6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps 2026: BMW surprises everyone during spectacular dress rehearsal for Le Mans

6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps 2026: BMW verrast iedereen tijdens spectaculaire generale repetitie voor Le Mans

For many motorsport enthusiasts, the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps is perhaps the most beautiful race of the FIA World Endurance Championship, second only to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The iconic circuit in the Ardennes is known for its lightning-fast corners, immense elevation changes, and capricious weather conditions. But above all, Spa is the last true test of strength before Le Mans. Those who are fast here automatically belong to the favorites for the biggest endurance race in the world.

For CarBrick, this weekend was extra special. We were present at Spa-Francorchamps ourselves and could admire the Hypercars up close. The sound of the engines, the speed at which the cars fly through Eau Rouge and Raidillon, and the atmosphere along the circuit are difficult to put into words. One thing was clear after six hours of racing: if this was a foretaste of Le Mans, then something very special awaits us there.

A surprising qualification

While Ferrari and Toyota were still dominating in Imola, the picture at Spa looked completely different.

Peugeot surprised friends and foes by taking Hyperpole with the #94 Peugeot 9X8, the first pole position for the brand since its return to the FIA World Endurance Championship. Cadillac and Alpine also made an impression and positioned themselves at the front of the grid. Ferrari only managed to get one car into the top ten, while both Toyotas even missed Hyperpole.

What stood out beforehand:

  • Peugeot surprisingly took pole position.
  • Cadillac and Alpine were directly behind the leaders.
  • Ferrari had a difficult qualification.
  • Toyota was even outside the top ten.

After qualifying, it seemed that we would finally see a completely new manufacturer fighting for victory.

The start: Peugeot and Cadillac set the pace

As the lights went out, Peugeot got away excellently and maintained the lead. Cadillac and Alpine followed closely, while Ferrari slowly worked its way forward.

BMW? They started inconspicuously.

The two BMW M Hybrid V8s from Team WRT started only from tenth and eleventh place. On paper, a podium already seemed a difficult story, let alone a victory. Yet the strategists of the Belgian team had a different plan.

After only the first hour, they made a striking choice.

BMW gambles... and wins

During the first pit stop, BMW opted for a different strategy. The #20 was deliberately refuelled shorter than the competition. This meant the car would lose an extra pit stop later in the race, but it gave René Rast a clear track.

That decision proved brilliant.

While the leaders kept holding each other up, BMW in clear air drove faster and faster lap times. Slowly but surely, the #20 moved towards the front of the field.

It was a risk that could only work if the race went the right way.

And that's exactly what happened.

Four safety cars turn everything upside down

Spa wouldn't be Spa without chaos.

During the race, no fewer than four safety cars appeared, each caused by incidents spread across the field. Each neutralization meant that complete strategies had to be recalculated.

For some teams, this turned out disastrous.

Peugeot seemed to have one of the fastest cars in the field for a long time, but the #94 saw its strong race end after a spinning GT3-Mercedes hard hit the Hypercar in Les Combes. Cadillac also lost valuable time after contact with a GT3 car, while the #51 Ferrari retired after a chain reaction with GT3 traffic damaged the radiator. Even Aston Martin, which seemed on its way to a sensational podium, lost one of its Valkyries after a severe incident in the final phase.

Precisely because so many favorites dropped out or lost time, BMW became increasingly strong in the race.

A nerve-wracking final phase

After the last safety car, everything was open again.

Four Hypercars fought for the three podium places. Ferrari gave its all to catch BMW, while Kevin Magnussen in the #15 BMW drove perhaps one of the best defensive stints of the season. Lap after lap he kept the Ferrari behind him, giving his teammate Robin Frijns at the front just enough room to secure the victory.

The difference at the finish was ultimately less than three seconds.

That says it all about how exciting this race was.

Historic victory for BMW

After six hours of racing, BMW made history.

The #20 BMW M Hybrid V8, driven by Robin Frijns, René Rast and Sheldon van der Linde, took the first Hypercar victory for BMW in the FIA World Endurance Championship. It became even better for Team WRT as the second BMW also finished second.

The top five ultimately looked like this:

  • P1 – BMW #20 (Frijns / Rast / Van der Linde)
  • P2 – BMW #15 (Magnussen / Marciello / Vanthoor)
  • P3 – Ferrari #50
  • P4 – Aston Martin #007
  • P5 – Toyota #7

For Team WRT, which is literally located a stone's throw from Spa-Francorchamps, it could hardly have been better. Achieving a historic 1-2 finish on home soil is a result that will be remembered for a long time.

CarBrick was there

For us, this was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the year.

The beauty of Spa is that as a visitor you can experience so much of the circuit. Whether you are at the top of Raidillon, walking towards Les Combes or watching the action at Blanchimont: everywhere you feel how impressive these Hypercars are.

That is precisely what makes a WEC weekend so special. You not only see the race, but also experience the paddock, the various manufacturers, the GT3 cars and the thousands of fans who all share the same passion.

It was great to experience this up close and it makes the countdown to the next race only easier.

On to Le Mans

After Spa, all attention shifts to the biggest endurance race in the world: the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

After this weekend, the balance of power seems completely open. BMW travels to France with enormous confidence, Ferrari has shown that it is always in contention, Toyota remains dangerous and Cadillac, Peugeot and Aston Martin have also shown that they have the speed to compete at the front.

Le Mans will also be a special weekend for CarBrick, because we will also be present there. During the race weekend, we will again share photos, videos and our experiences directly from the Circuit de la Sarthe. For every motorsport enthusiast, Le Mans is an event that you must have experienced at least once in your life – and we can't wait to share that atmosphere with you.

Conclusion: perhaps the most beautiful race of the season

The 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps had everything that makes endurance racing so special. A surprising qualification, clever strategies, four safety cars, retirements, spectacular battles and a nerve-wracking final phase.

While Peugeot, Cadillac and Alpine seemed to dominate for a long time, it was ultimately BMW that took the victory thanks to courage, strategy and perfect execution.

For us, it was also extra special to experience this race from the circuit. If Spa was a foretaste of what awaits us in Le Mans in a few weeks, then it promises to be an unforgettable edition of the 24 hours.