Some thoughts on WEC and what lays ahead in the short term

The Catalunya WEC race week is next week, and we are a month away from Monza. Exciting times. Can BMW catch Toyota? Can TF Sport be stopped? How will the later months and cooler weather play in to both 6 hour endurance races? Can't wait.

Will be nice to revisit Monza, and also to visit Catalunya and Spain as a championship for the first time. We have not been in Monza since 2023, so it will be great to see what the new field mix get up to around the circuit (only Ferrari, Toyota and Peugeot remain in Hypercar from '23). I expect Monza to be an absolute banger. Circuit de Catalunya is a tricky track, thankfully the final sector is in it's faster configuration nowadays so that should be an avenue for some wheel to wheel action down the main pit straight.

Happy to see out the full 8 races this year, even if the length is truncated from 10 and 8 hours to 6 and 6. And good on LMEM, and those involved at the FIA and the ACO for securing races for the rest of the season as early as possible so that fans can make plans to attend if they have to travel from far away. Despite the danger in the middle east there is a particular racing series that to this day says they plan to race there this year, I am proud of WEC for taking the safety of fans, the teams, the drivers, the marshals and the circuit personnel so seriously and calling their middle eastern rounds off.

And the cherry on top: after we send off the '26 season in Monza with a bang, next season we will potentially have 10, should Alpine become Geely, and minimum, should the A424 depart, 9 factory teams in Hypercar. Grid is going to be 19 or 21 Hypercars alone, with the 16 car LMGT3 field featuring an 8 unique chassis lineup to back them up. Ford and McLaren both have motorsport and sportscar pedigree, and both will be aching to get to the front of the field as they go through the trials and tribulations of their debut WEC Hypercar campaigns.

Now this is really is the Platinum Era of sportscar racing.