That didn't take long. Just three weeks after the Lone Star Le Mans, the World Endurance Championship is already back on track for the Fuji 6 Hours, marking the sixth round of the 2026 season with the title battles resuming in Japan on 25-27 September, as Motorsport.com reports.
Austin completely shook up the championship, breathing fresh life into Ferrari's title ambitions while leaving Toyota searching for answers after a brutal late-race disappointment. Now, the Japanese manufacturer heads straight into its home round looking for redemption in front of passionate local fans with its TR010 Hybrid, a machine that already claimed the Le Mans 24 Hours earlier this year and remains hungry for the world titles.
Down the pitlane, BMW and Cadillac are equally desperate to bounce back, particularly the German marque with its Team WRT-run M Hybrid V8s. Alpine, meanwhile, faces an intriguing trip to the Far East where the weekend could present a chance to meet potential buyers for its programme, with speculation swirling that its A424 LMDh cars might line up next year under a different manufacturer identity.
Over in LMGT3, the championship is completely wide open. Austin brought bitter disappointment for TF Sport Corvette and the #92 Manthey Porsche crew, but AF Corse Ferrari saw its #21 car revive its championship hopes in style. That class also witnessed Mattia Drudi finally claim his first WEC victory in Texas aboard the Heart of Racing Aston Martin, proving that contenders like Ford-Proton Competition, Mercedes-Iron Lynx, Garage 59 McLaren, WRT WRT, and local favourite Lexus with its ASP customer team are all capable of springing a surprise.
Track action at Fuji Speedway kicks off on Friday 25 September with the first two 90-minute free practice sessions running from 10:15 to 11:45 and 14:30 to 16:00. Saturday 26 September brings the final 60-minute practice session at 09:30 before qualifying gets serious: LMGT3 qualifying starts at 14:00 followed by Hyperpole at 14:20, with Hypercar qualifying at 14:40 and its Hyperpole session at 15:00. Sunday 27 September sees the main event, with the Fuji 6 Hours starting at the late morning local time of 11:00.
For viewers tuning in, the championship can be watched on Eurosport across most of Europe, and via MotorTrend and HBO+ in North America, alongside the brand-new FIAWEC+ website and app which features Live Timing from official timekeeper Al Kamel. While Free Practice 1 and 2 will not air live on TV, coverage kicks off with Free Practice 3 before the crucial qualifying and race sessions unfold.
