SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium – The 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) season continued its high-octane journey at the legendary Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on Thursday. As the final competitive warm-up before the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the opening two practice sessions (FP1 and FP2) provided a captivating look at a grid that is becoming increasingly volatile and competitive.
Free Practice 1: Ferrari Asserts Early Dominance
The morning session opened under overcast skies and the crisp Ardennes air, conditions that typically favor the naturally aspirated power of the Italian contingent.
Antonio Fuoco wasted no time establishing Ferrari AF Corse as the team to beat. Driving the #50 Ferrari 499P, Fuoco clocked a 2:02.402, a time that remained unchallenged for the duration of the 90-minute session. Ferrari’s pace was mirrored by their privateer entry, as the #83 AF Corse yellow-liveried Ferrari sat comfortably in the top five for much of the morning.
While Ferrari led, the session was primarily a data-gathering exercise for the rest of the field. Toyota Gazoo Racing and Porsche Penske focused on heavy-fuel stints, circulating roughly a second off the lead pace. In the LMGT3 class, Charlie Eastwood put the #34 Racing Team Turkey Corvette on top, signaling that the American muscle car would be a force to be reckoned with on Spa’s long straights.
Free Practice 2: The Alpine “One-Two” Shock
As the track rubbered-in during the afternoon, the hierarchy was turned on its head. In a result few predicted, Alpine Endurance Team delivered a stunning statement by locking out the top two spots on the leaderboard.
The #36 Alpine A424, with Jules Gounon at the wheel for the flying lap, surged to the top with a 2:01.816. This was nearly six-tenths faster than Ferrari’s morning benchmark. The sister #35 car followed suit, finishing just 0.274 seconds behind. This performance marks the first time Alpine has dominated a Hypercar practice session since the A424’s debut, suggesting a significant breakthrough in their hybrid software management.
The Top 5 Hypercar Standings (Combined):
- #36 Alpine A424 – 2:01.816
- #35 Alpine A424 – 2:02.090
- #20 BMW M Team WRT – 2:02.143
- #009 Aston Martin Valkyrie – 2:02.285
- #50 Ferrari 499P – 2:02.402
LMGT3: Precision vs. Penalties
The secondary class saw a frantic afternoon of trading paint and lap times. Eduardo Barrichello eventually took the spoils for Heart of Racing, placing the #23 Aston Martin Vantage at the top with a 2:17.769.
However, the session was defined as much by the stewards as the drivers. A flurry of “Stop-and-Go” penalties was issued during the final 30 minutes as drivers pushed the limits of the track at the exit of Raidillon. The #23 Aston Martin and the #34 Corvette both served five-minute penalties for repeated track limit violations, highlighting the “zero tolerance” policy race control is adopting for the weekend.
Technical Reliability and Red Flag Drama
The treacherous nature of the 7km circuit caused several disruptions throughout the day. FP2 saw two significant red flags:
- Carbon Cleanup: The first was a brief intervention to remove debris scattered across the high-speed run toward Pouhon.
- Lexus Woes: The session ended under a cloud for Akkodis ASP Team after their #78 Lexus RC F GT3 suffered a mechanical failure in the final sector, forcing a recovery vehicle onto the track and cutting the session short by several minutes.