WEC 6 Hours of Spa: BMW deliver historic 1-2 in thriller, McLaren take LMGT3 spoils
Le Mans, WEC & DTMSaturday, 09 May 2026 at 21:28
BMW M Team WRT secured its maiden FIA World Endurance Championship victory with a commanding 1-2 finish in the 2026 TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa Francorchamps, while Garage 59 McLaren triumphed in a dramatic LMGT3 contest.
Robin Frijns, René Rast and Sheldon van der Linde delivered a flawless strategic performance in the #20 BMW M Hybrid V8, executing an offset fuel strategy to perfection across four safety car periods to claim a landmark win for the Bavarian manufacturer.
The locally based WRT squad controlled the race after moving off sequence during the opening phase, with van der Linde building a crucial advantage through the middle hours before Frijns brought the car home to wild celebrations at Spa.
BMW’s success was reinforced by a superb supporting drive from Kevin Magnussen, Raffaele Marciello and Dries Vanthoor in the sister #15 BMW, which acted as a defensive buffer in the final hour against the charging #50 Ferrari AF Corse 499P and the #7 Toyota Gazoo Racing entry.
Ferrari eventually completed the podium in third after recovering from an earlier disaster when Nicklas Nielsen lost 20 seconds in the pits due to a stuck front left wheel nut during the fourth hour. Toyota followed in fourth after remaining in contention throughout the race.
Peugeot started from pole, Cadillac led initially
Cadillac initially controlled the opening stages after Will Stevens powered the #12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R past pole sitter Loïc Duval’s Peugeot into Les Combes on the opening lap.
Stevens maintained the lead until the first round of pit stops before the short fuelled #20 BMW, driven by Rast, emerged at the front as WRT’s alternative strategy began to unfold.
Rast opened a 19-second margin over the conventional runners before handing over to van der Linde, who continued to extend BMW’s advantage during the third and fourth hours despite pressure from Cadillac and Alpine.
The #35 Alpine A424 of António Félix da Costa and Charles Milesi emerged as BMW’s closest challenger through the middle phase after overtaking the Cadillac during the third pit cycle.
Behind them, Ferrari gradually recovered from its earlier pit stop setback as the #50 car fought back into contention with Nicklas Nielsen producing an aggressive recovery drive.
Safety cars reshape battle in the Ardennes forest
THIS is what a home win looks like! Every team's dream! 🤩
— FIA World Endurance Championship (@FIAWEC) May 9, 2026
What. a. victory.#WEC #6HSpa #BMWM @followWRT @BMWMotorsport pic.twitter.com/bmvyCqJVdT
The complexion of the race changed dramatically late in the fifth hour following a major collision at Les Combes involving Matteo Cressoni’s #79 Iron Lynx Mercedes AMG and Malthe Jakobsen’s #94 Peugeot.
The contact heavily damaged both cars and triggered another lengthy safety car period, effectively neutralising the strategic advantage BMW had built.
Despite the field being compressed, Frijns retained control at the restart and managed the closing stages cleanly to secure BMW’s breakthrough victory.
Further down the order, Cadillac’s challenge faded after Louis Delétraz received a five second penalty for overtaking slower traffic off track at Raidillon during the fourth hour.
The #38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA entry had already suffered early drama after Earl Bamber collided with Yasser Shahin’s Manthey Porsche at Fagnes, causing suspension and brake damage that required extensive repairs.
Ferrari’s #51 car also endured a difficult afternoon after separate clashes with the #15 BMW at Les Combes interrupted its recovery charge.
Genesis Magma Racing continued gathering valuable data for its new GMR-001 Hypercar despite technical delays for the #19 entry, while the sister #17 machine completed the race strongly on the lead lap.
McLaren wins dramatic LMGT3 fight
In LMGT3, Garage 59 McLaren finally converted its pace into victory after heartbreak at Imola, where the British squad retired late while comfortably leading.
The #10 McLaren shared by Antares Au, Tom Fleming and Marvin Kirchhöfer inherited victory after the leading #21 Vista AF Corse Ferrari received a late penalty for an unsafe release during its final pit stop.
Simon Mann and François Hériau had controlled much of the race in the Ferrari after battling through the front-running pack during the opening hours.
Kirchhöfer relentlessly closed the gap during the final stint before the Ferrari’s penalty handed McLaren the decisive advantage.
The LMGT3 race featured multiple lead changes early on, with Tom Van Rompuy initially leading from pole in the #69 Team WRT BMW before a drive through penalty for track limits violations dropped the car back.
Proton Competition’s Ford Mustang briefly challenged for victory before separate penalties ended its hopes, while the Akkodis ASP Lexus and Heart of Racing Aston Martin remained consistently inside the top positions throughout the race.
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