Toyota starts with a victory; relive the race with live commentary.

Classic Ferrari for sale in pole position thanks to Antonio Giovinazzi, Toyota A surprising second place. Peugeot et Alpine Not far from the main event, here's the setting for the 2026 edition of the 6 Hours of Imola. Before the start of the first race of the season... WECThe Italians once again appear to be favorites on home soil, but they may well need to be wary. While the Ferraris' single-lap speed remains unmatched, the gaps have steadily closed throughout the weekend. Furthermore, the pace of Peugeot – to name just one – could well pose a significant challenge to the leaders during the race. While overtaking opportunities are few and far between, and this Emilia-Romagna circuit isn't the most representative of the year for the competing teams, the World Championship season...Endurance is well and truly launched!

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WEC – 6 Hours of Imola 2026
Follow the race live with commentary

19h05 - 👋 Thank you all for following this live coverage! Throughout the evening, you can now find the main information and reactions from the drivers after this first round of the WEC.

19h04 - 📊 Discover the final standings of the 6 Hours of Imola!

19:02 PM – 🏁 The Toyota TR010 wins its first WEC race, at Imola, to kick off the 2026 season!

19:01 PM – We're entering the final lap of the race at Imola!

18:59 PM – Antonio Fuoco almost took advantage of the traffic to finally overtake René Rast! The German remains ahead of the Italian nonetheless! A very close situation for the drivers!

18h57 - A few moments ago, Jules Gounon almost lost control of his Alpine No. 36! Fortunately, the Frenchman recovered from his mistake, maintaining his crew's 11th place.

18h53 - The No. 33 Corvette is under investigation! Second in the LMGT3 category, Nicky Catsburg's car allegedly committed an infraction during its last pit stop.

18h52 - Antonio Fuoco starts a new lap less than four tenths of a second behind René Rast… Fifth place is decided here.

18h47 - For the last time before the finish, we invite you to observe the gaps between the different crews!

18h43 - 11 seconds separate Sébastien Buemi And Antonio Fuoco… The Swiss rider is in control at the front of the race.

18h40 - Alessio Rovera forced to change his tires shortly before the finish, this puts the Porsche #92 on the provisional podium in LMGT3!

18h35 - With 25 minutes remaining in the 6 Hours of Imola, Charles Milesi must be wary of the potential comeback of René Rast behind him.

18h30 - 🛠️ After a more than convincing weekend, the McLaren Issue #10 is officially out! What a blow for Garage 59, which is just starting its adventure…

18h28 - With almost 30 minutes left in the 6 Hours of Imola, here is the current standings!

18:25 PM – The McLaren #10 entered by Garage 59 encounters a problem and plummets in the LMGT3 standings! 

18h15 - The Alpine No. 35 of Charles Milesi comes to a stop, before the Toyota No. 8 – that of the leader Sébastien Buemi!

18:13 PM – The No. 7 Toyota switches from medium to soft tires for the end of the race. Antonio Giovinazzi has pitted!

18:12 PM – The two crews, #51 and #7, enter the pits at the same time!

18h11 - Antonio Giovinazzi is inexorably getting closer to the No. 7 Toyota!

18h07 - The Ferrari #83 and the Peugeot #93 are in the pits. AF Corse are starting to change their tires.

17h59 - 🛠️ TheAston Martin Number 27 officially withdraws, as announced by the team.

17h52 - 📊 With almost an hour to go, here's an update on the standings!

17h50 - The No. 34 Corvette enters the garage after its pit entry, just as was the case for the No. 27 Aston Martin a few minutes earlier.

17h44 - 🛠️ On the Akkodis ASP team side, a problem between the gearbox and the transmission is the cause of the retirement of the Lexus #87.

17h37 - In the thick of the traffic, Charles Milesi gets the better of Robert Kubica! René Rast also overtakes the Pole as the rain intensifies.

17h36 - 🌧️ It's now clear, it's raining in Imola!

17h31 - 🌦️ Although the predicted rain has not yet arrived, a few drops of rain can be felt in the paddock.

17h29 - Marco Sorensen gets the better of Luis Felipe Derani and his Genesis #17. Note the superb stint of Mathys Jaubert, who had managed to position his mount well despite a difficult start to the race.

17h25 - 📊 As is customary after a flurry of pit stops, here is an update on the standings.

17h24 - The BMW #15 has now pitted, the car that was leading the race before this stop. Toyota is in the lead with the #8, followed by the #7 now!

17h20 - Harry Tincknell attempted a very risky attack on Malthe Jakobsen! A close call for the Briton who went off into the gravel!

17h19 - The No. 8 Toyota finally stopped shortly before the No. 7. Sébastien Buemi took the place of Ryo Hirakawa.

17h18 - Robert Kubica in the No. 83 AF Corse Ferrari is most certainly about to take the final stint for the crew.

17h18 - Rain is forecast in four minutes while Ferrari is in the pits! Will Toyota wait to bring in Ryo Hirakawa to try the rain tires gamble?

17h17 - Ferrari #51 in the pits, Antonio Giovinazzi gets into the car.

17h15 - GT3 category leader Thomas Fleming makes a pit stop!

17h14 - Ferrari tells Alessandro Pier Guidi to conserve energy, to ease off the gas, in order to make sure he can last the distance as he approaches the finish.

17:11 PM – Less than two hours of racing remaining, Theo Pourchaire He pits for a new set of tires! He is also replaced by Malthe Jakobsen.

17h08 - 📊 Following this battle between McLaren and Corvette, here's a look at the standings shortly after 17pm!

17h04 - Huge battle between Jonny Edgar and Thomas Fleming for the lead in LMGT3! The pole-sitter finally takes the lead after several corners side-by-side with his compatriot!

16h55 - Nick Cassidy goes off the track again at the first corner. The New Zealand driver goes through the gravel at the first chicane and continues.

16h46 - The standings 2 hours and 15 minutes before the finish of the race:

16h44 - According to some weather forecasts, rain could arrive in Imola within the hour!

16h40 - It's unexpected, but we're already witnessing a battle between Genesis and Ferrari! Mathys Jaubert is indeed holding off Nicklas Nielsen for 11th place.

16h31 - It was a close call between Théo Pourchaire and Robin Frijns! Both drivers stayed on track despite contact.

16h29 - The standings at approximately 2 hours 30 minutes remaining in the 2026 Imola 6 Hours.

16h27 - The BMW also stops, and Toyota regains the lead. Meanwhile...AlpineNo. 35 has dropped back down to 6th place.

16h25 - The leaders have made their pit stops and it is provisionally the BMW No. 15 that inherits first place.

16h20 - Victor Martins' slight off-track excursion (Alpine) at Acque Minerali, without major consequences.

16h04 - Drive through for theAlpine No. 36, directed by Victor Martins, for non-compliance with VSC procedures.

15h56 - A look at the standings, Alpine is on the podium but Félix da Costa has to defend against Nyck de Vries.

15h54 - The last pit stop for the Cadillac No. 12 and the Ferrari No. 50 was due to a failure to respect the yellow flag at turn 13 resulting in a drive-through penalty.

15h37 - The problem encountered by Lexus #78 occurred during a failed refueling attempt. Lacking fuel, the starter motor broke when the driver tried to restart the engine.

15:36 PM – The No. 12 Cadillac, leading the race, and the No. 50 Ferrari stop. The No. 8 Toyota takes back the lead.

15:35 PM 🟩 – The race resumes!

15:30 PM 🟨 – Alpine finds itself at the foot of the podium with the No. 35 currently driven by António Félix da Costa.

15:23 PM 🟨 – Cadillac is now in the lead with car #12.

15:22 – Note that Victor Martins had time to set the fastest lap of the race before this neutralization with a time of 1:32.258.

15:21 PM 🟨 – Several teams are taking advantage of this neutralization period to make pit stops, and here is Cadillac in the lead with car #12!

15:18 PM 🟨 – Nick Cassidy was able to restart thanks to the intervention of the crane. The race is once again under the Safety Car because a large amount of gravel was brought back onto the track by the Peugeot driver.

15h15 - The ranking after 2h15 of racing:

15h12 - Toyota takes the lead after the last Hypercars stop, while Nick Cassidy (Peugeot #93) goes into the gravel after a corner with his new team!

15h06 - At the head of the LMGT3, the BMW No. 69 also stops.

15h04 - The Alpine Number 36 in the pits and Victor Martins sets off for his first stint in the WEC!

15h03 - The Ferrari #51, the leader, dives into the pit lane!

15h01 - The problem on the Genesis #19 at the start of the race was related to a sensor.

15h00 - Second wave of stops in the Hypercar category, with Toyota leading the way.

14h57 - The storm, which was forecast for 15pm, seems to be a long way off at the moment.

14h56 - Drive through for BMW #20 due to a VSC procedure violation.

14h41 - An update on the ranking:

14h39 - The No. 92 Porsche has to return to the pits for a driver through due to an unsafe release on a Toyota in the pits.

14h37 - The Lexus #78 leaves its garage and will return to the track 17 laps behind the other cars in the LMGT3 category.

14h33 - 92,175 people are expected for this opening weekend of the WEC.

14:31 PM – Big battle at the front of the LMGT3 between Anthony McIntosh (BMW) and Stefano Gattuso (Ford)! The American retains first place.

14:29 PM – Will Stevens takes advantage of his new medium tires to overtake Miguel Molina at the first corner and take third place with the No. 12 Cadillac!

14h22 - A ranking update after 1 hour and 22 minutes of racing:

14:19 PM 🟩 – The race has restarted in Imola!

14:10 🟨 – Fourth, the No. 12 Cadillac of Hertz Team Jota takes advantage of the race neutralization to switch to new tires without losing position.

14:06 PM 🟨 – Disaster for the Akkodis ASP Team Lexus cars! While the French team's two cars were running in second and third positions, they encountered problems in quick succession. Tom van Rompuy brought the #34 car back to the garage, while the #87 driven by Petru Umbrarescu stopped at the side of the track, bringing out the Safety Car.

14:01 – After a very brief yellow flag, here's the latest on the standings after all these stops!

14h01 - Problem at Akkodis in LMGT3! Lexus #78 cannot refuel normally and has to go into the garage.

14h00 - Phil Hanson was asked to stay in the pits for a few minutes before finally returning, at the same time as the No. 15 BMW.

13h58 - The Peugeot #94 and the BMW #20 are also stopped.

13:57 PM – The Ferrari #51, the race leader, does the same in the pits!

13h57 - The Ferrari No. 50 was refueled but no other changes or adjustments were made.

13h55 - Aston Martin brings Harry Tincknell to a halt as the GT3s begin their pit stops. The No. 50 Ferrari stops at that moment.

13h53 - Peugeot will have to make a decision quickly: whether to stop or not, especially since Toyota has refueled without changing the tires on car number 7.

13h51 - Mike conway They're back in the pits! Toyota is going to attempt an undercut on Peugeot.

13h47 - 📊 Loïc duval Struggling, Ferrari still in front, the battle in LMGT3… Here is the classification of these 6 Hours of Imola!

13h44 - ⚠️ Still immobilized, the Genesis #19 receives a reprimand from race control.

13h41 - ⚠️ The #27 Aston Martin, the #34 Corvette, as well as the Mercedes Benz Number 61 are penalized for an infraction during the departure procedure. All three will have to pay a five-second penalty at their next stop.

13h40 - It should be noted that Anthony McIntosh's overtake on Tom Van Rompuy was perfectly executed, with a nice braking maneuver on the inside of the corner.

13h38 - McIntosh moves into second, Gattuso into third… Now it's Van Rompuy's turn to be overtaken. The two Lexus drivers seem to be employing different strategies, pitting later than the others.

13h34 - In LMGT3, McIntosh overtook Umbrarescu to take third place! Stefano Gattuso's #88 Ford also passed the Lexus, which dropped to fifth!

13h32 - The No. 8 Toyota Brendon Hartley is getting closer to the #50 Ferrari of Miguel Molina.

13h31 - While Daniel Juncadella is still in the pits…

13h30 - 📊 With both Ferraris firmly in the lead, here's the standings after 30 minutes of racing!

13h27 - Mike Conway remains stuck behind Loïc Duval. The Peugeot is starting to create a sort of bottleneck behind the first 5.

13h25 - 🔍 Genesis indicates that a minor issue caused the #19 car to enter the pits. Dani Juncadella is not replaced however and remains in the car.

13h22 - Yasser Shahin makes a mistake in his Porsche No. 92! He spins out and takes the Ford behind him off the road.

13h21 - Mike Conway and his No. 7 Toyota are closing in on Loïc Duval. The No. 94 Peugeot is clearly lacking pace. The Frenchman reports over the radio that he's having trouble with his rear tires.

13h20 - 🛠️ The Genesis #19 is in the pits, Daniel Juncadella is stopped as the car appears to require mechanical attention…

13:18 PM – BMW #15 Kevin Magnussen Wheel to wheel with Phil Hanson's Ferrari #83! The yellow Hypercar maintains the advantage, but the first two corners were taken at the same height by both drivers!

13h15 - Loïc Duval attacked by Ferdinand Habsburg after being overtaken by Will Stevens… The Cadillac driver accelerates significantly.

13h11 - In Hypercar, James Calado's Ferrari #51 already enjoys a lead of almost two seconds over Miguel Molina's #50.

13h09 - Four cars stand out in GT3: Antares Au (McLaren), Tom Van Rompuy (Lexus), Petru Umbrarescu (Lexus) and Anthony McIntosh (BMW).

13:06 PM – In LMGT3, the duel is already fierce between the McLaren #10 of Antares Au and the Lexus #78 of Tom Van Rompuy!

13h04 - 📊 Here is the ranking after the first few kilometers of the race.

13:02 PM – Both Ferraris are in the lead at the first corner! Car #51 is leading the way ahead of #50! Toyota is 3rd ahead of Peugeot!

13:02 AM – 🟢 Green lights, they're off at Imola!

13h00 - The cars are forming up, the race is about to begin…

12:55 – Kimi Antonelli waves the Italian flag, the two warm-up laps are underway!

12h55 - The grid is finally empty, only the cars and drivers remain… The 6 Hours of Imola are about to begin, the engines are roaring!

12h49 - 🔍 One of the challenges of this new season lies in the introduction of new Michelin tires. It seems likely that the warm-up time will be a little longer for the drivers…

12h45 - 🇮🇹 The Italian anthem will soon be heard on the grid, Kimi Antonelli, present this weekend, leaves the track while he was visibly exchanging with the Ferrari drivers.

12h37 - 🇫🇷 They won't be the only French drivers to watch this afternoon in Imola… Find out more about the French drivers competing in this first round of the WEC in Emilia-Romagna!

Bourdais, Pourchaire, Masson… The French drivers to watch at the 6 Hours of Imola

12h31 - 📊 Keep a close eye on the front row, especially the French drivers Hadrien David and Esteban Masson from Team Akkodis! The Lexus drivers already have a chance at victory, just one week after Esteban Masson's win in ELMSin Barcelona.

Second in LMGT3, Hadrien David impresses at Imola: "A pleasant surprise"

12h26 - 📊 In the LMGT3 category, Garage 59 will start from the front. A historic first for the McLaren operators.

Garage 59 secures pole position in LMGT3 at Imola in its WEC debut

12h20 - 💬 Far from starting as the winner in advance, Antonio Giovinazzi confirms the impression left by the Hyperpole: in the lead, Ferrari does not have the biggest margin possible this Sunday.

"It was a very intense session": Giovinazzi takes pole for Ferrari in the last second

12h15 - 💬 After a thrilling Hyperpole session on Saturday, the Toyota team is by no means approaching this first race of the season as the underdog. The Japanese are determined to spoil the party for the Italians!

"Second is the first of the losers": Toyota remains combative after an excellent Hyperpole at Imola

12h10 - 🌦️ Since Imola, the sky has been thickening! Clouds are appearing before the start, while a storm could arrive between 15 and 16 pm this afternoon!

12h05 - 📊 With less than an hour to go before the start of the race, here's a quick reminder of the starting grid for the 6 Hours of Imola! Ferrari will start from pole position ahead of Toyota, while Peugeot is lurking in the wings…

The starting grid for the 2026 Imola 6 Hours

12h00 - 👋 Hello everyone and welcome to this live coverage of the 6 Hours of Imola, the first round of the WEC in 2026!