1. Genesis joins the WEC
The biggest story in the WEC in 2026 is the debut of Genesis Magma Racing, which is bringing a pair of GMR-001 LMDh prototypes to the Hypercar class. It’s a historic programme for Hyundai’s young brand, which hopes to become the first Korean-flagged effort to win Le Mans and a WEC title.
The driver line-up is set, and it’s strong. The experienced hands of Mathieu Jaminet and Paul-Loup Chatin, and Trajectory Programme drivers Mathys Jaubert and Daniel Juncadella have joined the original duo of Pipo Derani and Andre Lotterer, making for a well-balanced stable.
Genesis’ GMR-001 itself brings a lot of promise. With an ORECA spine and a new twin-turbo V8 engine derived from Hyundai’s WRC programme, it’s built on solid foundations. In year one, expectations will be managed, at least for the early races. After that, the sky would appear to be the limit for a new manufacturer that is diving headfirst into the top end of sports car racing.
2. Updated GT3 machinery from Ferrari, Porsche and Ford
2026 will see three brands debut updated GT3 cars in bids to win some of the world’s most important races and titles. First up, Ferrari, which has upgraded the 296. Changes include a redesigned swan-neck wing, reshaped door mirrors, minor updates to the aero package, a suspension update, and improved brake cooling.
Ford’s Mustang GT3 has also received a face lift, with three areas targeted for improvement: aerodynamics, kinematics and braking.
And finally, the Porsche is ready with a revised 911 GT3 R, which features an array of aerodynamic updates. Among them are the louvres incorporated into the front wheel arches to improve cooling, and a four millimetre Gurney flap on the swan-neck wing to increase downforce and add setup depth.
The car also has revised front and rear suspension kinematics to enhance stability and predictability, particularly under braking.
3. New one-make racers from Lamborghini and Porsche
Single make giants Lamborghini and Porsche are bringing new toys to the playpen in 2026. Porsche will debut its new 911 Cup across its global one-make series, including the Mobil 1 Supercup. It boasts more power, sharper handling, and enhanced durability.
Lamborghini, meanwhile, will spend a chunk of 2026 putting the new Temerario Super Trofeo model through its paces in a development programme ahead of its first season of competition in 2027.
4. A boost to GT2 from Ginetta and Ligier
Is 2026 the year that GT2 finally hits its stride? After multiple seasons of lacklustre fields in the GT2 European Series, and the presence of multiple manufacturers trending down, Ginetta and Ligier feel they can form part of a wider solution to make it relevant.
Ginetta was first out of the traps in 2025 to disclose its plans, developing a GT2 car that made its race debut at the end of the season. Ligier will follow suit in 2026 with its JS2 RS receiving GT2 homologation.
The big question mark concerns customers. Who will come forward, and how many cars will they add to the grid? If the cost-effective platforms from both new brands strike the right chord, and the SRO GT Academy appeals to a strong number of young aspirant GT drivers, then GT2 has the potential to fly.
5. Ford and McLaren Hypercars on track
While Genesis Magma Racing will take its fair share of headlines when it begins racing with the GMR-001 from Qatar on, it won’t be long before we begin to see images and video of McLaren and Ford’s Hypercars on track ahead of 2027 – assuming all goes to plan.
There’s still so much we don’t know about both programmes, so expect plenty of stories scattered on these pages as both marques prepare to join the astonishing Hypercar pack.
6. BMW’s new M2 Racing
Entry-level motorsport needs a boost right now. The top end is as healthy as ever, with factory teams and privateers bringing huge budgets to race around the world. But the lower rungs of the ladder are hurting in places, with the global economy on shaky ground and the cost of racing spiralling as a result.
For that reason, the introduction of a new cost-effective racer from BMW, the M2 Racing, deserves a look. Starting in 2026, BMW customer teams will be competing with the M2 Racing around the globe. According to BMW, its areas of deployment will include various national and international sprint series as well as endurance events like the 24 Hours of Nürburgring and rounds of the 24H Series.
7. A new-look VP Challenge
Speaking of which, the M2 Racing will also race in select rounds of the new-look IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge in 2026.
Not only will the current-generation, twin-turbo V6-powered LMP3 cars make their debut in North America after an extra year in the spotlight for the previous-gen V8 LMP3s, but the addition of two-hour endurance rounds for these cars and the new BMW M2 Challenge (BMC) class offers some variation from the series’ usual double-header sprint format.
The GTDX (late-model GT3) and GSX (GT4) classes will continue to feature in the sprint rounds, and exclusively at VIR in August.
8. Format and calendar tweaks for British GT
The British GT Championship will take on a new look and feel in 2026, in a bid to cement a stronger full-season field, particularly in the GT4 ranks, which took a hit this year.
To boost the championship’s appeal, SRO will utilise a two-tier driver grading system to “address the influx of younger or more experienced FIA Bronze-graded drivers”.
What does this mean? Drivers may be categorised as bronze plus if they satisfy one or more of SRO’s extensive criteria.
A longer pit compensation time and an additional 25 kg ballast will be applied to GT3 Pro-Am or Silver-Am crews who field a bronze plus driver to ensure fairer competition.
Elsewhere, GT4 Silver entrants will no longer carry any additional weight ballast, and the extra pit stop handicap time has been removed. Instead, the Pro-Am and Silver classes will be balanced by the latter’s longer Pitstop Compensation Time, which is only applied to the previous race’s overall podium finishers.
The calendar has also been tweaked. It’s shorter, and the races at Spa and Donington will run to 120 minutes. The Silverstone 500 is the only three-hour race on the schedule.
9. Lamborghini’s Temerario GT3 era begins
There’s plenty of positive buzz surrounding Lamborghini’s new GT3 racer. The Temerario platform certainly looks the part, and feedback from testing suggests it has all the ingredients to build on the successes of the Huracán GT3.
The Sebring 12 Hours has been circled on the calendar as the race where the car will make its global debut with Pfaff Motorsports. From there, it is expected to have a limited rollout in select series due to the demand for the street version of the V8-hybrid Temerario.
10. More information on Toyota’s GR GT3 and AMG’s new customer racer?
With very little news to digest in 2025, the wait for new GT3 models from Toyota and Mercedes-AMG goes on! Both brands are in the thick of the testing phase of their new challengers, but there’s no confirmation yet of exactly where, when or with whom they will debut.
The Toyota GR GT3 was launched late last year, when we learned that it would be powered by the same four-litre, twin-turbo V8 engine featured in the road-going GR GT model (though without the transaxle hybrid unit).
The tentative launch date for both the GR GT3 and GR GT is set for 2027, but there are rumours that we may see the GT3 model racing in select series before it ends up in customer hands, as the RC F GT3 did before.
Mercedes-AMG, meanwhile, continues to keep its cards close to its chest regarding the AMG GT3’s successor.
When will we hear more about it? According to Christoph Sagemüller in a recent interview with DSC: “In the next year, from the beginning of 2026, from time to time, you will see and hear more about the car. But the whole timeline does not depend solely on the development of a car.
“There are various factors that are influencing the timeline of car, including the street car certification. So it’s hard to predict right now, and this is why we stay a little reserved.”
Here’s hoping that all our questions are answered over the next 12 months!
11. Sigma P1’s new series
Sigma P1, based in Southern Brazil, is set to add to South America’s motorsport offering with a one-make prototype series supporting the current GT Series Cup.
The planned Sport Protótipo series will debut in 2026 with a package that is aiming to win friends across the board. The Sigma P1 G5 Evo promises GT3 performance with running costs below those of a GT4, and a bargain price of c. $170,000 USD.
The new one-make car is, as its designation suggests, an evolution of the vehicles seen most recently in the Brazilian Endurance Championship, with significant changes to reduce both purchase and operating costs.
All cars will be operated by a single team (ISM) and will be blueprinted and equalised with only selected adjustments allowed.
12. New-look driver squads in the WEC
The ‘Silly Season’ was particularly hectic last year in the WEC, with drivers across the suite of manufacturers all keeping a keen eye on potential opportunities for the years ahead.
The result of Porsche’s withdrawal, Genesis, Ford and McLaren’s arrival, movement in IMSA GTP and a slew of contracts expiring is a very different-looking set of driver squads in Hypercar.
Mathieu Jaminet and Paul Loup Chatin? They’re at Genesis. Nick Cassidy? He’s at Peugeot. Jack Aitken? He’s adding to his Cadillac commitments with JOTA. Mick Schumacher? He’ll be in IndyCar. Kévin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor? They’re shifting to full-time IMSA drives with Penske. The list goes on.
And there’s plenty more news to come with more than a handful of blank spaces to fill in the driver columns of the entry list.
13. Mustang Cup reaches Australia
The Mustang Dark Horse R-based one-make offerings from Ford Racing in the USA have been a smash hit since their debut in 2024, delivering great racing and providing a ladder from grassroots to GT3 for drivers and teams loyal to the Blue Oval.
2025 saw the first step in Ford’s planned global expansion of the concept, with the Le Mans Invitational – another successful venture – but 2026 will see the Australian racing landscape boosted by the inaugural season of Mustang Cup Australia.
It will feature in all six rounds of the Shannons SpeedSeries next year, and if we had to make a bet, the grid will likely be strong from race one.
14. Road America gets IMSA Endurance Cup status
Elkhart Lake’s Road America is universally regarded as one of the United States’ best road courses, so it’s understandable to think that two hours and 40 minutes just isn’t long enough of an IMSA race for a venue that fans and drivers alike view with such reverence.
That changes in 2026, when Road America finally gets a date on the five-race IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup, swapping places with another fabled venue – Indianapolis Motor Speedway – whose Grand Prix circuit will continue to host a 2h40m sprint round. The Motul SportsCar Endurance Grand Prix will be the longest IMSA race at Road America since 2012, when the Road America Road Race Showcase was a four-hour affair.
And although this past year’s sprint may have led some to question if it’s a good idea, this writer feels a bit more optimistic that thanks to tighter enforcement of driving standards and more time, the extension to six hours will be well worth it.
15. Hypercars debut in Asian Le Mans Series
When the ACO first announced plans to add a Hypercar class for Pro/Am racers to the Asian Le Mans Series in 2026/27, many scoffed at the idea. Which cars would race? How expensive would it be? Should Bronze drivers be allowed to race such complex cars? What about testing rules? Those were just some of the questions posed.
The target was set at 3-4 cars in year one, with the potential for growth in the seasons to follow. Recent weeks, though, have given us early indications that suggest the target will be exceeded, with interest from multiple parties coming forward and plenty of scope for growth in future years in the marketplace. Bring it on!
16. Legends of Le Mans debuts
Regular FIA WEC racegoers will know that the support bill has often lacked ‘oomph’. All too often,small regional championships have been put on the schedule, and while the racing is often exciting, it doesn’t get bums in seats.
2026 looks set to be different with the launch of the Legends of Le Mans historic series, which is open to LMP1 cars from 2006 to 2012, LMP2s from 2006 to 2016 and GTE’s from 2011 to 2015. It will feature on the schedule for three FIA WEC races at Imola, Spa and Bahrain, plus the Le Mans Classic, so there will be plenty of opportunities for fans to take a look.
For both competitors and fans, this is a huge win. It adds real punch to the timetable for anyone trackside at said WEC events, plus the Classic, and gives owners of post-2000 LMP or GTE machinery the ideal place to race.
Making this new series a success will require considerable effort. However, this is a project that has been years in the making, and a great deal of thought has gone into the finer details. We can’t wait to see it in action during coffee breaks on WEC weekends!
17. Le Mans Classic switches to an annual format
The Le Mans Classic has been a smash hit for the ACO and Peter Auto since its inception, attracting hundreds of incredible cars and hundreds of thousands of fans all keen to celebrate sportscar racing’s storied past.
Until now, it’s been bi-annual, but that’s set to change from 2026 onwards, when the event will take place every year and switch between two formats: Le Mans Classic Heritage for cars between 1923 and 1975 and Le Mans Classic Legend, for machinery that competed between 1976 and 2015. It’s a big move that’s sure to capitalise on historic racing’s rapid growth in recent years.
First up is a Le Mans Classic Legend event in 2026; we’re looking forward to seeing how it all comes together.
18. WRT goes IMSA GTP racing
This will be the year where BMW M Team WRT leaves its first major imprint in North American sports car racing. The Belgian team that was the first great dynasty of GT3 racing with Audi, and found renewed purpose with BMW, will now run the redesigned M Hybrid V8 prototype in both the FIA World Endurance Championship and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
WRT began preparing for the season ahead in November during the IMSA Sanctioned Test at Daytona, taking the baton from former BMW M service partner Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and setting up shop out of Haas F1 Team’s US headquarters in Kannapolis, North Carolina.
In two WEC seasons WRT has yet to win with the M Hybrid V8, yet its arrival signals the beginning of what BMW hopes will be a fruitful new chapter of its IMSA story.
19. Michelin’s new Hypercar/GTP tyres
Michelin’s new-for-2026 Pilot Sport Endurance Hypercar and GTP slick tyres are ready for action, following a lengthy and comprehensive development and test programme that began with early concept work way back in 2022.
The new tyres will be in use during the 2026, 27 and 28 racing seasons. They feature a bold, striking look with a visible tread pattern (which handily will differentiate if a tyre is brand new or used!) to symbolise the steps forward in sustainability, and target improvements in warm-up rather than raw performance.
With the tender process now live for the 2030 Hypercar tyre contract, nailing the brief with this product range could prove vital for Michelin.
20. Honda’s HRC Prelude-GT joins the SUPER GT field
While Toyota and Nissan will update their existing GT500 platforms, Honda heads into the 2026 season with a completely new challenger, the HRC Prelude-GT.
Beneath the surface, it will be similar to the outgoing Civic Type R-GT, which was given only two seasons before being shelved. But HRC expects the more conventional sports coupe design to improve the aerodynamic balance of the car, and put up a stronger challenge against Toyota than in years past.
That car will be the centrepiece of a revamped Honda GT500 crew that includes three new drivers – the returning Kakunoshin Ohta and two rookies – and a new-look ARTA Mugen team, which will have a car engineered by HRC staff, laying the groundwork for a potential works effort in the future.
Images courtesy of Genesis, IMSA, SUPER GT, Jack Webster, Lamborghini, McLaren, BMW, Ford & SRO
