Michael Shank Racing clinched their first victory in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Laguna Seca this weekend.

WTSCC

The BMW M Hybrid V8 continued its upward trajectory in 2025 without ever managing to convert its potential into victories. After a season marked by podium promises and frustration, best illustrated at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Bavarian brand is introducing a new aero package as it seeks to step up a gear in 2026.

BMW M Team WRT&rsquo;s 2025 campaign marked a key step in the manufacturer&rsquo;s Hypercar project. For the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/the-bmw-m-hybrid-v8-under-the-microscope-a-return-to-winning-ways-at-le-mans-59713" target="_blank">BMW M Hybrid V8</a>&rsquo;s second year in the FIA World Endurance Championship, the firm once again finished in fifth place in the Hypercar manufacturers&rsquo; standings but with a clearly more competitive car that showed on numerous occasions that it was capable of taking on the frontrunners.

<h2>Solid progress</h2>

At the start of the season, the Head of&nbsp; BMW M Motorsport, Andreas Roos, clearly set out the roadmap for the forthcoming campaign:&nbsp;&ldquo;We aim to build on the clear upward trend from the second half of the 2024 season and be in a position to consistently compete for podium places with our BMW M Hybrid V8. This applies to the entire season, but especially for the major highlight at Le Mans.&rdquo;&nbsp;Despite failing to chalk up a maiden FIA WEC victory, the BMW M Hybrid V8 did record two remarkable results. The #15 car driven by Dries Vanthoor, Raffaele Marciello and Kevin Magnussen finished fourth at the Qatar 1812 km. Then, Rene Rast, Robin Frijns and Sheldon Van Der Linde achieved second place at the 6 Hours of Imola in the #20 car.

Two solid races to set out the intentions for the season, but which were followed by some&nbsp;missed opportunities.&nbsp;&ldquo;We will now carefully analyse everything and come back stronger next year,&rdquo; Roos promises.

<h2>An encouraging showing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans&hellip; until the gremlins struck</h2>

Onlookers remarked how much quicker the BMWs were than in 2024, as illustrated by their presence in the Le Mans Hyperpole. In terms of pure pace, the German hypercar rivalled with Porsche, Cadillac and Toyota. But the French endurance classic is an unforgiving race. In the final hours, the #20 was held up by a cooling issue on its hybrid system while the #15 encountered engine trouble. The #20 finished the race in P17, while the #15 was relegated to P31.

Vincent Vosse, Team WRT Team Principal, said:&nbsp;&quot;It&rsquo;s a disappointing end to the weekend. It looked quite good. I&rsquo;m feeling very sorry for all the guys who have put so much effort in the preparation for this race in the last twelve months. But this is what motorsport is made of. That&rsquo;s why we like it.&quot;

<h2>Aero improvements for 2026</h2>

To boost the BMW M Hybrid V8 for the 2026 season, <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/the-bmw-m-hybrid-v8s-new-aerodynamics-for-2026-59907" target="_blank">the manufacturer has overhauled the car&rsquo;s aero package</a>. The most visible changes concern the front end which will feature a smaller grille, a revised splitter and redesigned headlamps to improve the air flow and optimise cooling. It is hoped that the car&rsquo;s performance will be more consistent across all circuits as a result. Roos is optimistic:&nbsp;&ldquo;After optimising the brakes for the current [2025] season, it is now time for an aerodynamically improved version of the car. With these updates, we are responding to the insights gained from our previous race outings. Following the tests we&rsquo;ve already conducted, we are confident that the changes to the BMW M Hybrid V8 will allow us to compete more consistently at the front on all types of tracks, taking another step toward the top.&rdquo;

The driver&nbsp;lineups, on the other hand, will remain unchanged.&nbsp;&ldquo;We are very happy with their performances and there is no reason to make any major changes,&rdquo; Roos continued. &ldquo;At each race, our drivers gain valuable experience with the BMW M Hybrid V8, which is essential for the continued progress of our programme.&rdquo;

With two seasons of FIA WEC experience under its belt, a better understanding of the Hypercar, methodical work on its weaker points and improved aerodynamics, BMW M Team WRT is clearly a serious outsider for 2026.

The performance now just needs to match the potential. An elusive maiden FIA WEC victory is surely just a matter of time while a 24 Hours of Le Mans podium remains a realistic target.

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BMW M Team WRT – a new aero package to boost 2026 campaign

The provisional entry list for the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship season has been published. The grid comprises 35 cars across the Hypercar and LMGT3 classes. No fewer than 14 major manufacturers will take part in the championship!

The Hypercar field sees the introduction of Genesis Magma Racing&nbsp;with two GMR-001s. The South Korean constructor joins Alpine, Aston Martin, BMW, Cadillac, Ferrari, Peugeot and Toyota&nbsp;at the top level of endurance. We now know how the Genesis squad will line up in the two cars. The #17 GMR-001 will be driven by Andr&eacute; Lotterer,&nbsp;Pipo Derani&nbsp;and Mathys Jaubert, while Mathieu Jaminet,&nbsp;Paul-Loup Chatin&nbsp;and&nbsp;Daniel Juncadella will share the wheel of the #19 car. The full line-ups of Aston Martin THOR Team, Alpine Endurance Team, AF Corse and Peugeot TotalEnergies will be officially announced shortly. 
Ferrari-AF Corse will defend its title with two 499P hypercars. The outfit is banking on the same driver trios as in 2025: Antonio Fuoco,&nbsp;Miguel Molina&nbsp;and&nbsp;Nicklas Nielsen&nbsp;in car #50, and Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi&nbsp;in the #51 sister car. 
Note that the #83 Ferrari 499P that won the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans will be the only car in the running for the FIA World Cup for Hypercar Teams.

The LMGT3&nbsp;class will see customer teams of Aston Martin, BMW, Corvette, Ferrari, Ford, Lexus, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche do battle. 
United Autosports, involved in the development of the McLaren hypercar with a view to entering the fray in 2027, will be the Garage 59&nbsp;team with two 720S LMGT3 Evos. We shall also see the d&eacute;but of a new team:&nbsp;Racing Team Turkey. The newcomers will enter a Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R with the backing of TF Sport. Last but not least, title holder Manthey Racing will be back with two Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3s Car #91 will be entered under the&nbsp;Manthey DK Engineering&nbsp;banner, and #92 fielded by The Bend Manthey entity with Yasser Shahin,&nbsp;Riccado Pera&nbsp;and&nbsp;Richard Lietz splitting the driving duties.

Pierre Fillon, President, Automobile Club de l&rsquo;Ouest:&nbsp;&ldquo;The 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship entry list once again brings together the most accomplished manufacturers, drivers and teams in endurance racing. The Hypercar category celebrated an astonishing seven different winning crews from eight races in 2025, and the silverware was similarly widely distributed in LMGT3, where six different line-ups tasted victory. This exceptional level of competition confirms that every entrant is performing at the highest standard and hungry for success. We are set for another outstanding season &ndash; one that continues to advance technology, sport and the future of endurance racing.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Richard Mille, President, FIA&nbsp;Endurance Commission:&nbsp;&ldquo;Building upon the success and stability of recent seasons, the 2026 FIA WEC entry list is the product of all the hard work that has gone in behind-the-scenes in recent years to raise this magnificent championship to the level at which it operates today. Next year&rsquo;s grid encapsulates the very essence of what endurance racing should be &ndash; major global marques, cutting-edge cars and a driver line-up blending seasoned world champions with rising stars of the sport and ambitious amateurs.&nbsp; The result, I have no doubt, is a surefire recipe for another compelling campaign.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Fr&eacute;d&eacute;ric Lequien, CEO, FIA World Endurance Championship:&nbsp;&ldquo;The presentation of the FIA WEC entry list is a proud moment for us, particularly when it includes new additions as is the case for 2026 with the arrival of two Genesis Hypercars. We enjoyed a hugely entertaining season this year, welcoming more fans on-site than ever before and achieving the best engagement figures the series has ever seen.&nbsp; That is testament to the championship&rsquo;s continuing growth, and with Ford and McLaren similarly set to swell the Hypercar grid in 2027, that popularity is only set to accelerate further.&rdquo;&nbsp;

The 2026 season will begin with the Official Prologue on 22-23 March in Qatar, before hostilities commence with the Qatar 1812 km on 28 March. The highlight of the season will undoubtedly be the 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans, set to be held from 10 to 14 June.

Check out the 2026 FIA WEC provisional entry list&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fiawec.com/umbrella_media/wec26-entrylist-a4-6936d72065269710536636.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.

Find out more about the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fiawec.com/en/" target="_blank">FIA World Endurance Championship</a>.

FIA WEC 2026 entry list revealed

Japanese manufacturer Toyota has introduced the world to the newly developed GR GT3. After a long development phase, the car will be ready for the track in or around 2027.

The Toyota GR GT3 embodies the Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) philosophy of continuous improvement in racing car design. Toyota Motor Corporation chairman Akio Toyoda, also known as Master Driver Morizo, oversaw the GR GT3&rsquo;s collaborative development process. Professional drivers Tatsuya Kataoka, Hiroaki Ishiura and Naoya Gamou, amateur driver Daisuke Toyoda, and the company&rsquo;s inhouse test drivers worked closely with the project engineers. The approach was to listen, understand and respond to drivers&rsquo; needs. The result is the GT GT3.

<h2>A racing car made for drivers</h2>

The GR GT3 has inherited the GR GT&rsquo;s three major advantages: a low centre of gravity, lightweight with high rigidity, and fine-tuned aerodynamics. Designed according to FIA GT3 standards &ndash; the top category of production vehicle racing cars &ndash; it is a car for winners, yet driveable by anyone.

The Toyota Driver First Philosophy behind the GR GT&rsquo;s design is just as important for GT3, where professionals and amateurs compete together. Alongside the GR GT3 improvement process, TGR is rolling out a comprehensive customer service to ensure all drivers feel like racing drivers at the wheel.

All parts were tested on simulators and then tested at the company test centre in Shimoyama and at international circuits Fuji and N&uuml;rburgring. 
Development is expected to continue until around 2027, with the intention of replacing the Lexus RC GT3 entry in the LMGT3 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Toyota introduces the GR GT3

For its return to the top level of endurance after 14 years away from the scene, the Aston Martin THOR Team knew that 2025 would be a season-long learning curve. The Valkyrie, driven by its naturally aspirated V12 engine and the support of fans, has laid down the foundations of an ambitious programme for the FIA World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. All eyes are now focused on 2026 where the margin for progress is huge.

The Aston Martin THOR Team entered two&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/the-aston-martin-valkyrie-under-the-microscope-when-the-road-leads-to-le-mans-59692" target="_blank">Valkyries</a>, numbered 007 and 009, for its d&eacute;but FIA WEC campaign. The #007 was placed in the hands of Harry Tincknell, Tom Gamble&nbsp;and Ross Gunn, while Alex Riberas,&nbsp;Marco S&oslash;rensen&nbsp;and Roman De Angelis&nbsp;lined up in the #009. The three watchwords for this inaugural season were clear: learn, understand and progress. The US-based team followed the plan to the letter.

<h2>An upward trajectory</h2>

From the opening laps of the Prologue, the Valkyrie earned a reputation as one of the most emblematic machines on the grid. The roar of its naturally aspirated V12 engine delighted hardcore petrolheads and this popularity offered a powerful lever in supporting the competitive development of the programme.

In finishing in eighth place in the Hypercar World Endurance Manufacturers&rsquo; Championship, Aston Martin hardly pulled up any trees but the lessons learned from the campaign abound. The #009 Valkyrie put in the best performances with a P5 at the 6 Hours of Fuji before signing off with a P7 at the Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain, to conclude the season on an encouraging note. Both Hypercars showed reliability at the&nbsp;24 Hours of Le Mans by reaching the chequered flag in 12th and 14th position respectively. Grounds for satisfaction for Marco S&oslash;rensen:&nbsp;&quot;Finishing the race was our mission. Of course, we would have liked more. But the most important thing is that we made it to the end with both cars, without any issues. They ran all the way through, even if not very fast. I&rsquo;m proud of the team. For a first Le Mans, it&rsquo;s a success. And honestly, I wasn&rsquo;t expecting that.&quot;

Aston Martin at 24 Hours of Le Mans 2025

C'était Aston Martin aux 24 Heures du Mans 2025

In the final race in Bahrain, the #009 delivered a tremendous battle for pole position and a potential podium. A performance hailed by Team Principal Ian James:&nbsp;&quot;To come to a place here where we&rsquo;re genuinely competing for pole position and the podium shows what a good job everyone&rsquo;s done and I can&rsquo;t wait for 2026 to come around so we can keep up that momentum.&quot; Alex Riberas&nbsp;added:&nbsp;&quot;We are getting better in the small details and when we learn how to race against the competition more, we will be even better. Whether the car will be ready to fight for victories at the beginning of next year is not for me to say, but I know that it is more a matter of when than if.&quot;

<h2>Stepping up a gear in 2026</h2>

Aston Martin will be ready to step up a gear next season. The battle will be even more intense against Alpine, BMW, Cadillac, Ferrari, Peugeot, Toyota and newcomers Genesis. The car has shown its reliability, but performance must now follow. The task is a huge one, but there is a positive dynamic and obvious potential.

With solid foundations, a car with a strong identity and an upwardly mobile team, Aston Martin can look forward to 2026 with ambition. The Valkyrie has written its opening chapter. The next could see it move closer to the front of the pack and, in due course, the ultimate dream: racing to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Aston Martin – High expectations after a promising first season

For the Ligier JS P2 it is a third success, Extreme Speed Motorsports having won the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring with the car.

	It is also a third for Honda Performance Development, the competition division of Honda. John Pew and Ozz Negri were at the wheel. Both drivers will be making their Le Mans 24 Hours d&eacute;but on 18 June.

	<img class="imgVideo" id="4676" src="/wpphpFichiers/video/5727b7e1e5511-hqdefault.jpg" />

	C&eacute;cile Bonardel / ACO &mdash; Translated from French by Emma Paulay

	Video: YouTube - Honda Racing/HPD 
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24H LE MANS

IMSA - Michael Shank Racing win at Laguna Seca with the Ligier HPD (video)

Related News

BMW M Team WRT – a new aero package to boost 2026 campaign

FIA WEC 2026 entry list revealed

Toyota introduces the GR GT3

Aston Martin – High expectations after a promising first season

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