An unknown entity as the FIA WEC heads to Barcelona for its improvised penultimate round to the season

 

It’s a near totally blank canvas this weekend for the FIA World Endurance Championship with the cars, drivers and teams having arrived at the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona, Spain for this improvised penultimate round to their 2026 season.

Originally rescheduled to be in Qatar next weekend, this seventh and indeed final round to the season from Bahrain both had to hastily rescheduled again, thanks to the ongoing tensions within the Middle East to Barcelona and Monza respectively.

 

For the four Heart of Racing Aston Martin and Aston Martin Racing powered cars, there needed to be a quick trip over to Belgium last week in order to retrieve their cars from the airport having had them all flown back to Europe after the last round to the season at Fuji Speedway just over two weeks ago. From there, there was just enough time to give them all a quick strip down and rebuild before having to ship them out again in time for the long road haul down to Spain.

Whilst Japan did see a much deserved P2 finish in class for the #27 Heart of Racing AMR Vantage LMGT3 of Ian James, Zacharie Robichon and Mattia Drudi to bolster their championship chances going into these final two six hour races, it was an unfortunate early exit to the race for the #23 Vantage LMGT3 of Gray Newell, Eduardo Barrichello and Jonny Adam after the young American was the victim of inter-car contact along with the resulting spin out into the tyre wall from where the car would not move again.

 

For the two Aston Martin Valkyrie Hypercars, this were looking good for both of them before the simple error of crossing the pit exit blend line at their last stop cost the #007 car of Harry Tincknell and Tom Gamble a drive through penalty from their potential podium winning position whilst the #009 car of Alex Riberas and Marco Sorensen became victim to an untimely Safety Car intervention.

Championship wise – it’s still just the #27 Vantage LMGT3 crew with any chance of hauling in the TF Sport Corvette crew over these two remaining rounds being twenty-four points behind with time now running out after their own sluggish start to the season.

 

We still believe that Drudi will be on double race duty this weekend at both Catalunya with the FIA WEC and at Portimao for the final round of the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, an event that Sorensen has already been withdrawn/removed from within the same car as Drudi for the benefit of his Heart of Racing team WEC entry.

Free Practice begins on Friday before progressing in class Qualifying and Hyperpole on Saturday before the race itself is waved off at noon local time on Sunday and with the series never actually having raced at the circuit before – there is no form guide to be going by either!

Photo credits – Team / Aston Martin / DPPI