The FIA World Endurance Championship begins its 2026 season this weekend at Imola, after the planned opener in Qatar was postponed due to geopolitical tensions and regional safety concerns.
With logistics and airspace affected, organisers opted to delay the Qatar round, promoting Imola to host the curtain-raiser instead.
That change throws the spotlight onto one of Europe’s most historic circuits, where the season starts. In Hypercar, Ferrari arrive as reigning manufacturers’ champions following a stunning 2025 campaign, while the #51 AF Corse crew secured the teams’ crown.
In LMGT3, Porsche's #91 Manthey outfit enters as defending champion, aiming to build on its consistency against a competitive field packed with factory-backed entries.
Due to the postponement of the Qatar round, the WEC prologue will also take place in Imola this week, offering eight hours of pre-season testing.
Check out the full time schedule below!
2026 Six Hours of Imola - Time Schedule
| Session | Date | Local (CET) | BST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prologue | Tuesday 14th April | - | - |
| Free Practice 1 | Friday 17th April | 10:15-11:45 | 09:15-10:45 |
| Free Practice 2 | Friday 17th April | 15:15-16:45 | 14:15-15:45 |
| Free Practice 3 | Saturday 18th April | 10:30-11:30 | 09:30-10:30 |
| Qualifying - LMGT3 | Saturday 18th April | 14:30-14:42 | 13:30-13:42 |
| Hyperpole - LMGT3 | Saturday 18th April | 14:50-15:00 | 13:50-14:00 |
| Qualifying - Hypercar | Saturday 18th April | 15:10-15:22 | 14:10-14:22 |
| Hyperpole - Hypercar | Saturday 18th April | 15:30-15:40 | 14:30-14:40 |
| Race | Sunday 19th April | 13:00-19:00 | 12:00-18:00 |
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Nick Golding and Samuel Coop as they dissect the major story of Gianpiero Lambiase leaving Red Bull to join McLaren. The impact of Lambiase leaving is discussed and what it means for Max Verstappen, plus the FIA's April meetings are looked into.
Rather watch the podcast? Then click here!
Explore the latest F1 results and every stat you can imagine - From Max Verstappen to Michael Schumacher and from Ayrton Senna to Lewis Hamilton — explore every stat from the first Grand Prix to the latest race.
Explore the RN365 Stats HubMost read
Join the conversation!