs at Imola and arrive at Spa hoping to take another step forward.
BMW’s updated M Hybrid V8 may not yet have the raw pace of the top two manufacturers, but it proved reliable and competitive enough for Team WRT to dream of a big result in its home race. Dries Vanthoor and Sheldon van der Linde both return to the lineup after missing Imola because of IMSA commitments.
Alpine also leaves Imola with optimism after the strong fourth-place finish of the #35 A424. The French manufacturer still needs more consistency between its two cars, as the #36 struggled in Italy after receiving a penalty despite showing podium potential in previous races, including Spa last year.
Cadillac and Jota, meanwhile, know they need more than the four points scored at Imola. The #12 Cadillac had promising speed before a penalty ruined its race.
Historically, Spa has not been Cadillac’s best circuit, but the updated aerodynamic package introduced this season may help improve efficiency on the fast Belgian track. Spa will also mark the official debut of Jack Aitken in the #38 Cadillac after missing Imola, while Louis Deletraz joins the #12 crew as a replacement for Alex Lynn, who recently underwent neck surgery.
Further down the Hypercar field, Aston Martin, Peugeot, and Genesis face an important weekend. Aston Martin at least opened its points account at Imola with the Valkyrie, while Peugeot desperately needs a better performance after a difficult race in Italy. Genesis, on the other hand, continues its learning process with the new GMR-001 prototype. After a positive debut, Spa will provide a valuable test for the Korean manufacturer because the circuit challenges every aspect of a car’s design and performance ahead of Le Mans.
The LMGT3 category also promises close battles. BMW and Team WRT arrive at their home event leading the championship thanks to the victory of Dan Harper, Parker Thompson, and Anthony McIntosh at Imola. They currently hold a seven-point advantage over the TF Sport Corvette #33. Ferrari’s 296 GT3 Evo cars are expected to be among the main challengers, especially after AF Corse’s excellent results at Spa last season, where the team scored both a win and a podium finish.
The long straights of Spa should also suit the Ford Mustang GT3 entries from Proton Competition, while the fast corners may favor Ferrari and McLaren. Garage 59’s McLaren team in particular wants redemption after losing a potential victory at Imola when the #10 retired less than 30 minutes from the finish.
Finally, the Spa weekend will also feature the season debut of Eduardo Barrichello in the Aston Martin THOR #23 LMGT3 car. The Brazilian driver missed Imola due to IMSA commitments, where Kobe Pauwels had taken his seat temporarily.
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