With Barcelona-Catalunya and Monza: FIA WEC amends 2026 calendar

There had long been rumours circulating behind the scenes, but confirmation has now come from the FIA WEC. The 2026 World Endurance Championship season will conclude with one race each at Barcelona-Catalunya and Monza. Qatar and Bahrain were actually on the calendar, but for reasons that are well known, no further WEC races will be held there this season.

Qatar was initially even scheduled to host the season opener at the end of March 2026, before being rescheduled for the autumn. Bahrain was originally planned as the season finale – but it is now clear that neither event will take place in 2026. Barcelona-Catalunya and Monza are stepping in to fill the gap. The race in Spain is scheduled for 16–18 October 2026. The race in northern Italy is then set to take place from 6–8 November 2026.

“We have been closely monitoring developments in the Middle East over the past few months. Just a few weeks ago, we were optimistic that we would be able to hold races in Qatar and Bahrain. Unfortunately, however, the current situation is forcing us to fall back on an alternative plan,” said WEC boss Frédéric Lequien. “We have decided to replace these two season-ending races with events in Barcelona and Monza. From a logistical point of view, it was essential to make this decision now so that the manufacturers, the teams and the FIA WEC organisation can make all the necessary arrangements. I would like to thank Qatar and Bahrain warmly for their understanding during this time. We are in constant contact with both circuits and their national federations, and we are proud of the close, long-standing relationships we have built up in the Middle East. These are extremely important and well-established events within the FIA WEC, and will remain so for many years to come.”

Both races ‘only’ six hours

In fact, the changes to the schedule also affect the race lengths. Qatar was scheduled to be 1,812 kilometres long and Bahrain eight hours. However, the races at Barcelona-Catalunya and Monza will each last just six hours. This also means that, instead of one-and-a-half times the usual points, both events will award the standard number of points (with 25 points for victory).

No WEC race has yet been held at Barcelona-Catalunya. However, the official pre-season test (known as the ‘Prologue’) took place there in 2019. The WEC raced at Monza from 2021 to 2023.