Samwise Sportscar & Endurance Newsletter
Friday, April 24, 2026
Toyota Claims 50th WEC Win in 100th Race at Imola Opener
The No. 8 Toyota Racing TR010 Hybrid of Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Ryō Hirakawa won the 2026 FIA WEC season opener at Imola on April 19, beating Ferrari’s No. 51 499P by 13.352 seconds. The victory delivered two milestones simultaneously: Toyota’s 100th WEC race appearance and 50th race win, both achieved on the debut of the rebranded TR010 Hybrid. The No. 7 Toyota of Conway, Kobayashi, and de Vries completed a dominant one-three in third. In the LMGT3 class, the No. 69 BMW M4 GT3 Evo of McIntosh, Thompson, and Harper took class honours, the first LMGT3 win for BMW at Imola since 2024.
Sources: FIA WEC
Acura Ends 17-Year Long Beach Drought with MSR Sprint Win
Nick Yelloly and Renger van der Zande delivered the No. 93 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06 to victory at the 2026 IMSA Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 18, ending the manufacturer’s 17-year wait at the street circuit. Yelloly started from pole and led the opening stint before handing to van der Zande, who held off Frederik Vesti’s No. 31 Whelen Cadillac by 0.818 seconds through two late restarts. Laurens Vanthoor and Kevin Estre completed the GTP podium in the No. 6 Porsche 963. The result was van der Zande’s third IMSA victory at Long Beach, having previously won in 2022 and 2024.
Sources: IMSA, Motorsport.com
Ferrari Pinpoints Tyre Management Gap as Key Imola Weakness
Ferrari engineers identified tyre management and traction as the key areas where Toyota gained its decisive advantage at the 2026 WEC season opener in Imola. The No. 51 Ferrari 499P held a pace advantage early in the race on Michelin’s new medium-compound slick, but the revised Toyota TR010 Hybrid proved stronger over longer stints. With the 499P unable to accelerate quickly when following Toyota through corners, Ferrari could not extend its stint length to match Toyota’s triple-stint strategy. Toyota then used a well-timed full-course yellow to bank a free tyre stop, effectively ending Ferrari’s challenge. Toyota won by 13.352 seconds.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Toyota’s Revised TR010 Hybrid Makes Winning Technical Debut
Toyota debuted its rebranded and revised TR010 HYBRID Hypercar at the 2026 6 Hours of Imola, winning immediately. The car retains a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 producing more than 700 PS on 100% renewable racing fuel, with DENSO and AISIN supplying the hybrid motor and front axle inverter. Aerodynamic revisions include a new underbody, an additional deflector ahead of the rear diffuser, and a redesigned spoon-shaped rear wing. Michelin introduced 2026-spec tyres for all WEC Hypercar competitors, made from 50% recycled and renewable materials and engineered to reach peak operating temperature faster than the previous generation without sacrificing durability.
Sources: Pit Debrief
WEC Imola Sets All-Time Circuit Attendance Record at 92,175
The 2026 FIA WEC season opener at Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari set an all-time attendance record for the Imola circuit. Official figures confirmed 92,175 spectators attended across the weekend of April 17–19, beating the previous WEC attendance record at the venue by approximately 17,000. Toyota’s achievement of its 50th WEC win in its 100th race, combined with a competitive Hypercar field spanning eight manufacturers, attracted strong interest across Italy. Ferrari chairman John Elkann and Scuderia Ferrari F1 team principal Fred Vasseur were both observed in the paddock during the race weekend, underlining the event’s significance for Italian motorsport culture.
Sources: Daily Sportscar
Porsche Retains IMSA GTP Points Lead Despite Long Beach Setback
Porsche Penske Motorsport maintained the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech GTP championship lead following the No. 7 Porsche 963 of Julien Andlauer and Felipe Nasr finishing fourth at Long Beach on April 18 — their third consecutive GTP podium in three starts. Having won both the Rolex 24 at Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring to open the year, Porsche’s consistent points-scoring keeps them ahead entering Laguna Seca on May 1–3. Andlauer, Nasr, and teammate Laurin Heinrich hold the top positions in the GTP driver standings with 755 points. Meyer Shank’s Long Beach victory confirmed the field is tightening, with Acura’s BoP advantage now trimmed for Monterey.
Sources: Porsche Motorsport
IMSA Heads to Laguna Seca with BoP Adjustments and Throwback Theme
The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship arrives at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for the StubHub Monterey SportsCar Championship on May 1–3, with 34 full-season entries confirmed across GTP, GTD Pro, and GTD classes. The round adopts a full throwback theme, including a street party in downtown Monterey on April 29. The Balance of Performance update gives the Acura ARX-06 only a 3 kg weight reduction following its Long Beach victory, while BMW, Cadillac, and Porsche each received double-digit decreases. GTD Pro returns to action with its first sprint of 2026. Acura, Porsche, Cadillac, and BMW are all expected to be closely matched on the flowing California circuit.
Sources: IMSA, Sportscar365
GT World Challenge America Heads to COTA for Three-Hour Format Debut
Round 2 of the 2026 SRO GT World Challenge America takes place at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, April 24–26, as the series runs its new three-hour race format for the second time in 2026, replacing the traditional pair of 90-minute events. Ford Racing’s Dollahite Motorsports arrives with confidence after a podium at Sonoma — the first for the updated Ford Mustang GT3 evolution — and competes on home ground in Austin. The 2026 field spans Porsche, Mercedes-AMG, Ferrari, BMW, Lamborghini, Chevrolet, and Ford, making COTA one of the most manufacturer-diverse rounds on the calendar this season.
Sources: GT World Challenge America, Ford Racing
WEC Hypercar — Drivers (after Rd 1)
1. S. Buemi / B. Hartley / R. Hirakawa — 25 pts
2. A. Giovinazzi / J. Calado / A. Pier Guidi — 19 pts
3. N. de Vries / M. Conway / K. Kobayashi — 15 pts
4. (Ferrari #50 crew) — 8 pts
5. K. Magnussen / D. Vanthoor / R. Marciello — 6 pts
6. H. Tincknell / T. Gamble (#007 Aston Martin) — 2 pts
7. Ye / Hanson / Kubica (#83 Ferrari) — 1 pt
WEC Hypercar — Teams (after Rd 1)
1. Toyota Racing — 40 pts
2. Ferrari AF Corse — 27 pts
3. BMW M Team JOTA — 6 pts
4. Aston Martin THOR — 2 pts
5. AF Corse — 1 pt
IMSA GTP — Drivers (after Rd 3)
1. J. Andlauer / F. Nasr (#7 Porsche) — 755 pts
2. L. Heinrich / E. Bamber (#25 BMW) — 720 pts
3. J. Aitken / F. Vesti (#31 Cadillac) — 675 pts
4. N. Yelloly / R. van der Zande (#93 Acura) — 675 pts
5. L. Vanthoor / K. Estre (#6 Porsche) — 675 pts
IMSA GTP — Teams (after Rd 3)
1. Porsche Penske Motorsport — leading
2. Meyer Shank Racing (Acura) — 2nd
3. Whelen Engineering (Cadillac) — 3rd
Curated by JD · samwise.agency