And Montmeló got its soul back..
The return of the FIA World Endurance Championship to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya brought more than six hours of racing to Montmeló. With more than 55,000 spectators attending despite a weekend affected by rain and weather alerts, the event marked a welcome return of the circuit to the world endurance racing calendar — and a reminder of the atmosphere it can create when the paddock and grandstands come alive.
On track, Toyota claimed a commanding one-two finish at the inaugural 6 Hours of Barcelona, securing the 2026 WEC Manufacturers’ Championship. But the weekend had begun with a different story: Genesis Magma Racing’s first-ever WEC pole position, achieved in its debut season in the Hypercar category.
Mathys Jaubert put the #17 Genesis GMR-001 on pole with a lap of 1:30.166, beating Ryō Hirakawa in the #8 Toyota by just 0.170 seconds. Mathieu Jaminet completed the top three in the sister #19 Genesis, underlining the speed of both cars throughout the weekend. Genesis had looked competitive in practice, but placing both entries among the top three in qualifying was a major milestone for the developing programme.
Turning that one-lap pace into a result over six hours, however, would prove a different challenge.
The race began on a damp track, with the changing conditions putting tyre choice and strategy at the centre of the contest. Dani Juncadella made an aggressive move from the second row in the #19 Genesis to take the lead at Turn 1, but ran wide at Turn 5 and dropped down the order. Sébastien Buemi capitalised to move the #8 Toyota to the front, while an early collision involving the #12 Cadillac and #35 Alpine added to the opening-lap drama.
As the race settled, Toyota established control. Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Hirakawa maintained a strong pace in the #8, while the sister #7 car of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries remained in contention. The transition from wet to dry conditions made race management crucial, but Toyota consistently demonstrated the pace and consistency needed to control the contest.
The two Toyotas eventually secured a one-two finish, with the #8 taking victory ahead of the #7. The result confirmed Toyota’s 2026 Manufacturers’ Championship, while the Drivers’ title remains to be decided at the season finale.
Ferrari completed the overall podium. The #50 499P, shared by Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen, finished third, giving Molina a memorable result on home soil. The Spanish driver was one of three local names in the Hypercar field, alongside Juncadella at Genesis and Álex Riberas with Aston Martin.
For Genesis, the final result did not match the promise of qualifying. The #17 was unable to convert pole into victory, while the #19 recovered from its early setback to finish outside the top ten. Nevertheless, the team’s performance in qualifying showed that its Hypercar programme is developing into a credible challenger over a single lap.
Riberas also secured a top-ten finish, bringing the #009 Aston Martin Valkyrie home in eighth place. While the Spanish drivers had different fortunes, their presence added a local dimension to the WEC’s first competitive visit to Barcelona.
Toyota leaves Montmeló with the Manufacturers’ title secured, but the fight for the Drivers’ crown continues into the final round. The #8 crew holds the advantage over its sister #7 Toyota ahead of the season finale at Monza.
The LMGT3 race delivered a story of its own. The Bend Manthey secured Porsche’s first WEC victory of the season as Yasser Shahin, Riccardo Pera and Richard Lietz took the #92 Porsche 911 GT3 R to a commanding win. After moving into the lead during the opening stages, the trio controlled much of the race despite the changing conditions and several Safety Car periods.
The fight for the remaining podium positions intensified towards the finish. The #69 Team WRT BMW looked set to secure second after Daniel Harper moved forward during the fourth hour, but Marvin Kirchhöfer mounted a late charge in the #10 Garage 59 McLaren, passing the BMW in the closing stages to finish second alongside Antares Au and Tom Fleming. The result made the Barcelona race the seventh different LMGT3 winner in seven rounds, highlighting the competitiveness of the category. With the championship still open, the result also tightened the fight ahead of the season finale at Monza.
The inaugural 6 Hours of Barcelona delivered a weekend of contrasting stories: Genesis’ historic breakthrough in qualifying, Toyota’s championship-winning performance, and a strong turnout from fans who braved the weather to welcome endurance racing back to Montmeló. The sporting results will define the championship, but the atmosphere around the circuit offered its own reminder of what this event can mean to the local motorsport community.
Montmeló got its soul back — and the WEC’s first visit gave it a stage worthy of the occasion.
Images by Boeck Motorsport
