Samwise Sportscar & Endurance Newsletter
Friday, July 17, 2026
Ford Fires Up Coyote V8 in LMDh Spine, Rollout Set for August 5
Ford has achieved a key development milestone by firing its 5.4-litre Coyote V8 engine inside an ORECA LMDh spine at ORECA’s facility in southern France. Programme manager Dan Sayers described the moment as significant for the automaker’s Le Mans Hypercar project. A public rollout is planned for August 5 at Circuit Paul Ricard. Matt Campbell, Tom Blomqvist, and Nick Yelloly are confirmed as the programme’s three drivers. Ford is targeting FIA World Endurance Championship competition once the car receives full homologation. The engine fire-up represents one of the final technical milestones before the car takes to the track.
Sources: Sportscar365 Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Ferrari Planning Dual Logistics Kits as WEC Calendar Decision Looms
Ferrari AF Corse team manager Batti Pregliasco says the ongoing uncertainty over the end of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship calendar has added significant cost and effort to the squad’s operations. With the FIA World Motor Sport Council’s decision on the final calendar expected by next week, Ferrari has been preparing dual logistics kits — including a backup plan involving races at Barcelona-Catalunya and Monza. Pregliasco noted that Toyota and BMW currently lead Ferrari in the manufacturers’ standings, adding competitive urgency to resolve the scheduling question swiftly before resources are committed in vain.
Sources: Sportscar365 Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Ferrari Stays Focused on Points as WEC Calendar Uncertainty Continues
Ferrari AF Corse’s Mauro Barbieri says the team remains undistracted by uncertainty around the end of the FIA World Endurance Championship calendar. With the FIA World Motor Sport Council yet to confirm scheduling for the closing rounds of the 2026 season, some operations face planning complications — but Barbieri says Ferrari remains focused on the competition at hand. “What we need to do is to gain points on our competitors,” he told the media. The sporting uncertainty has not derailed Ferrari’s competitive mindset as the team pursues standings positions in the WEC Hypercar class.
Sources: Daily Sportscar Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
GT World Challenge Europe Sets Record 44-Car Entry for Misano Sprint Cup
GT World Challenge Europe’s Sprint Cup heads to Misano World Circuit this weekend with a record 44-car field — the largest entry in the series’ history at the Italian venue. The bumper grid includes Lionspeed by GRT’s Porsche as a headline entry. The record turnout arrives as the championship enters its second half, with the Sprint Cup format bringing GT3 machinery from across the manufacturer spectrum. Misano’s compact layout will test the expanded grid, with the record entry underlining sustained interest in SRO’s European GT3 programme heading into the second half of the 2026 season.
Sources: Daily Sportscar Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Ohta Eager to Stay in IMSA in 2027 After Acura Programme Exits
Honda factory driver Kaku Ohta has expressed his desire to continue in IMSA’s WeatherTech SportsCar Championship after Acura exits the series at the end of 2026. The 27-year-old Japanese driver finished second at this year’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of Watkins Glen alongside Nick Yelloly and Renger van der Zande, and currently leads Japan’s Super Formula series. Ohta said pursuing an independent IMSA seat would require Honda’s endorsement given his factory status. He is keen to find a way to remain on the North American endurance circuit heading into the 2027 season.
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International GT Open’s Four-Way Pro Fight Heads to Paul Ricard
The International GT Open heads to Circuit Paul Ricard for its next round with a 30-car field and a four-way Pro class title fight taking shape. Four pairings from four different manufacturers enter the French circuit in contention at the top of the standings: Emson/Lebbon in the Ferrari, Mansell/Götz in the Mercedes-AMG, Meakin/Loake in the McLaren, and Armanni/Fontana in the Porsche. With any of the four crews capable of leaving as Pro class championship leader, Paul Ricard looks set to be a decisive weekend in the 2026 International GT Open season.
Sources: PitDebrief Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
WEC Hypercar — Drivers
After 4 rounds — São Paulo
1. R. Rast / R. Frijns (BMW #20) — 75 pts
2. K. Kobayashi / M. Conway / N. de Vries (Toyota #7) — 75 pts
3. S. van der Linde (BMW #20) — 65 pts
4. J. Calado / A. Pier Guidi / A. Giovinazzi (Ferrari #51) — 57 pts
5. B. Hartley / S. Buemi / R. Hirakawa (Toyota #8) — 56 pts
6. K. Magnussen / R. Marciello (BMW #15) — 50 pts
7. D. Vanthoor (BMW #15) — 44 pts
8. W. Stevens / N. Nato (Cadillac #12) — 42 pts
9. Y. Ye / R. Kubica / P. Hanson (Ferrari #83) — 31 pts
10. T. Gamble / H. Tincknell (Aston Martin #007) — 30 pts
11. N. Nielsen / M. Molina / A. Fuoco (Ferrari #50) — 29 pts
12. A. Félix da Costa / F. Habsburg / C. Milesi (Alpine) — 29 pts
13. L. Delétraz / Cadillac — 26 pts
14. E. Bamber / S. Bourdais (Cadillac) — 16 pts
15. J. Aitken (Cadillac) — 12 pts
WEC Hypercar — Manufacturers
1. Toyota — 132 pts
2. BMW — 127 pts
3. Ferrari — 88 pts
4. Cadillac — 60 pts
5. Alpine — 41 pts
6. Aston Martin — 40 pts
7. Peugeot — 15 pts
8. Genesis — 6 pts
IMSA GTP — Drivers
After CTMP — 3 rounds remain
1. Jack Aitken (#31 Cadillac Whelen) — 2,145 pts
2. Laurin Heinrich — 1,942 pts
3. N. Yelloly / R. van der Zande (#60 Acura MSR) — 1,900 pts
4. J. Andlauer / F. Nasr (#7 Porsche Penske) — 1,887 pts
5. Earl Bamber (#31 Cadillac Whelen) — 1,797 pts
IMSA GTP — Manufacturers
1. Cadillac — 2,182 pts
2. Porsche — 2,102 pts
3. Acura — 2,028 pts
Curated by JD · samwise.agency