Paris, June 15 (QNA) - The Qatar 1812 race has been announced as the opening round of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), which will feature eight rounds in total, according to the official calendar released by the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The announcement was made on the sidelines of the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans in France, offering fans a preview of the upcoming season's venues and dates.

As with previous years, the new WEC season will kick off in Qatar with the Qatar 1812, an 1,812-kilometer race capped at 10 hours, held in celebration of Qatar’s National Day on December 18.

Qatar will continue to play a central role in the WEC calendar, hosting both the pre-season Prologue tests and the opening race of the season from March 22 to 28, 2026. This cements its place as one of only eight circuits worldwide selected for the 2026 championship.

The Qatar 1812 will take place at Lusail International Circuit on March 28, 2026 - one month later than its scheduled date in the 2025 season.

For the third consecutive year, Lusail will welcome the world endurance racing community by hosting the official Prologue on March 22–23, giving teams and drivers the opportunity to test and fine-tune their Hypercar and LMGT3 entries before the season gets underway.

The full race weekend will run from March 26 to 28, with the Qatar 1812 serving as the official season opener. The race will begin in daylight and run into the night, lasting up to 10 hours. It will be contested on the 5.38 km, 16-turn Lusail circuit, known for its high-speed layout, subtle elevation changes, and high-grip surface - making it an ideal venue for showcasing the capabilities of both prototype and GT cars.

Following the resounding success of the Qatari rounds in 2024 and 2025, Qatar has firmly established itself as a staple on the WEC calendar, attracting elite Hypercar manufacturers such as Porsche, Ferrari, Toyota, Cadillac, Aston Martin, Peugeot, Alpine, and BMW.

The LMGT3 category is also set to feature fierce competition among top-tier marques including Corvette, Lexus, Ferrari, BMW, and Mercedes-AMG.

The second round of the World Endurance Championship will take place at Italy’s Imola Circuit on April 19, running for six hours. It will be the first of three European legs of the season. The third round will follow at Belgium's Spa-Francorchamps Circuit on May 9, also a six-hour race, serving as a crucial warm-up for the fourth round - the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans - scheduled for June 13–14 at the legendary circuit in France.

The fifth round will be held at Sao Paulo's Interlagos Circuit in Brazil on July 12, lasting six hours. It will be followed by the sixth round at Lone Star Le Mans in the United States on September 6, featuring a grueling 12-hour format.

The championship then heads to Asia for round seven at Fuji Speedway in Japan on September 27, before concluding the season with the eighth and final round at Bahrain International Circuit on November 7, with an eight-hour race. (QNA)