WEC, Alpine claims front row lockout as weather cancels Fuji Qualifying
The sixth round of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship campaign at Fuji Speedway took a dramatic turn on Saturday. Following a dry Friday that allowed teams to fine-tune their setups, deteriorating weather and visibility issues led officials to cancel all remaining running shortly into the LMGT3 qualifying session. As a result, the starting grid was determined by each car's fastest lap recorded during the three free practice sessions.
Alpine Dominance in Hypercar Category
The quickest times were established during FP2, with Victor Martins claiming the absolute top spot in the #36 Alpine A424. The rookie endurance racer delivered a standout performance, securing the French manufacturer's first pole position in the headline Hypercar category. Alpine's success was further bolstered by their sister #36 entry, piloted by last year's Fuji winner Charles Milesi, which will join Martins on the front row, finishing just under a tenth of a second behind.
âEven though qualifying was cancelled, I think we still deserve pole, because we have done a good job since the beginning of the weekend,â mused Martins, who shares the #36 seat with Jules Gounon. He noted that the dry sessions on Friday demonstrated strong single-lap and long-run pace, while the wet FP3 provided valuable experience.
Grid Shake-up and Title Contenders
The grid saw significant shifts due to on-track incidents. The Aston Martin THOR Team missed a potential front-row start after the #007 Valkyrie received a two-place penalty. This stemmed from an accident between Harry Tincknell and Ian James in the #27 Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3 during FP3. The penalty relegated the #007 machine to fourth, elevating the #19 Genesis GMR-001 to third.
The Korean newcomer, Genesis, enjoyed a landmark weekend, with the #17 entry rounding out the top five. Meanwhile, Cadillacâthe previous pole-sitter in Japanâwill face a tougher challenge starting from seventh and tenth.
As the 6 Hours of Fuji sets the scene for a sensational show, the championship protagonists face significant work from the mid-pack. Toyota will start from eighth and 13th, while the defending world champion Ferrari faces a recovery mission from 11th and 16th.
The race is scheduled to begin at 11:00 local time (GMT+9) on Sunday, 27 September.
Simone Scanu
Heâs a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.