The 2026 FIA WEC Season May Close at Monza and Barcelona Due to War in the Middle East
The FIA World Endurance Championship calendar is only eight races long, and two of those rounds happen in two tiny countries around 50 miles apart. Those scheduled races are in Bahrain and Qatar, two. . .
The FIA World Endurance Championship calendar is only eight races long, and two of those rounds happen in two tiny countries around 50 miles apart. Those scheduled races are in Bahrain and Qatar, two countries that have been caught in the crossfire of ongoing conflicts in Iran—leading to delays that could turn into cancellations for a quarter of the calendar. Fortunately, organizers may have one hell of a back-up plan. According to areport fromRacer,WEC organizers are preparing to roll out a contingency plan that would replace the races in Bahrain and Qatar with rounds at Monza and Barcelona'sCircuit de Catalunya. The round in Spain would take place on October 18th, while the Monza event would replace the existing finale spot on November 7th. Each race would be just six hours, rather than the larger special distances typically scheduled for the two usual WEC rounds on the Persian Gulf. The race at Monza would mark the WEC's return to the beloved home of the Italian Grand Prix, reviving a race last held in 2023 before the championship moved its annual Italian round to Imola. Barcelona would be holding a WEC round for the first time, although it hosted pre-season testing for the series in 2019. While the extra rounds in Europe would be a welcome change to the calendar, the difference in distance could have substantial championship implications for WEC teams. By ensuring that two more races will be run, the points awarded in those rounds would be added back to the pool of available points. Since the races are expected to be six hours rather than extended beyond that distance, the championship's arcane points system that awards a half-race worth of extra points for slightly longer-distance races would not be in effect. In other words, the altered calendar would offer two more races' worth of points than a calendar with two cancellations, and one fewer race worth of points than the initial 2026 WEC schedule. Both of these would be a major impact on the category's championships, including the all-important manufacturer title currently led by2026 Le Mans winners Toyota. Fred Smith's love of cars comes from his fascination with auto racing. Unfortunately, that passion led him to daily drive a high-mileage, first-year Porsche Panamera. He is still thinking about the last lap of the 2011 Indianapolis 500.