2026 WEC Race Results: São Paulo Winners & Standings
2026 WEC race results show BMW M Team WRT’s #15 car winning the Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo on July 12, beating Ferrari by 2.254 seconds.
Key Takeaways
- BMW M Team WRT’s #15 car won São Paulo on July 12, 2026, finishing 242 laps in 6:00’26.462 (FIA WEC official race summary)
- The winning margin over Ferrari AF Corse’s #51 car was just 2.254 seconds (FIA WEC official race summary)
- Cadillac’s Hertz Team JOTA cars took third and fourth, 6.687 and 12.666 seconds behind the winner (FIA WEC official race summary)
- The 2026 WEC season runs 8 races and marks the championship’s 14th year (Wikipedia)
- Three Toyota Racing drivers – Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries – share the points lead with 75 each (Motorsport.com)
- The FIA and ACO stopped publishing public Balance of Performance figures starting in 2026 (Wikipedia)
- A race win in the Hypercar class pays 25 championship points (Autosport)
Who Won the 2026 WEC São Paulo Race?
BMW M Team WRT’s #15 car won the Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo on July 12, 2026, finishing 242 laps in 6 hours, 0 minutes and 26.462 seconds, according to the FIA WEC official race summary and Autosport’s 2026 WEC results page.
Drivers Kevin Magnussen, Dries Vanthoor and Raffaele Marciello shared the car for the full distance at the Interlagos circuit. The result marked BMW’s second win of the 2026 season, based on the FIA race summary.
The São Paulo round was the fourth of eight races on the 2026 calendar, arriving right after Le Mans in June and setting up a tight second half of the season.
How Close Was the Finish at São Paulo?
The finish was one of the tightest of the 2026 WEC season. BMW’s #15 car beat the second-place Ferrari AF Corse #51 by just 2.254 seconds, according to the FIA WEC official race summary.
Cadillac’s Hertz Team JOTA squad placed two cars right behind the top two. The #12 car, driven by Stevens, Nato and Deletraz, took third at 6.687 seconds back, while the #38 car of Bamber, Bourdais and Aitken finished fourth, 12.666 seconds off the lead. Fifth place trailed by 32.351 seconds, per Autosport’s results page.
The table below breaks down how each car stacked up at the checkered flag.
What Is the Full 2026 WEC Race Calendar?
The 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship runs 8 races, marking the 14th season of the championship, according to Wikipedia’s season page.
The calendar opened at Imola on April 19, then moved to Spa on May 9 and Le Mans on June 13, based on the FIA WEC official site. Fans following the Hypercar class at Le Mans might also want the numbers behind past overall winners in our piece on drivers who won Le Mans outright.
After São Paulo on July 12, the season heads to Lone Star Le Mans USA on September 6, Fuji on September 27, Barcelona on October 18 and Monza on November 8, closing out the year.
Who Leads the 2026 WEC Drivers’ Championship?
Three Toyota Racing drivers share the top of the 2026 WEC drivers’ standings with 75 points each: Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries, according to Motorsport.com’s 2026 WEC standings.
A BMW M Team WRT driver also holds 75 points, tied for second place in the same table, showing how tight the title fight has become through the first four rounds. Sheldon van der Linde sits close behind with 65 points.
Ferrari AF Corse’s top driver has 57 points, while Sebastien Buemi rounds out the group with 56 points, per the same Motorsport.com data. For a broader look at how these numbers stack up against other 2026 motorsport point tables, see season-statistics-for-drivers-and-constructors.
| Position | Car / Team | Drivers | Gap to Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | BMW M Team WRT #15 | Magnussen, Vanthoor, Marciello | Winner – 6:00’26.462 |
| 2nd | Ferrari AF Corse #51 | Not listed in source | +2.254 sec |
| 3rd | Hertz Team JOTA #12 (Cadillac) | Stevens, Nato, Deletraz | +6.687 sec |
| 4th | Hertz Team JOTA #38 (Cadillac) | Bamber, Bourdais, Aitken | +12.666 sec |
| 5th | Not listed in source | Not listed in source | +32.351 sec |
How Are BMW, Toyota and Cadillac Performing So Far?
Toyota, BMW and Cadillac have each taken turns on the podium during the first four rounds of 2026. Toyota’s drivers lead the points table with 75 each, a BMW driver matched that mark, and Cadillac’s Hertz Team JOTA cars filled third and fourth at São Paulo, per FIA WEC race data and Motorsport.com’s standings page.
Ferrari AF Corse stays within range too, sitting second on the São Paulo podium and holding 57 points with its top driver. That keeps four manufacturers close together heading into the back half of the season.
Full car numbers and specs for each entry are listed on 2026-wec-car-specifications, and driver pairings for each squad are on wec-2026-driver-lineups.
Did the FIA Change Balance of Performance Rules for 2026?
Yes. Starting in 2026, the FIA and ACO stopped publishing public Balance of Performance (BoP) tables, according to Wikipedia’s season summary.
Teams still get their own BoP figures directly from the series, but the numbers no longer reach fans or media. The change is meant to cut down on public guessing about which cars carry a speed edge from one round to the next.
Anyone comparing engine and weight rules between series can check how WEC’s approach lines up against rally racing in our piece on what statistics capture the differences between World Rally Championship engines.
How Many Championship Points Does a WEC Race Win Earn?
A race win in the 2026 WEC season is worth 25 championship points, the same scoring level used in recent years, according to Autosport’s São Paulo results page.
That 25-point haul applies to the overall winner in the Hypercar class, which is why BMW’s São Paulo win carried real weight in the title fight despite the tiny 2.254-second margin.
Points add up fast across an 8-race calendar, which is one reason three drivers already sit tied at 75 points apiece by round four.
Where Can You Follow the Rest of the 2026 WEC Season?
Four rounds remain after São Paulo: Lone Star Le Mans USA on September 6, Fuji on September 27, Barcelona on October 18 and Monza on November 8, based on the FIA WEC official calendar.
Live timing, broadcast schedules and session details for each round are tracked on 2026-wec-live-coverage.
With three drivers tied at the top and four manufacturers within a handful of points, the last four races should decide the 2026 title.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo in 2026?
BMW M Team WRT’s #15 car won the Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo on July 12, 2026. Drivers Kevin Magnussen, Dries Vanthoor and Raffaele Marciello completed 242 laps and beat the #51 Ferrari by 2.254 seconds. This was BMW’s second win of the season, based on the FIA WEC race summary.
How close was the finish at the São Paulo round?
The finish was tight. The winning BMW #15 crossed the line only 2.254 seconds ahead of the Ferrari AF Corse #51, based on FIA WEC race data. Cadillac’s Hertz Team JOTA #12 followed in third, just 6.687 seconds off the lead, showing three brands fighting for the podium.
How many races make up the 2026 WEC season?
The 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship has 8 scheduled races, according to Wikipedia’s season page. This marks the 14th season of the championship, run by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, and covers Hypercar (LMH/LMDh) and LMGT3 classes across tracks worldwide.
Did the FIA stop sharing Balance of Performance data in 2026?
Yes. Starting in 2026, the FIA and ACO stopped publishing public Balance of Performance (BoP) tables, per Wikipedia’s season summary. Teams still get their own BoP figures directly, but the numbers are no longer released to fans or media to limit guesswork about car speed differences.
Who leads the 2026 WEC drivers’ championship?
As of the mid-season point, three Toyota Racing drivers tied atop the standings with 75 points each: Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries, according to Motorsport.com. Their points came from strong finishes at Imola, Spa and Le Mans earlier in the season.
How did Cadillac cars finish at the São Paulo round?
Cadillac’s Hertz Team JOTA squad placed two cars in the top four at São Paulo. The #12 car (Stevens, Nato, Deletraz) took third, 6.687 seconds behind the winner, while the #38 car (Bamber, Bourdais, Aitken) finished fourth, 12.666 seconds back, per the FIA WEC race summary.
How many championship points does a WEC race win earn?
A race win in the 2026 WEC season is worth 25 championship points, the same scoring level used in past years, according to Autosport’s results page for the São Paulo round. This point total applies to the overall race winner across the Hypercar class.
