Qatar 1812km Postponed; Imola to Open Season

Photo: Javier Jimenez/DPPI

The Qatar 1812km, which was originally scheduled to open the FIA World Endurance Championship season, has been postponed to later in the year due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

The announcement, made on Tuesday by the FIA and ACO, also confirms that the first round of the season will now be the 6 Hours of Imola on April 17-19.

It comes in the wake of unrest in the Middle East, triggered last weekend by a joint U.S./Israel military operation on Iran, which has led to retaliatory strikes in the gulf states, including Qatar.

A new date for the Qatar 1812km, which will occur during the second half of the season, will be finalized and communicated in “due course” according to a statement from the WEC.

“The safety and wellbeing of our community will always be the FIA’s first priority, and I thank our Member Club the Qatar Motor & Motorcycle Federation, Lusail International Circuit, the ACO and our championship colleagues for the measured and collaborative approach that has led to this decision,” said FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

“As the opening event of the FIA World Endurance Championship, the Qatar 1812km holds a special place for many fans, drivers and teams alike, and we will work closely with all involved to reschedule the race for later in the 2026 season.

“The FIA continues to monitor developments across the region and our thoughts remain with all those affected by these recent events as we hope for calm, safety and a return to stability.”

Abdulrahman bin Abdullatif Al Mannai, President, Qatar Motor & Motorcycle Federation and Lusail International Circuit added: “We thank our fans, teams and partners for their understanding and continued support, and look forward to welcoming everyone back to Lusail International Circuit.”

The WEC has yet to confirm if its traditional pre-season Prologue test will also move to Imola, or be scratched.

Adding to the complication is that the European Le Mans Series is due to open its season at Barcelona the weekend prior, with many of the same staff from LMEM used for both WEC and ELMS events.

“First and foremost, I must stress that our primary thoughts are with the victims of this terrible conflict,” said ACO President Pierre Fillon.

“At times like these, sporting interests are clearly secondary, which is why a decision has been quickly taken that the event cannot proceed at the present time.

“We are working hard with Lusail International Circuit and the Qatar Motor & Motorcycle Federation to find the best alternative to allow the Qatar 1812km to take place at a later date in 2026, and we thank all parties for their earnest support, cooperation and understanding in this matter.”

Sportscar365 understands that new Qatar date could fall either directly before or after the 8 Hours of Bahrain, which is scheduled for Nov. 5-7.

This would allow teams to remain in the region and not have to make a separate trip to the Middle East.

“We have all been working hand-in-hand since Saturday morning to find the best solution for staging the event, and while we still need a few more days to finalize the exact revised date, I can confirm it will be during the second half of the 2026 season,” said WEC CEO Frederic Lequien.

“We will provide more information as soon as it is available.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John