Samwise Sportscar & Endurance Newsletter
Saturday, July 11, 2026
Tincknell Tops Interlagos as Aston Martin Leads WEC Free Practice 1
Heart of Racing Team's Harry Tincknell set the opening benchmark at Interlagos on Friday, guiding the No. 009 Aston Martin Valkyrie to the top of Free Practice 1 for the Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo with a 1m25.457s lap. Robert Kubica's No. 50 Ferrari 499P was initially quickest at 1m25.184s, but that time was deleted for a pit-lane speeding penalty, promoting Antonio Fuoco's sister Ferrari to 0.024s behind Tincknell in second. The No. 51 499P of Antonio Giovinazzi took third at 1m25.563s, while Jules Gounon's Alpine A424 and the top BMW M Hybrid V8 rounded out the top six.
Sources: Sportscar365 Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Genesis Leads WEC Practice for First Time as Jaminet Sets the Pace in FP2
Genesis Magma Racing led a WEC practice session for the first time on Friday evening at Interlagos, as Mathieu Jaminet set the pace in Free Practice 2 with a 1m24.271s lap in the No. 19 GMR-001. The result came just 0.060s ahead of Marco Sørensen's No. 009 Aston Martin Valkyrie in second, with Harry Tincknell's sister Aston Martin third at 1m24.487s. Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA placed both V-Series.R entries in the top five, with the No. 38 car 0.414s behind Jaminet and the No. 12 of Will Stevens and Norman Nato 0.028s further back in fifth. Clemens Schmid led Lexus to a one-two in the LMGT3 class.
Sources: Pit Debrief Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Toyota Heads FP3 as French Teams Eye Hyperpole Battle at São Paulo
Toyota reasserted championship authority in Saturday morning's Free Practice 3 at Interlagos, with the No. 8 GR010 HYBRID dominating to lead by half a second as teams finalised set-up plans ahead of afternoon qualifying. The session provided encouragement for the French contingent, with both Alpine and Peugeot represented in the top ten before what promises to be a competitive Hyperpole battle. The No. 93 Peugeot was the sole French car to miss the top ten. Hypercar Hyperpole qualifying gets underway at 15:30 local time, with the Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo starting on Sunday at 11:30 at the 4.309-kilometre Autódromo José Carlos Pace.
Sources: Motorsport Inside Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Four Points Split WEC Drivers' Title as Season Reaches Critical Phase
The FIA World Endurance Championship enters a critical phase at the Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo, with four title battles wide open at the season's halfway point. Toyota leads Hypercar Manufacturers with 132 points after a defining Le Mans, holding 36 points over BMW. In the Drivers' championship, the gap is razor-thin: Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway and Nyck de Vries (Toyota No. 7) lead René Rast and Robin Frijns (BMW No. 20) by just four points. Cadillac carries strong Interlagos pedigree after its 1-2 finish there in 2025, while Ferrari has yet to score a São Paulo podium despite improving reliability since Le Mans.
GTP Champion Ricky Taylor Sets LMP2 Course Record at CTMP in Practice 1
GTP champion Ricky Taylor adapted to LMP2 machinery with impressive speed on Friday at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, setting a new LMP2 course record of 1m08.080s in the No. 52 Bryan Herta Autosport with PR1/Mathiasen ORECA 07-Gibson to lead opening practice for Sunday's Chevrolet Grand Prix. Taylor's benchmark broke Matt McMurry's previous LMP2 course record set at CTMP in 2019. Sebastián Álvarez went second-quickest in the No. 8 Tower Motorsports ORECA at 1m08.178s, also inside the old record. Taylor is guest-driving at CTMP as the GTP class takes the weekend off due to a scheduling clash with the WEC São Paulo round at Interlagos.
'Spike the Dragon' Takes LMP2 Pole at CTMP as Wickens Returns
PJ Hyett put AO Racing's No. 99 ORECA 07 — nicknamed 'Spike the Dragon' — on LMP2 pole position for Sunday's Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The championship-leading pairing of Hyett and Dane Cameron head the grid where LMP2 leads the overall field for the third consecutive year, with GTP sitting out due to the WEC São Paulo clash. BMW's No. 1 Paul Miller Racing claimed GTD PRO honours, while Lexus topped the GTD class. Robert Wickens makes his first WeatherTech start since Long Beach after a transporter fire sidelined the No. 36 DXDT Racing Corvette earlier this season.
WEC Hypercar — Drivers
1. Kobayashi / Conway / de Vries (Toyota #7) — P1 (+4 over #2)
2. Rast / Frijns (BMW #20) — −4 pts
3–4. Toyota / Cadillac crews in contention
WEC Hypercar — Teams
1. Toyota Gazoo Racing — 132 pts
2. BMW M Team WRT — 96 pts
3. Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA — gap TBC
Standings before São Paulo Hyperpole & race
Curated by JD · samwise.agency
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