Torrential rain prevented the qualifying session from taking place. The starting grid was set using practice times, with Alpine leading the Hypercar field.
Qualifying for the 6 Hours of Fuji, the sixth round of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship, has been cancelled due to severe weather conditions. Race Control decided not to resume the session after a red flag caused by an accident in the LMGT3 category.
Heavy rain made the Fuji circuit extremely difficult to negotiate, with aquaplaning creating dangerous conditions for the drivers. The incident involved François Heriau, who crashed into the barriers at Turn 2 while driving the No. 21 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo.
The French driver lost control of the Ferrari on the exit of the opening corner but was able to climb out of the car without injury. Following the incident, Race Control assessed the track conditions and decided to cancel the qualifying session permanently.
Alpine takes pole position
The cancellation of qualifying handed pole position to the No. 36 Alpine A424. The Alpine Endurance Team car had set the fastest overall time during Friday’s practice sessions, with Victor Martins recording a 1:29.304 in FP2.
Alpine will occupy the entire front row. The No. 35 A424, shared by Charles Milesi and Ferdinand Habsburg, will start from second position.
The No. 19 Genesis will start third with Mathieu Jaminet, giving the Korean manufacturer its best-ever starting position in the FIA WEC.
The second Genesis, the No. 94, will start fifth with Mathys Jaubert. The two cars are separated by the No. 009 Aston Martin, which will start fourth.
The No. 38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA will line up seventh, ahead of the leading Toyota, the No. 8 GR010 Hybrid.
The top ten is completed by the No. 93 Peugeot 9X8 and the No. 12 Cadillac V-Series.R.
Ferrari outside the top ten
The leading Ferrari 499P will start from 11th position. The No. 50 Ferrari will therefore begin the race from the sixth row after losing the opportunity to improve its grid position during a conventional qualifying session.
The situation is even more difficult for BMW. The leading M Hybrid V8, the No. 15 car, will start from 14th, while the No. 20 will line up in 17th and last place among the Hypercars.
BMW’s decision to focus on long-run preparation during practice has therefore proved costly. With qualifying cancelled, the German manufacturer was unable to demonstrate the car’s potential over a single flying lap.
Ford on pole in LMGT3
The LMGT3 grid was also determined using the practice times after qualifying was cancelled.
Pole position went to the No. 77 Ford Mustang GT3 EVO of Proton Competition, thanks to the fastest LMGT3 time set by Ben Tuck during FP2. Tuck will share the car with Eric Powell and Sebastian Priaulx.
The No. 79 Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo will start alongside the Ford on the front row, while the No. 78 Akkodis ASP Lexus RC F GT3 will begin from third.
The No. 58 Garage 59 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo will start fourth, ahead of the second Iron Lynx Mercedes and the No. 10 McLaren.
The 6 Hours of Fuji will get underway on Sunday at 11:00 local time. Alpine will start from pole, but the absence of qualifying leaves several questions regarding the competitive order ahead of six hours of racing, particularly if weather conditions continue to play a major role throughout the weekend.