WEC titles could be decided this weekend as Barcelona hosts first race
FIA World Endurance Championship title fights head to Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya this weekend, where the inaugural 6 Hours of Barcelona could deliver championship decisions in both Hypercar and LMGT3. The penultimate round runs from October 16–18, with Toyota mathematically able to secure both world titles before the season finale in Monza next month.
The 4.657km circuit has hosted major motorsport and endurance series, but never a WEC race. Its 14 turns combine fast, flowing corners with slower technical sections, while the long main straight adds another test for teams. The Barcelona event is the championship’s 50th race in Europe and its first new venue in two-and-a-half years.
Toyota has a chance to close out both Hypercar championships
Toyota arrives with increased momentum after its unexpected home victory at Fuji. The #8 crew of Ryō Hirakawa, Brendon Hartley and Sébastien Buemi leads the sister #7 entry by ten points in the Drivers’ standings. With only 26 points left to score after Barcelona, the team has an opportunity to settle both title battles early.
Buemi will make his 100th WEC start at the circuit and is pursuing a fifth career crown. Toyota’s manufacturers’ lead over BMW is 23 points, while BMW’s René Rast and Robin Frijns have taken only four points across the last three races. Ferrari also needs a strong result to keep its title defence alive. For more on Toyota’s Barcelona challenge, see our report on the team’s assessment of BMW.
Five manufacturers have taken pole across the last five rounds, and the Hypercars have no previous race reference at the track. The field includes three Spaniards: Ferrari’s Miguel Molina, Genesis’ Daniel Juncadella and Aston Martin’s Alex Riberas. Peugeot’s #93 crew will feature Alex Quinn in place of Stoffel Vandoorne; read our report on Quinn’s early WEC debut. Cadillac also welcomes back Alex Lynn after neck surgery kept him out of the campaign so far.
LMGT3 leaders face pressure as the title race tightens
A title could also be decided in LMGT3, where TF Sport is targeting the Teams’ trophy. The Heart of Racing Team’s Aston Martin is the closest challenger after winning in Austin and finishing second at Fuji. Manthey’s Porsches, Team WRT’s BMWs and VISTA AF Corse’s Ferrari remain in contention.
Practice begins Friday. LMGT3 qualifying starts at 11:50 CEST on Saturday, followed by Hypercar qualifying at 15:40. The six-hour race gets underway at 12:00 CEST on Sunday.
Simone Scanu
He’s 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.