Samwise Sportscar & Endurance Newsletter
Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Toyota Targets Back-to-Back WEC Wins at Spa as Ferrari and Alpine Mount Title Challenge
Toyota heads to the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps leading the FIA World Endurance Championship after winning Round 1 at Imola. The #8 Toyota TR010 Hybrid of Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, and Ryō Hirakawa hold 25 points, six clear of Ferrari's #51 499P driven by Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, and Antonio Giovinazzi, who took pole at Imola but finished second. Alpine placed fourth in Italy and has claimed podiums in three of four previous WEC appearances at Spa, making the French manufacturer a genuine dark-horse threat. Toyota's #7 car of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, and Nyck de Vries sits third with 15 points.
Sources: GT Report
McLaren Names MCL-HY Hypercar for 2027 WEC Entry as Testing Programme Gets Underway
McLaren Racing has officially named its 2027 FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar challenger the MCL-HY, extending the brand's established Formula 1 naming convention to endurance racing. The MCL prefix combines with the Hypercar designation HY, reinforcing a unified identity across motorsport's elite categories. McLaren confirmed that on-track testing of the MCL-HY commenced this month, running simultaneously with development of the MCL-HY GTR track car, whose customer deliveries are targeted for late 2027. The test car is presented in a livery inspired by the legendary McLaren M6A Can-Am car from the 1960s. McLaren's WEC debut is scheduled for the 2027 season, completing its return to the top class at Le Mans.
Sources: Times Live
Jack Aitken and Genesis Magma Racing Set for Historic WEC Hypercar Debuts at Spa
The TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps entry list features two notable Hypercar milestones. Jack Aitken, a four-time European Le Mans Series champion in the prototype class, makes his full-time FIA WEC bow in the #38 Cadillac V-Series.R fielded by Hertz Team JOTA alongside Earl Bamber and Sébastien Bourdais. Genesis Magma Racing, competing as the first Korean manufacturer in WEC Hypercar history, also lines up at Spa for the team's inaugural championship start. The team fields André Lotterer, Luis Felipe Derani, and Mathys Jaubert in the #17 car alongside Mathieu Jaminet, Paul-Loup Chatin, and Daniel Juncadella in the #18.
Sources: FIA WEC
Delétraz Steps into Cadillac JOTA at Spa as Alex Lynn Continues Neck Surgery Recovery
Louis Delétraz will partner Will Stevens and Norman Nato in the #12 Cadillac V-Series.R for Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA at Spa, stepping in for regular driver Alex Lynn, who is absent while recovering from a planned procedure for an ongoing neck issue. The Swiss driver contested Imola in the same seat and returns for Belgium in his second consecutive WEC appearance as Lynn's substitute. Lynn is expected to return to the JOTA lineup from the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June, with the team confirming the treatment is progressing as planned.
Sources: Sportscar365
Aston Martin Valkyrie Reaches 10th WEC Race Start at Spa Eyeing First Championship Podium
The Aston Martin Valkyrie reaches its tenth FIA World Endurance Championship race start at Spa-Francorchamps, a milestone arriving with the Heart of Racing team growing in confidence after three consecutive points finishes since the car's 2025 WEC debut. Team Principal Ian James described Spa as the final data-gathering event before Le Mans in June, with the programme targeting a first podium result before the season's flagship race. The V12 hybrid, developed by Red Bull Advanced Technologies, has demonstrated improving pace throughout the season. At Spa, Tom Gamble and Harry Tincknell crew the #27 Valkyrie, while Dudu Barrichello makes his WEC series debut in the sister LMGT3 Vantage.
Sources: Aston Martin Media
Cadillac and BMW Arrive at Spa Targeting Stronger Showing After Imola Shortfalls
Cadillac and BMW arrive at Spa-Francorchamps targeting improved results after both manufacturers fell short at the season-opening 6 Hours of Imola, where neither threatened the Toyota-Ferrari battle at the front. BMW's #20 M Hybrid V8 of Kevin Magnussen and Rafaële Marciello collected six points in seventh place at Imola, with the team having applied aerodynamic revisions to the car for 2026 including an updated front splitter and revised diffuser. The high-speed Spa circuit is considered a better fit for the BMW than Imola's technical sections. Cadillac will field three V-Series.R entries including the JOTA #38 of Bamber, Bourdais, and debutant Aitken.
Sources: Pit Debrief
WEC Returns to Spa for Record 15th Race as Eight-Manufacturer Hypercar Grid Eyes Le Mans
The TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps on May 9 marks the 15th FIA World Endurance Championship race held at Spa, making it the first venue in the modern series to reach that landmark. One of only two circuits to have featured in every WEC campaign since 2012, alongside Le Mans, Spa also serves as the final preparation round before the 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 13–14. Eight Hypercar manufacturers contest Round 2: Toyota, Ferrari, Cadillac, BMW, Alpine, Peugeot, Genesis, and Aston Martin. Practice opens Thursday May 7 and the six-hour race begins at 14:00 CET Saturday May 9.
Sources: FIA WEC
WEC Hypercar — Drivers
1. Buemi / Hartley / Hirakawa — 25 pts
2. Pier Guidi / Giovinazzi / Calado — 19 pts
3. Conway / Kobayashi / de Vries — 15 pts
4. da Costa / Milesi / Habsburg — 12 pts
5. Rast / Frijns — 10 pts
6. Fuoco / Molina / Nielsen — 8 pts
7. Magnussen / Marciello — 6 pts
8. Bamber / Bourdais — 4 pts
9. Tincknell / Gamble — 2 pts
10. Hanson / Kubica / Ye — 1 pt
WEC Hypercar — Teams
1. Toyota Gazoo Racing — 40 pts
2. Ferrari AF Corse — 27 pts
3. Alpine Endurance Team — 12 pts
4. BMW M Team WRT — 6 pts
5. Cadillac Hertz JOTA — 4 pts
IMSA GTP — Drivers
1. Heinrich / van der Helm (No.5) — Leads +21 pts
2. Bamber / Aitken (No.31) — 2nd
3. Nasr / Andlauer (No.7) — 3rd (-146)
4. Estre / Vanthoor (No.6) — 4th
5. Palou / van der Zande (No.93) — 5th
IMSA GTP — Teams
1. Porsche Penske (No.7) — Leading
2. Cadillac Whelen (No.31) — 2nd
3. Porsche Penske (No.6) — 3rd
4. BMW M Team WRT (No.24) — 4th
5. JDC-Miller MotorSports (No.5) — 5th
* IMSA points approximate, after Round 4 (Laguna Seca, May 3)
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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