WEC CONFIRMS BARCELONA AND MONZA FOR 2026 SEASON FINALE
The 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship calendar has been changed after the cancellation of the Qatar and Bahrain rounds. Due to the ongoing conflict and increasing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, the FIA and ACO have confirmed that both events will no longer take place this season.
To complete the calendar, the championship will head to Europe for the final two rounds. The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will make its WEC debut on October 16-18, while Monza returns to the championship on November 6-8 after last hosting WEC races in 2022 and 2023.
The decision was made mainly for safety reasons. The situation in the Middle East has made logistics more difficult for teams and raised concerns over the safety of drivers, staff and equipment. Earlier in the season, WEC had already moved the Qatar round from the opening race to the end of the calendar in an attempt to keep the event, but the worsening situation forced both Qatar and Bahrain to be removed.
Barcelona has hosted the European Le Mans Series in recent years, meaning many teams already have experience at the Spanish circuit. The addition of the track also marks the first time the current WEC visits Barcelona.
The calendar change also avoids a clash with the GT World Challenge Europe finale at Portimão. The GTWC organizers agreed to move their race schedule, allowing teams competing in both championships, including AF Corse, Team WRT and Garage 59, to take part in both events.
Monza returns as the championship finale after several years away. The Italian circuit has a long endurance racing history dating back to the 1950s, including the famous 1000 km of Monza. In the modern WEC era, Monza hosted the 6 Hours of Monza in 2022 and 2023 before being replaced by Imola following renovation work.
Ferrari has also been testing at Monza with an updated version of the 499P Hypercar. The car features visible aerodynamic changes at the front, sidepods and rear section as the Italian manufacturer prepares for the final part of the season. Aston Martin has also been present at the circuit testing its Valkyrie Hypercar.
The calendar changes also affect the championship points available. Both Barcelona and Monza will be six-hour races, meaning drivers and teams can score a maximum of 26 points per weekend, including the bonus point for pole position. Originally, Qatar and Bahrain would have awarded more points because they were scheduled as 10-hour and 8-hour races, using the FIA’s 1.5x points multiplier.
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