WEC: Major global marques headline 2026 entry list

An impressive 14 internationally renowned manufacturers will battle for glory in the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2026, as the series looks to build on the momentum of a captivating campaign that saw no fewer than eight different marques take the top step of the podium across both classes this year.

As in 2025, Alpine, Aston Martin, BMW, Cadillac, Corvette, Ferrari, Ford, Lexus, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG, Peugeot, Porsche and Toyota will all take to the track next year in the discipline’s pre-eminent global series, to be joined by Genesis, the premium arm of Hyundai, one of the world’s foremost carmakers.

In the headlining Hypercar category, outfits representing Alpine, Aston Martin, BMW, Cadillac, Genesis, Peugeot and Toyota will be aiming to dethrone defending champion Ferrari, after the Prancing Horse took a clean sweep of titles in its third season with the 499P – a car that remains unbeaten in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the flagship event on the eight-round calendar.

Similarly impressive has been Manthey’s performance in LMGT3. The German GT racing powerhouse has clinched the coveted crown in both seasons since the Pro/Am class’ introduction in 2024, and will return to battle next year with a brace of potent Porsche 911 GT3 Rs seeking to complete the hat-trick.

To do so, however, the team will need to see off an ever-increasing challenge from rivals fielding machinery from Aston Martin, BMW, Corvette, Ferrari, Ford, Lexus, McLaren and Mercedes-AMG – all of whom reached the rostrum in 2025, further underscoring the championship’s ultra-competitive nature.

Richard Mille, FIA Endurance Commission President, said: “Building upon the success and stability of recent seasons, the 2026 FIA WEC entry list is the product of all the hard work that has gone in behind-the-scenes in recent years to raise this magnificent championship to the level at which it operates today. Next year’s grid encapsulates the very essence of what endurance racing should be – major global marques, cutting-edge cars and a driver line-up blending seasoned world champions with rising stars of the sport and ambitious amateurs. The result, I have no doubt, is a surefire recipe for another compelling campaign.”

Pierre Fillon, Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) President, said: “The 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship entry list once again brings together the most accomplished manufacturers, drivers and teams in endurance racing. The Hypercar category celebrated an astonishing seven different winning crews from eight races in 2025, and the silverware was similarly widely distributed in LMGT3, where six different line-ups tasted victory. This exceptional level of competition confirms that every entrant is performing at the highest standard and hungry for success. We are set for another outstanding season – one that continues to advance technology, sport and the future of endurance racing.”

Frédéric Lequien, FIA World Endurance Championship CEO, said: “The presentation of the FIA WEC entry list is a proud moment for us, particularly when it includes new additions as is the case for 2026 with the arrival of two Genesis Hypercars. We enjoyed a hugely entertaining season this year, welcoming more fans on-site than ever before and achieving the best engagement figures the series has ever seen. That is testament to the championship’s continuing growth, and with Ford and McLaren similarly set to swell the Hypercar grid in 2027, that popularity is only set to accelerate further.”

The battle for 2026 FIA WEC honours will get underway with the curtain-raising contest – the Qatar 1812km – on 28 March, followed by subsequent rounds at Imola (19 April), Spa-Francorchamps (9 May), Le Mans (13-14 June), Interlagos (12 July), COTA (6 September) and Fuji (27 September), with the finale taking place in Bahrain on 7 November.