Following a near-two-month summer time break, the World Endurance Championship returns to motion this weekend, with Lone Star Le Mans marking the beginning of the second half of the season.
Porsche is essentially the most profitable producer on the Circuit of The Americas, however its exit from the Hypercar class has blown the victory struggle in Texas large open.
With 4 races scheduled in simply over two months, the championship is about to accentuate, leaving little margin for error. Listed here are 5 issues to look out for on this weekend’s WEC race at Austin.
Toyota versus BMW
#7 Toyota Racing Toyota TR010 Hybrid: Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, Nyck De Vries
Picture by: Marc Fleury
On the midway level of the season, Toyota and BMW’s main crews are tied on the high of the drivers’ standings. After introducing sizeable updates to their respective prototypes over the winter, the 2 producers have emerged as the category of the Hypercar discipline this yr, profitable all 4 races between them.
Whether or not they are going to be simply as aggressive in Austin will finally rely on the Stability of Efficiency, which is now not disclosed to the general public, however each have the potential to emerge as robust contenders.
Toyota will likely be eager to show that its non-points end in Sao Paulo was a one-off, because it goals to rediscover the shape that noticed it win the Imola season opener and return to the victory lane at Le Mans. Curiously, Toyota has by no means gained a race at Austin in the course of the championship’s eight visits throughout LMP1 and Hypercar eras.
In the meantime, BMW is having fun with its finest run within the WEC, and one other robust consequence would function a giant enhance to its championship hopes. Having completed first, second and first within the final three occasions, it’s at the moment essentially the most in-form producer in Hypercar.
Can Ferrari bounce again?
#83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Robert Kubica, Yifei Ye, Philip Hanson
Picture by: Jakob Ebrey / LAT Photographs by way of Getty Photographs
Final yr, Ferrari was unbeaten within the first half of the season, profitable 4 races on the trot. This yr, it’s but to register a race win in Hypercar. But when there may be one monitor the place it will possibly mount a profitable comeback, it’s Austin.
Ferrari’s monitor document at COTA speaks for itself. When the WEC returned to Texas in 2024, Ferrari locked out the entrance row after which dominated the race, ending first and third. Even final yr, the 499P proved to be the automotive to beat in qualifying, earlier than ending second on Sunday.
A giant consequence would deliver the #51 crew of Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi again within the championship struggle, with simply 18 factors separating them from the highest of the desk.
Ferrari is conscious it wants to start out clawing again factors from this weekend; with the bonus-points Qatar and Bahrain races changed by six-hour fixtures in Barcelona and Monza, it now has fewer alternatives to make up floor within the championship struggle.
Cadillac’s seek for a breakthrough
#12 Cadillac Hertz Group Jota Cadillac V-Collection.R: Will Stevens, Norman Nato
Picture by: JEP
Loads will likely be driving on Cadillac because it tackles the fourth spherical of the 2026 WEC on the Circuit of The Americas. Because the American marque entered the Hypercar class in 2023 with the V-Collection.R, it has but to attain a podium on residence soil – whether or not at Sebring or Austin.
Nonetheless, the manufacturing unit Jota staff is approaching the again of a promising – if finally disappointing – weekend at Sao Paulo, the place its two automobiles locked out the entrance row and completed third and fourth within the race.
Cadillac has additionally been boosted by the arrival of Ricky Taylor, recent off his win at Highway America, substituting for an injured Alex Lynn.
With sunny situations forecast for Sunday, the Common Motors marque will likely be hoping to completely capitalise on the potential it confirmed at each Le Mans and Sao Paulo.
Logan Sargeant’s return to Austin
Logan Sargeant
Picture by: Ford
This weekend’s Lone Star Le Mans will likely be a major race for Logan Sargeant, as he returns to the monitor the place he scored his first and solely factors end in Formulation 1. However in contrast to in 2023, when he raced for the Britain-based Williams staff, he will likely be representing American carmaker Ford – albeit by way of its German-owned buyer outfit Proton.
Sargeant has already been impressing his Ford bosses together with his work within the LMDh check programme, however he’s nonetheless obtained a giant job forward of him as he completes his first season within the LMGT3 ranks.
The 25-year-old is approaching the again of a powerful lead to Brazil, the place he and team-mates Stefano Gattuso and Giammarco Levorato claimed a season-best fifth-place.
Can anybody cease Corvette on residence turf?
#33 TF Sport Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R: Blake Mcdonald, Jonny Edgar, Nicky Catsburg
Picture by: Jakob Ebrey / LAT Photographs by way of Getty Photographs
Corvette heads into its residence race with a major lead within the LMGT3 standings, partly as a result of its victory at Le Mans. The Corvette Z06 GT3.R has loved a powerful run of kind this yr within the fingers of the TF Sport staff, ending Porsche’s dominance of a category that was fashioned in 2024.
Whereas the success ballast makes one other victory unlikely, each TF Sport and Corvette know scoring large factors within the center a part of the season is essential for his or her championship hopes, particularly with Manthey Porsche exhibiting robust consistency this yr.
The race can even be particular for Texas-born Ben Keating, who remains to be chasing a primary victory on residence turf in WEC.
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