The FIA WEC’s Qatar 1812KM event has been rescheduled to run on October 22-24, as the penultimate race of the 2026 season, the championship organisers have announced.
Originally, the WEC race in Qatar at the Lusail International Circuit, and the pre-season Prologue, were planned to take place later this month. But due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, a decision was made to postpone the race to ensure everyone’s safety.
As a result, next month’s 6 Hours of Imola has become the season opener, with a Prologue test rescheduled to take place at the Italian circuit on the Tuesday of race week.
With a new date for Qatar found, the season will conclude with two races in the Middle East, as the season finale in Bahrain remains scheduled for November 7th.
“The current geopolitical instability in the Middle East obliged the postponement of the Qatari contest, which had been due to launch the 14th campaign of FIA WEC competition later this month,” the statement from the WEC reads.
“Following collaborative and constructive discussions with the Qatar Motor & Motorcycle Federation (QMMF), Lusail International Circuit (LIC) and Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, FIA WEC is pleased to confirm that the event is now set to take place from 22-24 October, making it the penultimate round of the 2026 season.
“The safety and security of competitors, personnel and fans remain of the utmost importance to QMMF, LIC, the FIA and the FIA WEC organisation, and all parties will continue to monitor developments across the region.
“Racing will get underway with the 6 Hours of Imola in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region on 17-19 April. The iconic Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari will similarly host the traditional Prologue group test on Tuesday, 14 April, allowing competitors to settle into the groove and fine-tune their cars in advance of the race weekend.”
Updated 2026 FIA WEC calendar
- Prologue test (Imola), April 14th
- R1. 6 Hours of Imola, April 19th
- R2. 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, May 9th
- R3. 24 Hours of Le Mans, June 13th-14th
- R4. 6 Hours of São Paulo, July 12th
- R5. Lone Star Le Mans (CoTA), September 6th
- R6. 6 Hours of Fuji, September 27th
- R7. Qatar 1812KM, October 24th
- R8. 8 Hours of Bahrain, November 7th
