After postponing the Qatar stage, the WEC is preparing to start the 2026 season on April 19, when the 6 Hours of Imola will be held, a race scheduled for the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Italy. And when it comes to a World Endurance Championship stage in Italy, the TOYOTA Racing team, with the most titles in the history of the long-distance racing championship and to be called Toyota Racing in 2026, is the record holder for victories, both as a team and in the list of winning drivers.
Since the WEC had its debut year in 2012, five races have been held on Italian soil. Between 2021 and 2023, the races were held at the Autodromo Nacional de Monza, while since 2024 the Italian stage has been held in Imola. And only TOYOTA Racing has victories on both circuits.
The Japanese manufacturer has three victories in Italy, with two at the Monza circuit in 2021 and 2023, always with the trio formed by Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, and José María López. In Imola, TGR triumphed in the first edition of the race, held in 2024, again with Conway and Kobayashi, who on that occasion had Nyck de Vries as their companion.
Conway and Kobayashi are the record holders for victories on Italian soil, with three triumphs, while López, with two triumphs, completes the list of drivers with more than one victory in that country, while De Vries won in Italy on one occasion. All of them continue in the WEC defending the manufacturer: Conway, Kobayashi, and De Vries form the team of car number 7, while López runs with the Lexus of the Akkodis ASP Team.
The WEC will have eight stages in the 2026 season, starting with the 6 Hours of Imola, scheduled for April 19. The 24 Hours of Le Mans will take place on June 13, while the 6 Hours of São Paulo will be held on July 12.
