– The Qatar race of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) will be rescheduled for Saturday, October 24, 2026 – provided the situation in the Middle East has calmed down by then. The race will continue to cover 1.812 kilometers (based on the National Day on December 18) or be ended early after ten hours.
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The WEC is setting the new date for the race two weeks before the 8 Hours of Bahrain, which remains the season finale. This was important for the WEC to maintain the traditional setting for the season-ending celebration at the nearby luxury hotel in Zallaq.
By choosing October 24, the WEC avoids scheduling conflicts with other endurance series, but also avoids a back-to-back situation with Bahrain.
Other relevant series from the ACO universe end their seasons earlier: The finale of the IMSA SportsCar Championship is on October 3, the ELMS finale on October 10.
The 1.812 kilometers of Qatar will keep their three-day format. Two free practice sessions will therefore take place on Thursday, October 22, the third practice and qualifying on Friday, October 23, and the race on Saturday, October 24. Due to the Islamic weekend, the WEC usually holds its races in the Middle East on Saturdays.
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Naturally, the WEC confirms that the FIA, ACO, the Qatari motorsport federation QMMF, and the Lusail International Circuit will continue to “closely monitor” the situation.
Currently, there is little indication of an early end to the military conflicts between the USA, Israel, and Iran, which has also drawn all Gulf states into the crisis.
Iranian drones and missiles continue to threaten civilian infrastructure in all countries of the Arabian Peninsula.
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Due to the war, further cancellations in motorsport in the region are expected, most notably the Formula 1 races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia (April 12 and 19) as well as the MotoGP race in Qatar (April 12).
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