Barcelona and Monza lined up for end of WEC season

The 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship season looks set to finish in Europe. Le Mans Endurance Management (LMEM), the championship organizer, is poised to revise the end of the calendar for a second time in the coming weeks, replacing the planned trips to Qatar and Bahrain with races at Barcelona and Monza, in response to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

The contingency plan, presented to teams during last weekend's round at Interlagos, is expected to be implemented pending the necessary ratification after the next FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting, believed to be July 23rd, assuming there is no significant improvement in the security situation in the Gulf region.

Le Mans Endurance Management (LMEM) has been working on alternative plans since the conflict forced the postponement of the Qatar 1812KM, originally scheduled to open the season. With travel to the region still considered impractical, championship organizers have also had to account for the corporate travel policies of manufacturers, suppliers, and other stakeholders, many of whom have introduced restrictions on travel to the Middle East.

Under the proposal, the WEC would head to Barcelona following the 6 Hours of Fuji before concluding the season at Monza. The Monza event would occupy the same November 7 weekend originally reserved for the 8 Hours of Bahrain, while the Barcelona race would move to October 18, one week before the current Qatar date.

The revised schedule would create a significant clash with the GT World Challenge Europe finale at Portimão. RACER understands that up to 19 drivers currently entered in both championships would be affected, while Team WRT, Garage 59, and AF Corse all contest both the WEC and SRO's premier European GT3 series.

The SRO Motorsports Group is understood to be exploring measures to minimize the impact. One option under consideration is moving the GT World Challenge Europe race to Saturday, allowing drivers to compete in both events. LMEM, which is thought to have no other options for the date of the proposed race in Barcelona, is understood to be extremely grateful for Stéphane Ratel’s willingness to go the extra mile to avoid both races taking place on the same day.

The calendar revision would also have championship implications.

Unlike the planned races in Qatar and Bahrain, which were scheduled to run for eight and 10 hours respectively, the proposed events at Barcelona and Monza would both be six-hour races due to seasonal conditions and circuit restrictions. As a result, they would award the standard WEC points allocation of 25 points for a victory rather than the 38-point "points-and-a-half" scale used for the championship's longer races.

That would reduce the number of points available over the closing rounds of the season, making it more difficult for teams and drivers chasing the championship leaders to overturn deficits late in the campaign.

The Middle East conflict is also complicating plans for the 2026-27 Asian Le Mans Series calendar.

The championship was originally expected to feature four races (two double-header weekends in Dubai and Abu Dhabi) in the United Arab Emirates, so multiple alternatives have had to be developed.

Among them, RACER understands, is a calendar that would begin with a European event in December, then move to Sepang in Malaysia and Buriram in Thailand after the New Year.

With the Asian Le Mans Series preparing to introduce the Hypercar class alongside the new Asian Le Mans Cup support series, organizers face the additional challenge of finalizing a calendar that works for teams planning to take part.

Championship sources have made it very clear that no final decision has been taken on the solution.

One thing that has become clear is that, if there is a European race to start the series, it would not take place at any of the circuits that will have hosted FIA WEC rounds this season.