News Summary
- WEC has delayed the start of Hypercar qualifying for the 6 Hours of Barcelona after damage to the track surface.
- The asphalt broke up at the final corner leading onto the main straight, requiring repairs before the prototypes can return to the circuit.
- LMGT3 qualifying had already been completed, with Tom Fleming securing pole position for Garage 59 McLaren.
The FIA World Endurance Championship has delayed the start of Hypercar qualifying for the 2026 6 Hours of Barcelona after part of the asphalt broke apart at the final corner of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, forcing organisers to carry out repairs before allowing the championship’s fastest cars back onto the track.
The problem emerged on Saturday, October 17, after the LMGT3 qualifying session had already been completed. The damaged section is located at the corner leading onto the circuit’s main straight, one of the most important acceleration zones on the 4.657km layout.
WEC announced that the beginning of Hypercar qualifying would be postponed while the circuit addressed the damaged surface. No revised starting time had been confirmed at the time of the announcement.
The session was originally scheduled to begin at 15:40 local time in Barcelona (CEST), equivalent to 10:40 in Brasília (BRT), with the Hyperpole shootout due to follow.
Asphalt damage forces changes to Barcelona qualifying schedule
The problem occurred at a particularly sensitive part of the circuit, where cars accelerate out of the final corner towards the start-finish straight.
Damage to the asphalt in this area can create an uneven surface and loose material, presenting a potential safety concern for cars travelling at high speed.
The Hypercar category features prototypes from Ferrari, Toyota, Cadillac, BMW, Peugeot, Alpine, Aston Martin and Genesis, with 17 entries competing for the overall pole position.
The championship had planned to run a conventional qualifying segment followed by Hyperpole, in which the ten fastest cars would fight for the leading grid positions.
The unexpected track repairs interrupted that programme before Hypercar qualifying could begin.
Organisers have not announced whether the delay will require further changes to the session format. The extent of the damage and the time needed to complete the repairs have also not been established.
McLaren had already secured LMGT3 pole
The interruption came after the completion of LMGT3 qualifying, where Tom Fleming secured pole position for the No. 10 Garage 59 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo.
Fleming recorded 1:40.933, beating Riccardo Pera’s No. 92 Porsche by 0.122 seconds, with Simon Mann placing the No. 21 Ferrari third.
The British driver delivered the result despite missing Friday’s practice sessions because of his GT World Challenge Europe commitments at Portimão.
Garage 59’s result marked its second LMGT3 pole position of the season, strengthening McLaren’s preparations for Sunday’s six-hour race.
The complete LMGT3 classification, including all 18 cars, is available in GRANDE PRÊMIO’s endurance racing coverage.
Ferrari leads Hypercar preparations before qualifying delay
Ferrari had set the pace in the final Hypercar free practice session earlier on Saturday.
Antonio Fuoco recorded 1:31.026 in the No. 50 Ferrari 499P, finishing just 0.015 seconds ahead of Mathieu Jaminet’s No. 19 Genesis GMR-001.
Cadillac completed the top three with the No. 38 V-Series.R shared by Earl Bamber, Sébastien Bourdais and Jack Aitken, 0.251 seconds behind the Ferrari.
Aston Martin placed fourth with its No. 009 Valkyrie, followed by the second Cadillac, No. 12.
The close margins suggested a competitive qualifying session before the track-surface problem forced the postponement.
The 6 Hours of Barcelona is scheduled for Sunday, October 18, at 12:00 local time (CEST), equivalent to 07:00 in Brasília and 11:00 in the United Kingdom.
