The FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) is reshaping its late-season roadmap, opting for stability on the European continent. Following an urgent electronic vote by the FIA World Motor Sport Council, Barcelona and Monza have been officially confirmed to host the final two rounds of the season. They replace the races originally scheduled in Qatar and Bahrain, which were canceled due to ongoing geopolitical instability and recent attacks in the Middle East.
The decision, widely anticipated after options were presented to teams during the recent 6 Hours of São Paulo weekend, represents a direct effort by organizers to eliminate operational and logistical risks while ensuring a smooth 8-race conclusion to the championship.
Barcelona Debut and a Triumphant Return to Monza
The revised schedule sees the WEC paddock head to Spain from October 16–18 for the inaugural 6 Hours of Barcelona. While the Catalan circuit hosted the pre-season “Prologue” test during the 2019-20 season, this marks its first official race on the WEC calendar.
Adding Barcelona required diplomatic coordination: the event clashed with the GT World Challenge Europe season finale in Portimão. To accommodate drivers competing in both series, the GT World Challenge race will shift to Saturday evening.
The championship finale will take place from November 6–8 at Monza. The legendary Italian venue returns to the WEC calendar after missing out in 2024 (when the Italian round was hosted at Imola). Monza last hosted the WEC in 2023, a race won by the No. 7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid driven by Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway, and José María López.
Standard Points for the Championship Chase
A key regulatory adjustment involves the championship points distribution:
- Both replacement events will run as traditional 6-hour races.
- No 1.5x points multiplier: Unlike the canceled Middle East rounds—which were scheduled for longer distances—Barcelona and Monza will award standard WEC points.
This change alters calculations for teams in the Hypercar and LMGT3 title fights, making every point scored in Europe even more vital as the season draws to a close.