The Qatar round of the World Endurance Championship has been rescheduled to the 22-24 October, making it the new penultimate round of the 2026 season.
WEC postponed its season opener in Qatar due to the conflict in the Middle East which created security concerns, as Iran launched drones and missiles on its neighbours in response to the Gulf nations which host US military bases. The conflict escalated into a crisis after US-Israeli attacks on Iran targeted missile infrastructure, military bases and leaders, which saw Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei killed.
The 1,812km race, which is also set to a maximum duration of 10 hours, was originally scheduled to take place from 26-28 March, with the pre-season test event a week prior, but the decision was made to postpone both the test and the race earlier this month on safety grounds and to account for logistical lead times.
Organisers have now announced the Qatar round will take place on 22-24 October, making it the penultimate round of the season before the WEC heads to Bahrain for its finale on 5-7 November. The rest of the 2026 calendar remains unchanged.
“The safety and security of competitors, personnel and fans remain of the utmost importance to QMMF, LIC, the FIA and the FIA WEC organisation, and all parties will continue to monitor developments across the region,” a WEC statement said.
#8 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 – Hybrid: Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, Ry? Hirakawa
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The 2026 WEC season will begin with the 6 Hours of Imola on 17-19 April, with the circuit also set to host a one-day test on 14 April ahead of the race weekend.
Other motorsport events in the Middle East also look set to face postponement or cancellation, with Formula 1 assessing its options for the Bahrain GP (10-12 April) and Saudi Arabian GP (17-19 April).
The FIA, F1 and organising bodies of the events are monitoring the conflict but face a countdown to make a final decision due to logistical requirements.
MotoGP faces a similar prospect over its Qatar GP on the 10-12 April, with the round likely to be postponed.
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– The Autosport.com Team
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