The FIA World Endurance Championship returns from its summer break this weekend for the fifth round of the season, heading to the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. Six hours of racing await at one of America’s most iconic circuits, as the WEC grid reconvenes for another crucial chapter in the 2026 season.
At 5.513 kilometres in length and featuring 20 corners, the Circuit of the Americas presents a distinctly different challenge from the high-speed demands of Le Mans and the tighter confines of São Paulo. The Austin circuit is the slowest venue on the WEC calendar in terms of average LMGT3 speed, with its combination of slow corners, technical sections and substantial elevation changes placing a premium on mechanical grip and chassis balance.
The track’s long back straight offers an opportunity for outright speed, but its potential is compromised by the slow exit from Turn 11 and the heavy braking zone into Turn 12. COTA also features a particularly high number of first- and second-gear corners, meaning teams will once again be focused on optimising mechanical balance. With relatively little time spent in fifth and sixth gears compared with other circuits, the prevailing setup philosophy is likely to favour downforce and cornering performance rather than sacrificing grip for straight-line speed.
Braking performance will also be important, although the demands differ from those encountered at Interlagos. COTA combines heavy braking zones with a wider variety of corners, particularly through the infield section from Turns 13 to 19. At the same time, extensive kerb use places additional emphasis on chassis compliance, while the circuit’s notoriously demanding demands on tyres and brakes add another layer to the six-hour contest. Hypercars can reach more than 315 km/h around the lap, underlining the contrast between the circuit’s slow technical sections and its faster stretches.
The Season so far
The championship returns to action with the Hypercar title fight finely poised. Toyota leads the manufacturers’ standings on 132 points, but BMW has closed the gap to just five points after the German marque’s victory at São Paulo. Kevin Magnussen, Raffaele Marciello and Dries Vanthoor took the #15 BMW M Hybrid V8 to victory in Brazil, while Toyota endured a difficult weekend following its Le Mans success.
COTA therefore arrives at an important point in the season. With eight rounds on the 2026 calendar, Austin marks the beginning of the second half of the championship, leaving three races after Texas in which the titles will ultimately be decided. The battle is similarly close in LMGT3, where Corvette TF Sport leads the teams’ standings after its Le Mans success, although only ten points separate third from ninth.
Timetable
With the championship returning after almost two months away, the weekend begins with two Friday practice sessions before the field gets its final opportunity to prepare on Saturday morning. Qualifying and Hyperpole will then determine the starting order ahead of Sunday’s six-hour race.
All times CET:
FP1: Friday, 18:30
FP2: Saturday, 00:00
FP3: Saturday, 18:00
LMGT3 Qualifying: Saturday, 22:00
LMGT3 Hyperpole: Saturday, 22:20
Hypercar Qualifying: Saturday, 22:40
Hypercar Hyperpole: Saturday, 23:00
Race: Sunday, 20:00
Discussion about this post