On December 1, 1918 was born modern Romania, a grouping of former medieval principalities. On June 17, 1928, two Romanians named Jean Ghica Cantacuzino and Georghe Ghica Cantacuzino took the start for the first time at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

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The Qatar 1812km – originally scheduled to stage the opening round of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship on 26-28 March – has been officially postponed until later in the year.

FIA WEC management has been in constant dialogue with the Qatar Motor &amp; Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) in light of the current and evolving geopolitical situation in the Middle East. With the safety and security of competitors, personnel and fans of the utmost importance, the decision has been taken to delay the event that had been due to take place on 26-28 March.

Following further discussions with our colleagues at Lusail International Circuit (LIC), where the race is held, a new date for the Qatar 1812km during the second half of the campaign will be finalised and communicated in due course.

The first round of the season will consequently now be the 6 Hours of Imola in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy on 17-19 April.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President, F&eacute;d&eacute;ration Internationale de l&rsquo;Automobile (FIA), said: &ldquo;The safety and wellbeing of our community will always be the FIA&rsquo;s first priority, and I thank our Member Club the Qatar Motor &amp; Motorcycle Federation, Lusail International Circuit, the ACO and our championship colleagues for the measured and collaborative approach that has led to this decision.

&ldquo;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.

&ldquo;The FIA continues to monitor developments across the region and our thoughts remain will all those affected by these recent events as we hope for calm, safety and a return to stability.&rdquo;

Abdulrahman bin Abdullatif Al Mannai, President, Qatar Motor &amp; Motorcycle Federation and Lusail International Circuit, said: &ldquo;Following in-depth discussions with the FIA World Endurance Championship and all relevant stakeholders, the Qatar Motor &amp; Motorcycle Federation and Lusail International Circuit respect and support FIA WEC&rsquo;s decision to postpone the Qatar 1812km race.

&ldquo;We thank our fans, teams and partners for their understanding and continued support, and look forward to welcoming everyone back to Lusail International Circuit.&rdquo;

Pierre Fillon, President, Automobile Club de l&rsquo;Ouest (ACO), said: &ldquo;First and foremost, I must stress that our primary thoughts are with the victims of this terrible conflict. 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.

&ldquo;We are working hard with Lusail International Circuit and the Qatar Motor &amp; 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.&rdquo;

Fr&eacute;d&eacute;ric Lequien, CEO, FIA World Endurance Championship, said: &ldquo;The Qatar 1812km is an integral part of the FIA WEC calendar, and I offer my sincere thanks to Lusail International Circuit and the Qatar Motor &amp; Motorcycle Federation for their close collaboration.

&ldquo;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 finalise the exact revised date, I can confirm it will be during the second half of the 2026 season. We will provide more information as soon as it is available.&rdquo;

Qatar 1812km postponed, season to start at Imola

AF Corse has unveiled the livery that will adorn the #83 Ferrari 499P competing in the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship, including the 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The #83 Ferrari 499P &ndash; last year&rsquo;s 24 Hours of Le Mans winner &ndash; will sport a new livery in 2026. While continuity is the watchword, a few stylistic changes have been introduced. The emblematic Giallo Modena is once again the main colour of the hypercar, but a fresh, new design is adopted for the red touches that reinforce the team&rsquo;s racing identity.

Robert Kubica, Yifei Ye and Phil Hanson will once again share the wheel. In addition to their stunning 24 Hours victory, the trio finished runners-up in the Hypercar World Endurance Drivers&rsquo; Championship standings. They will be back at Le Mans in June to defend their crown while attempting to go one better in the 2026 world title chase.

Check out the details of the paint scheme designed for AF Corse&rsquo;s #83 Ferrari 499P in the photo gallery below.

AF Corse shows off new Ferrari 499P livery

Following Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA and <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/ferrari-reveals-499p-livery-for-2026-60347" target="_blank">Ferrari AF-Corse</a>, it is Team Peugeot TotalEnergies&rsquo; turn to take the wraps off its 2026 Hypercar livery. The inhouse creation, a collaboration between Peugeot Design and Peugeot Sport, features Hypergraphs, a punchy, dynamic style that emphasises the manufacturer&rsquo;s competitive spirit. The white, red and black colour combination is a nod to the Peugeot GTi.

Matthias Hossann, Head of Design at Peugeot, explains the vision: &ldquo;The new livery of the PEUGEOT 9X8 is first and foremost further proof of the exceptional quality of the collaboration between Peugeot Design and Peugeot Sport. Hypergraphs that represent the legendary three claws and their expression of performance, and modernity with a colourway that represents the legendary Peugeot GTi spirit. Our aim is to bring an extra dose of emotion and enjoyment to every lap completed by the Peugeot 9X8.&rdquo;

Emmanuel Esnault, Team Principal of Team Peugeot TotalEnergies, said: &ldquo;Unveiling a new livery is always a key moment for the brand and for Team Peugeot TotalEnergies. It symbolises the start of a new season and a new dynamic driven by renewed ambitions, while remaining firmly rooted in Peugeot&rsquo;s heritage and identity. This livery fully embodies the spirit of the project and the close link between competition and the brand. It is also a valuable opportunity to bring our partners together to share this important moment that launches the 2026 season. We are looking forward to seeing it come to life on track in Qatar, at the opening round of the championship.&rdquo;

The #93 Peugeot 9X8 will be driven by Paul Di Resta, Stoffel Vandoorne and Nick Cassidy while Lo&iuml;c Duval, Malthe Jakobsen and Th&eacute;o Pourchaire form the crew of the #94.

Take a closer look at the new Peugeot 9X8 livery in the photo gallery below.

A new look for the Peugeot 9X8 Hypercar

Ferrari has freshened up the livery of the 499P that will compete in the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship, including the 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans (10-14 June).

The 2026 livery for the Ferrari 499P was unveiled today (25 February) at a presentation held at the Museo Enzo Ferrari in Modena.

The 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship winners&rsquo; laurels are proudly displayed on the front wing of the Ferrari-AF Corse hypercar that will compete in the 2026 championship, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The refreshed livery again pays tribute to the 312 P that dominated the endurance scene until 1973, when Ferrari bowed out of endurance for half a century before its historic comeback in 2023. 
The 499P&rsquo;s design is the work of the Centro Stile Ferrari. The dominant red colour is a new glossy version of the traditional Rosso Scuderia. The hue and finish are identical to those sported by the Scuderia Ferrari HP SF-26 in Formula One. In 2026, the Giallo Modena yellow trim particularly emphasises the volumes of the cockpit.

<h2>No joker</h2>

No major technical modification has been made to the Ferrari 499P for 2026. In fact, the &ldquo;joker&rdquo; introduced in July 2024 for the Rolex 6 Hours of S&atilde;o Paulo remains the only one used on the car since its race d&eacute;but. Ferrari has not been resting on those winners&rsquo; laurels, however. Throughout the close season, the Scuderia has worked relentlessly on research, data analysis and the correlation between simulator and racetrack to improve the car&rsquo;s behaviour and team operations.

After scooping the 2025 FIA Hypercar World Endurance Manufacturers&rsquo; and Drivers&rsquo; Championship titles, Ferrari-AF Corse fully intends to cement its N&deg;1 ranking. While the Prancing Horse will be aiming for victory in every round of the FIA WEC, the Italian stable is fully aware that the competition will be tougher than ever this year. &ldquo;We will approach the challenge with maximum focus, without allowing ourselves to be affected if things do not always go perfectly,&rdquo; said Antonello Coletta, Global Head of Endurance and Corse Clienti. &ldquo;Our drivers have a wealth of experience, so I am confident that none of them will feel the weight of starting the season as reigning world champions.&rdquo;&nbsp;Fernandino Cannizzo, Head of Endurance Race Cars, added: &ldquo;The races in which we struggled in 2025 were the ones that gave us the clearest indications for improvement.&rdquo;

Catch a close look of the new-for-2026 Ferrari 499P livery in the photo gallery below.

Ferrari reveals 499P livery for 2026

24 Heures du Mans 1928

The two Romanian&nbsp;aristocrats were members of the Chrysler &quot;team,&quot; meaning Chryslers entered by individuals&nbsp;(at that time, many cars were entered by individuals without a team name). The #7&nbsp;Chrysler 72 Six driven by&nbsp;Jean Ghica Cantacuzino and&nbsp;Georghe Ghica Cantacuzino crossed the finish line in fourth place, one spot behind its #8 sister car with behind the wheel Henri Stoffel and&nbsp;Andr&eacute; Rossignol, two-time winner at the 24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans in 1925 and 1926.

Photo: Copyright - Archives/ACO

24H LE MANS

Today's Photo Story - The first Romanians at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in 1928

Related News

Qatar 1812km postponed, season to start at Imola

AF Corse shows off new Ferrari 499P livery

A new look for the Peugeot 9X8 Hypercar

Ferrari reveals 499P livery for 2026

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