Samwise Sportscar & Endurance Newsletter
WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2026
WEC Confirms Barcelona and Monza for Second Half as Middle East Rounds Dropped
The FIA World Endurance Championship has confirmed a significant calendar revision for its 2026 second half, replacing the previously scheduled Middle East rounds with two European venues. Qatar’s slot has been replaced by Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, while Bahrain makes way for Monza. The changes bring two of Europe’s most celebrated circuits into the WEC schedule following the series’ summer break, which begins now after last weekend’s Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo. The second half of the season is set to open at the Circuit of The Americas with the Lone Star Le Mans event on September 4–6.
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Why Strategic Variation Is Making WEC 2026 a Fascinating Championship Watch
An Autosport post-São Paulo analysis argues that 2026’s varied pit strategy windows are making the WEC one of motorsport’s most tactically compelling championships. The piece highlights how the Alpine No. 35 led the most laps at Interlagos yet was never a genuine victory contender, while the eventual race-winning BMW No. 15 ran in fifth for extended periods as the effective “virtual leader” on strategy. With varying pit stop windows, fuel loads, and tyre management separating manufacturers, the analysis concludes that track position at any given moment tells only part of the story in a season where strategic diversity is reshaping the title fight each round.
Lionspeed Porsche Heads 44-Car Entry for GT World Challenge Europe Misano Sprint Cup
A 44-car entry has been confirmed for the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup round at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, scheduled for July 17–19. Lionspeed heads the entry in Porsche machinery, leading a field that represents one of the stronger Sprint Cup grids of the 2026 season. The Misano Sprint Cup operates under SRO’s standalone Sprint format — distinct from the series’ Endurance Cup weekends — featuring shorter races and a varied driver format across the Italian coastal venue. Multiple manufacturers will be represented across the Balance of Performance grid, with the event completing a busy mid-July sprint on the European sportscar calendar.
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VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Announces Its 2027 Calendar
IMSA has released the 2027 schedule for the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship support series. The calendar confirmation, reported by GT Report on July 14, continues the series’ role as an integral support category running at major IMSA event weekends. The VP Racing SportsCar Challenge provides a competitive platform for prototype and GT machinery below the main WeatherTech classes, serving as a development and entry-point series for drivers and teams with aspirations in North American sportscar racing. The 2027 announcement signals continued IMSA commitment to the support ladder structure through the next season.
ORECA Targets Q2 2027 Test for New Oreca 09 LMP2 as Gibson Engine Confirmed
ORECA technical director Rémi Taffin has confirmed that the company is targeting a Q2 2027 test window for the new Oreca 09 LMP2 car, which will debut in competition at the 2028 European Le Mans Series. The replacement for the dominant Oreca 07 will feature a new 3.4-litre twin-turbocharged Gibson Technology engine. Taffin told Sportscar365 that despite ORECA’s near-monopoly in LMP2, “nothing is secure” — the new car must earn customer loyalty on its merits. ORECA is simultaneously managing Genesis and Ford Hypercar programmes targeting the 2030 regulations, adding complexity to an already demanding development timeline.
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Calado Lucky to Escape Damage After Pit Exit Barrier Strike at São Paulo
Ferrari AF Corse’s James Calado was fortunate to continue after striking barriers on the pit lane exit during his opening stint at the Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo, with a sponsor bollard draping over the nose of the No. 51 Ferrari 499P. Despite the contact, the team confirmed no structural damage, and Calado — who emerged leading the race at that point — went on to finish second behind the winning BMW No. 15. The team endurance manager described losing “a few years of my life” at the sight of the incident but praised the result as Ferrari’s best Brazilian outcome after two years of struggling with pace around Interlagos, and said the team can now approach the second half with “a fighting spirit.”
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Motorsport Mourns Former Grand-Am President Tom Bledsoe, Dead at 71
The motorsport community is mourning the passing of Tom Bledsoe, the former Grand-Am Road Racing President, who died at the age of 71. Bledsoe joined NASCAR in 1990 and rose to become Grand-Am’s Chief Operating Officer before serving as President from 2010 to 2012, a tenure instrumental in establishing the organisational foundation that led to the series’ merger into what is now IMSA. IMSA President John Doonan and CEO Ed Bennett issued a joint statement remembering Bledsoe’s “instrumental role in the growth of endurance sports car racing” and crediting him with helping “lay the foundation for the continued success IMSA enjoys today.”
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WEC Hypercar — Drivers
1= Rast / Frijns / van der Linde (BMW M Hybrid #20) — Joint Lead
1= Kobayashi / Conway / de Vries (Toyota GR010 #7) — Joint Lead
3. Hartley / Hirakawa / Buemi (Toyota GR010 #8)
4. Pier Guidi / Calado / Giovinazzi (Ferrari 499P #51) — gained (2nd São Paulo)
5. da Costa / Milesi / Habsburg (Alpine A424 #35)
6. Magnussen / Marciello / Vanthoor (BMW M Hybrid #15) — Won São Paulo
WEC Hypercar — Manufacturers
1. Toyota — Leads by 5 pts
2. BMW
3. Ferrari
4. Alpine 5. Cadillac 6. Aston Martin
After Round 5 (São Paulo) — Joint leaders confirmed; full standings: fiawec.com
IMSA GTP — Drivers
1. Jack Aitken — 1,760 pts
2. Laurin Heinrich — 1,616 pts
3. Julien Andlauer / Felipe Nasr — 1,606 pts
4. Renger van der Zande / Nick Yelloly — 1,552 pts
5. Kevin Estre / Laurens Vanthoor — 1,501 pts
6. Earl Bamber — 1,412 pts
7. Tom Blomqvist / Colin Braun — 1,391 pts
8. Sheldon van der Linde / Dries Vanthoor — 1,385 pts
IMSA GTP — Manufacturers
1. Cadillac (leads)
Through Watkins Glen (Round 6) — No GTP at CTMP — Source: imsa.com
Next: Motul SportsCar Endurance Grand Prix, Road America, July 30–Aug 2
Curated by JD · samwise.agency