WEC: QATAR 1812KM POSTPONED, IMOLA TO OPEN THE SEASON

The Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) have officially announced the postponement of the Qatar 1812 km, the opening round of the FIA World Endurance Championship originally scheduled for the weekend of March 26–28. The decision also results in the cancellation of the Prologue, the traditional collective test session that was set to take place ahead of the Middle Eastern event.

The move comes amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, which have made it impossible to confirm the race as planned. Organizers have therefore opted to postpone the event to a later date, with the intention of rescheduling the 10 Hours of Lusail toward the end of the season, when the 8 Hours of Bahrain is already on the calendar.

With this change, Imola will now officially kick off the 2026 FIA WEC season. The circuit located along the banks of the Santerno River will host the opening round during the weekend of April 19. Details regarding the Prologue remain unclear, although there is a possibility that the session could be rescheduled in Italy, pending official confirmation.

The 2026 season was set to mark the third edition of the Qatar 1812 km, a race won last year by Ferrari. The hope is to recover the Lusail event later in the year, before the traditional season finale under the lights in Sakhir.

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