World Endurance Championship (WEC)

FIA World Endurance Championship – Where Tyre Durability Defines Victory

The FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) represents the highest level of endurance racing in the world, where manufacturers battle across races lasting from six hours to a full 24 hours. Unlike sprint racing categories where tyres are engineered for short bursts of performance, WEC tyres are designed to survive extreme loads, temperature swings, changing weather and relentless long-distance racing.

The championship has entered a golden era, with 14 major automotive manufacturers represented across the Hypercar and LMGT3 categories in 2026.

Quick facts:

The FIA World Endurance Championship combines:

• Prototype Hypercars
• GT-based LMGT3 machinery
• Multi-class racing
• Day-to-night endurance events
• Global manufacturer competition

The championship will visit eight circuits across five global regions in 2026, including:

• Imola
• Spa-Francorchamps
• Le Mans
• Interlagos
• Circuit of the Americas
• Fuji Speedway
• Qatar
• Bahrain

Summary:

• Category: Endurance circuit racing (multi-class)
• Governing body: FIA & ACO
• Global reach: Europe, Asia, Middle East, North America
• Race format: 6, 8, 10, and 24-hour races
• Flagship event: 24 Hours of Le Mans
• Tyre supplier: Michelin (Hypercar class exclusive)

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The Two Racing Categories

Hypercar Class (Top Tier)

The Hypercar category is the premier class in WEC and features cutting-edge prototype race cars built specifically for endurance racing.

2026 Hypercar Key Stats

• 17 Hypercars
• 8 manufacturers
• Top speed: 330 km/h
• Minimum weight: 1,030kg
• Official tyre supplier: Michelin

Hypercar Manufacturers

• Ferrari
• Toyota
• Porsche
• Cadillac
• BMW
• Peugeot
• Alpine
• Aston Martin
• Genesis (new for 2026)

Michelin’s Role in WEC

• Exclusive supplier for the Hypercar class
• Focus on longevity and consistency over outright peak grip
• Strong emphasis on sustainability and reduced environmental impact

Key focus areas:

• Multi-stint capability (double/triple stints)
• Low degradation rates
• Stable performance over long runs

Tyre Compounds & Strategy

Dry Tyres (Slicks)

• Typically fewer compound choices than F1
• Designed for extended use rather than rapid degradation
• Teams often reuse tyres across multiple stints

Wet Tyres

• Intermediate and full wet options
• Designed for long-duration wet running, not just short bursts

Unlike F1, where tyres are designed to degrade, WEC strategy revolves around maximising tyre life. Teams often double or triple stint tyres to reduce pit stop time and maintain track position.

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LMGT3 Class (Production Cars)

LMGT3 replaced the former GTE category and is based on globally recognised GT3 regulations. These cars are closely related to production sports cars, making them highly relevant to road car enthusiasts.

2026 LMGT3 Key Stats

• 18 cars
• 9 manufacturers
• Top speed: 300 km/h
• Minimum weight: 1,250kg
• Official tyre supplier: Goodyear

LMGT3 Manufacturers

• Aston Martin
• BMW
• Corvette
• Ferrari
• Ford
• Lexus
• McLaren
• Mercedes-AMG
• Porsche

Goodyear – LMGT3 Tyre Supplier

Unlike Formula One, where tyre degradation is intentionally aggressive, Goodyear’s approach in LMGT3 focuses on:

• Consistency over long stints
• Strategic flexibility
• Durability under endurance conditions
• Equalising performance across multiple vehicle platforms

This is particularly important in LMGT3 because the field includes:

• Front-engine cars
• Mid-engine cars
• Rear-engine cars

All competing on the same tyre platform.

That means Goodyear’s tyres must work effectively across:

• Porsche 911 GT3 R
• Aston Martin Vantage GT3
• BMW M4 GT3
• Ford Mustang GT3
• Corvette Z06 GT3.R
• Ferrari 296 GT3
• Lexus RC F GT3
• McLaren 720S GT3 Evo
• Mercedes-AMG GT3

Despite all having dramatically different weight distributions, aerodynamics and chassis behaviours.

Goodyear Extends Exclusive LMGT3 Partnership Through at Least 2032

Goodyear has secured its position at the centre of FIA World Endurance Championship LMGT3 racing for the long term, signing a new agreement to remain the category’s exclusive tyre supplier through at least 2032.

The extension follows an official FIA tender process and continues a partnership with the FIA and Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) that began when LMGT3 joined WEC in 2024. The tender assessed more than just tyre performance, with criteria including technical expertise, product quality, performance across different conditions, operational support, sustainability, marketing and contribution to the future growth of endurance racing.

New Generation of Racing Eagles Coming in 2027

The agreement also gives Goodyear a long-term platform to develop its LMGT3 tyre technology. From the 2027 season, the company’s new Eagle Medium and Eagle Slick ranges are set to contain 66% sustainable materials, while continuing to target the performance, consistency and durability required across the diverse LMGT3 field.

That diversity remains one of Goodyear’s biggest engineering challenges. A single control tyre must perform across different GT3 manufacturers, vehicle architectures, circuits and conditions while providing a consistent platform for competition.

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Why Tyres Matter in WEC

Endurance Performance

Tyres must deliver consistent lap times over hours, not laps. For example, one of the biggest differences between sprint racing and endurance racing is how teams use tyres strategically.

At the 2026 6-Hours of Imola teams experimented with:

• Double stints
• Triple stints
• Mixed-side tyre replacement strategies
• Full fresh tyre changes

Because the Imola circuit produces relatively low tyre degradation.

Strategy Efficiency

Reducing tyre changes can save significant time in the pits over a 24-hour race.

Teams are no longer simply:

• changing four tyres,
• or choosing between Soft and Medium compounds.

Instead, some teams look at strategies where they:

• change tyres on only one side of the car,
• mix compounds between axles,
• and tailor tyre choices to individual tyre positions.

This highlights how modern endurance racing has evolved into an extremely detailed tyre optimisation exercise.

Versatility

Tyres must handle temperature swings, track evolution, and multiple drivers with different styles.

The Imola race became a perfect example of how track temperature drives tyre strategy in endurance racing.

During the race:

• Track temperatures peaked at 40°C
• Before dropping rapidly to 25°C late in the event due to cooling conditions and light rain.

This forced teams to continuously adapt strategy throughout the six-hour race.

Early race most teams preferred:

• Medium tyres
• Double stints
• Conservative degradation management

Late race as temperatures dropped:

• Soft tyres became significantly more competitive
• Grip advantages increased
• Teams switched strategies rapidly

Michelin noted that the Soft compound excelled in:

“cooler and more unpredictable conditions.”

Innovation & Road Relevance

This is where WEC becomes very powerful for your audience:

• Direct influence on high-mileage and touring tyres
• Advances in low rolling resistance compounds
• Sustainability focus:
  • Recycled and bio-based materials
  • Reduced number of tyres used per race

In endurance racing, tyres are engineered for survival as much as speed. Michelin’s approach in WEC demonstrates how consistency, durability, and efficiency can outweigh outright performance in determining race success.

Michelin uses WEC as a high-speed laboratory for innovation, sustainability and advanced compound technology, with lessons learned on track directly influencing the next generation of ultra-high-performance road tyres.

For Goodyear, one of the most important elements of the LMGT3 programme is how closely the race cars resemble production vehicles.

Goodyear specifically highlights that lessons from LMGT3 influence:

• Ultra-high-performance road tyres
• Durability engineering
• Wet-weather performance
• Heat management
• Structural consistency over long distances.

This makes LMGT3 one of the most relevant motorsport categories for road tyre development.

Modern Hypercar racing is no longer just about speed, it is about tyre optimisation across every corner, temperature swing, stint length and pit stop decision.

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Hypercar Class 2026 Season Recap

Round 1: 6 Hours of Imola

Toyota and Michelin Reach a Historic Milestone

The opening round of the 2026 WEC season at Imola delivered one of the closest and most strategically complex Hypercar races in recent memory, with Toyota Gazoo Racing and Michelin securing their 50th FIA WEC victory together.

Held in front of more than 92,000 spectators, the race became a showcase for Michelin’s new Pilot Sport Endurance tyre range, which was making its competitive FIA WEC debut with:

• 50% renewable and recycled materials,
• improved warm-up characteristics,
• and enhanced consistency across varying conditions.

Imola began with ideal weather conditions and track temperatures climbing toward 40°C before cooling significantly late in the race as light rain approached.

That forced teams to constantly adapt strategy throughout the six-hour event.

Early in the race:

• most Hypercar teams favoured Medium tyres,
• prioritising double stints and degradation control.

As conditions evolved:

• teams switched to Soft compounds,
• while some experimented with mixed compound setups between axles.

Michelin highlighted how teams were no longer simply selecting compounds, but also:

• managing tyre usage by individual tyre position,
• optimising left and right-side wear,
• and tailoring strategies to each car’s setup.

One of the biggest strategic moments came from the #7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid, which completed a full triple stint of 105 laps on a single set of Medium tyres.

That strategy underlined the exceptional endurance capability of Michelin’s new tyre range and reinforced how tyre conservation can become a decisive weapon in endurance racing.

The race itself featured:

• multiple lead changes,
• close battles between Ferrari, Toyota and Cadillac,
• and extremely small performance margins across the Hypercar field.

Ultimately, the #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid claimed victory after a near-flawless combination of:

• tyre management,
• consistency,
• and strategic execution.

Beyond outright pace, Michelin’s greatest achievement at Imola was arguably strategic versatility.

The tyres supported:

• Soft and Medium compounds,
• double and triple stints,
• mixed axle strategies,
• and strong performance across changing weather conditions.

That flexibility created one of the most tactically varied Hypercar races seen in modern WEC competition.

Round 2: 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps

BMW and Michelin Dominate at High Speed

If Imola was about strategy and conservation, Spa-Francorchamps became a pure test of high-speed tyre performance.

The legendary Belgian circuit is one of the toughest tyre challenges in global motorsport, placing enormous stress on tyres through:

• Eau Rouge,
• Raidillon,
• Pouhon,
• and Blanchimont.

At Spa, BMW and Michelin delivered a dominant one-two finish in Hypercar competition, showcasing the outright pace and consistency of the Michelin Pilot Sport Endurance range under sustained high-load conditions.

Unlike Imola’s evolving tyre strategies, Spa pushed teams toward:

• maximum attack,
• shorter tyre cycles,
• and more aggressive race pace management.

The circuit’s:

• long high-speed corners,
• rapid direction changes,
• and heavy compression loads

created substantially higher tyre stress than Imola.

Michelin’s tyres demonstrated:

• strong structural stability,
• predictable degradation,
• and excellent thermal management throughout the race.

Drivers were able to push consistently across long stints without major performance drop-off, a critical factor at Spa where lap time is heavily influenced by confidence through fast corners.

One of Michelin’s biggest strengths across the opening two rounds has been rapid tyre warm-up combined with long-run consistency.

At Spa, this became particularly important after:

• pit stops,
• Safety Car periods,
• and traffic interruptions.

The tyres allowed drivers to:

• attack immediately after leaving pit lane,
• defend position aggressively,
• and maintain stable performance even as track conditions evolved.

After two rounds, Michelin’s Hypercar tyre programme has already demonstrated impressive versatility across very different endurance racing scenarios.

The fact that Michelin’s tyre platform remained competitive across both extremes highlights the engineering challenge of modern endurance racing.

With Le Mans approaching, these developments will become even more important as manufacturers prepare for the ultimate test of endurance racing.

Round 3: 24 Hours of Le Mans

Toyota Racing’s victory was built on disciplined tyre management as much as outright pace.

Working closely with Michelin’s dedicated technical advisers, Toyota carefully balanced compound selection, tyre wear and stint length throughout the race to claim victory after 24 hours of competition. Michelin highlighted the team’s tyre management as one of the decisive factors behind the win.

Michelin Delivers Its Most Advanced Endurance Tyre Yet

The 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans marked one of the most significant milestones in Michelin’s endurance racing history. Not only did Toyota Racing secure victory after a flawlessly executed race, but Michelin’s all-new Pilot Sport Endurance range made its competitive debut, introducing tyres containing 50% renewable and recycled materials without compromising performance or durability.

Developed over two years using extensive simulation and track testing, the new tyre range represented a major technical evolution. Michelin engineers focused on improving warm-up performance, widening the operating windows between compounds and increasing durability, allowing teams greater flexibility when planning race strategy.

Despite the increased emphasis on durability and sustainability, Michelin’s latest tyre proved to be the fastest of the Hypercar era.

The new Pilot Sport Endurance:

• reduced the Hypercar race lap record by approximately one second,
• delivered improved warm-up performance,
• provided greater overlap between compound operating windows,
• maintained consistent performance over extended stints.

That combination allowed drivers to push earlier after pit stops while still extracting exceptional mileage from each tyre set.

Triple and Quadruple Stints Become the New Normal

Perhaps the biggest story from Le Mans was not outright speed, but how efficiently teams were able to use their tyre allocation.

For the 24-hour race, every Hypercar was limited to 14 sets of tyres, forcing engineers to maximise every stint. Michelin’s new Pilot Sport Endurance tyres comfortably supported triple stints throughout the race, while several teams successfully completed quadruple stints on the same set of tyres.

The result was remarkable:

• Most teams completed the race using 12 of their 14 allocated sets.
• Approximately 150 fewer tyres were used across the Hypercar field compared with the 2025 event.

For endurance racing, fewer tyre changes mean:

• shorter pit stop times,
• improved track position,
• reduced logistics,
• and lower environmental impact.

Compound Choice Changed with the Circuit

Le Mans experienced track temperatures reaching 44°C at the start before cooling overnight and climbing beyond 50°C late on Sunday afternoon. Michelin’s three-slick compound strategy allowed teams to adapt throughout the race.

The race unfolded broadly as follows:

• Hard compound: Favoured by several teams during the hottest opening hours because of its excellent stability in high temperatures.
• Medium compound: Became the preferred tyre as evening arrived, offering the best balance of pace and consistency through the cooler overnight conditions.
• Soft compound: Introduced around the middle of the night when track temperatures were at their lowest, before teams returned to Medium tyres as dawn broke.
• Hard compound: Reappeared for some teams during the closing stages as track temperatures again exceeded 50°C.

Rather than a single compound dominating the race, all three slick options played a meaningful role, highlighting the breadth of Michelin’s operating windows.

Le Mans reinforced a defining trend in modern endurance racing: tyre strategy is no longer about simply making tyres last. Michelin’s new Pilot Sport Endurance range enabled teams to extract more performance from fewer tyres through wider compound operating windows, faster warm-up and exceptional durability. The ability to triple and quadruple stint while still setting the fastest Hypercar race pace of the modern era demonstrated that today’s endurance tyres are engineered not just for survival, but for sustained performance over 24 hours of relentless competition.

Round 4: Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo

Michelin’s Medium Compound Delivers Another Strategic Masterclass

The fourth round of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship presented Michelin with a very different challenge to Le Mans. While Circuit de la Sarthe rewards outright durability over 24 hours, São Paulo’s compact 4.31 km Interlagos circuit places the tyres under almost constant load through its flowing corners, heavy braking zones and long uphill climb onto the start-finish straight. The result was another demonstration of the versatility of Michelin’s new Pilot Sport Endurance range.

Medium Compound Becomes the Tyre of Choice

As Michelin engineers had predicted before the weekend, the Pilot Sport Endurance Medium became the preferred tyre throughout the race.

Rather than switching between compounds as teams had done at Le Mans, Hypercar teams overwhelmingly relied on the Medium specification, taking advantage of its wide operating window, stable grip and long-run consistency over the six-hour race.

The tyre’s predictable performance allowed engineers to focus on optimising pit strategy rather than managing compound changes, providing teams with greater flexibility as the race unfolded.

Left-Side Double Stints Return

One of the most interesting tyre strategies at Interlagos was the selective replacement of tyres during pit stops.

The circuit places significantly greater energy loads on the right-hand side of the car, particularly the right-rear tyre, through its long sequence of left-hand corners and sustained acceleration zones. Rather than changing all four tyres at every stop, several teams chose to:

• Double stint the left-side tyres.
• Replace the right-side tyres more frequently.
• Tailor tyre changes according to track position and race strategy.

This asymmetric tyre strategy, first seen at Interlagos in 2025, once again demonstrated the durability and consistency of Michelin’s latest Pilot Sport Endurance range.

BMW Converts Pace into Victory

The race itself highlighted just how competitive the Hypercar field has become.

After Cadillac Team JOTA locked out the front row in qualifying, BMW M Team WRT’s No. 15 BMW M Hybrid V8 fought through the field to claim its second victory of the season. Kevin Magnussen’s opening stint established the platform before Raffaele Marciello took control of the race, with BMW leading by half distance before securing victory ahead of Ferrari AF Corse’s No. 51 Ferrari 499P and Cadillac Team JOTA’s No. 12 Cadillac V-Series.R.

Importantly, the race ran almost entirely under green-flag conditions, meaning the tyres were subjected to continuous high-speed loads for virtually the entire six hours without the cooling effect of extended Safety Car periods.

Consistency Under Constant Load

Interlagos is regarded as one of the season’s most physically demanding circuits for tyres.

Heavy braking into Turns 1 and 4, the fast and technical middle sector, and the long uphill acceleration from Turn 12 to the pit straight combine to keep tyres under almost uninterrupted stress throughout the lap. Michelin reported that the new Pilot Sport Endurance Medium maintained stable grip levels throughout each stint, allowing teams to execute different strategies without experiencing significant performance drop-off.

According to Michelin Endurance Programme Manager Pierre Alves, the tyre behaviour closely matched the company’s pre-race simulations, validating the development work completed before the season began.

Another Successful Test for the New Generation

São Paulo represented another important validation of Michelin’s all-new 2026 Pilot Sport Endurance range.

Following successful performances at Imola, Spa and Le Mans, Interlagos introduced a completely different tyre challenge, with sustained lateral loads concentrated on one side of the car rather than prolonged high-speed running. Michelin’s engineers concluded that the tyres once again delivered the consistency, durability and strategic flexibility they had targeted during development, providing valuable additional data as the championship heads towards Circuit of the Americas.

Round 5: Lone Star Le Mans

Michelin Medium Double-Stints as Ferrari Capitalises on Late Toyota Drama

The fifth round of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship presented Michelin’s Hypercar tyres with changing conditions at Circuit of The Americas. Heavy rain shortly before the start required two additional formation laps while the circuit dried, but once racing began, the MICHELIN Pilot Sport Endurance Medium became the preferred slick across most of the field.

Medium Tyres Go the Distance in the Texas Heat

Despite track temperatures climbing above 40°C, Michelin’s Medium compound successfully completed double stints, demonstrating the widened operating window of the new 2026 Pilot Sport Endurance range.

The Medium dominated tyre selection, although Ferrari, Aston Martin and Peugeot also used the Hard compound at different stages of the six-hour race. This gave teams another strategic option as temperatures and track conditions evolved.

Toyota Comes Agonisingly Close

Following the final Safety Car period and last round of fuel stops, the #7 Toyota TR010 appeared on course for victory. Nyck de Vries made a strong restart on Medium Michelin slicks and controlled the closing stages until a hydraulic problem forced the Toyota into the pits with only 10 minutes remaining.

The problem handed victory to the #50 Ferrari 499P of Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina and Nicklas Nielsen, which had raced on both Medium and Hard Michelin compounds. The #38 Cadillac finished second, with the #35 Alpine completing the podium. Four different manufacturers ultimately filled the first four positions.

COTA provided another important demonstration of the versatility Michelin engineered into its 2026 endurance range. After the asymmetric tyre strategies of São Paulo, Texas showed the Medium compound could still deliver double-stint durability at track temperatures above 40°C, while the Hard remained a viable alternative for teams seeking a different strategic approach.

The result also highlighted the flexibility available from the overlapping compound windows. Ferrari’s winning #50 was able to incorporate both Medium and Hard tyres into its race, while Toyota’s late charge demonstrated the performance still available from the Medium during the decisive final phase.

Milestone Announcement

During the Round 5 event window, Michelin also celebrated a massive technical milestone: the FIA and ACO officially extended Michelin’s contract as the exclusive tire supplier for the WEC Hypercar class through 2032. This continuous development cycle fuels their 2026 slick range, which consists of 50% renewable and recycled raw materials.

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LMGT3 2026 Season Recap

Round 1: 6 Hours of Imola

Strategy Variety Defined the Race

At Imola, the relatively smooth circuit surface produced low tyre degradation throughout the six-hour race, opening the door for teams to experiment with a wide range of tyre strategies.

Unlike sprint racing where tyre choices are often straightforward, LMGT3 teams approached Imola with dramatically different plans:

• Some prioritised outright pace
• Others focused on tyre longevity
• Several teams minimised tyre changes entirely

Goodyear noted that teams explored:

• Double stints
• Triple stints
• Partial tyre changes
• Mixed replacement strategies using the Goodyear Racing Eagle Medium tyre.

The low degradation characteristics of Imola meant:

multiple strategies remained competitive at the same time.

That created one of the most tactically varied LMGT3 races seen in recent WEC competition.

Round 2: 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps

Spa Forced Teams Into Pure Performance Racing

If Imola was a tyre conservation race, Spa-Francorchamps became the complete opposite.

The high-speed Belgian circuit is one of the most demanding tracks on the WEC calendar, featuring:

• heavy compression loads,
• sweeping high-speed corners,
• significant elevation changes,
• and sustained lateral stress on tyres.

Unlike Imola’s low-degradation surface, Spa generated substantially higher tyre wear levels.

As a result:

• nearly every LMGT3 team converged on the same strategy,
• prioritising outright performance over tyre conservation.

Goodyear confirmed that:

all LMGT3 entrants adopted single-stint tyre strategies throughout the race.

According to Goodyear, the 2026 Spa race became the fastest LMGT3 race yet.

The Goodyear Racing Eagle Medium tyre delivered:

• predictable degradation,
• stable grip levels,
• and strong high-speed consistency,

allowing drivers to push aggressively throughout each stint.

The tyre’s performance characteristics were particularly important through:

• Eau Rouge,
• Raidillon,
• Pouhon,
• and Blanchimont,

where sustained cornering loads place enormous stress on tyre structure and thermal stability.

After two rounds, several themes are already emerging in LMGT3:

Tyre management is becoming increasingly sophisticated

• Teams are exploiting partial tyre replacement strategies
• Circuit-specific tyre strategy differences are becoming more extreme
• The Goodyear Racing Eagle Medium has proven highly adaptable across very different tracks

With the championship now heading toward:

• Le Mans,
• Fuji,
• and Bahrain,

the role of tyre strategy is only expected to become more important as endurance conditions intensify.

Round 3: 24 Hours of Le Mans

Throughout the race, Goodyear’s Racing Eagle tyres demonstrated exceptional longevity without sacrificing pace. Most LMGT3 teams were able to complete four consecutive stints, equivalent to approximately 40 laps, before changing tyres, while LMP2 teams regularly extended tyre life to five stints. One LMP2 competitor pushed a single set of tyres to an extraordinary 56 laps, covering 761 kilometres, roughly the distance from Le Mans to Monaco.

Perhaps even more impressive was that this increased tyre life came without a reduction in performance. The fastest 100-lap average pace recorded by an LMGT3 car was 1.2 seconds per lap quicker than the previous year’s race, making the 2026 event the fastest Le Mans of the LMGT3 era. The ability to maintain competitive lap times over extended stints allowed teams to reduce time spent in the pits and maximise track position through strategic fuel and tyre management.

In total, Goodyear-equipped cars completed an incredible 188,747 kilometres during the race, with the tyres rotating more than 377.5 million times around Circuit de la Sarthe. Those figures underline the enormous mechanical demands placed on the tyres over 24 continuous hours of racing and demonstrate the consistency engineered into the Goodyear Racing Eagle range.

Round 4: Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo

Goodyear Returns to Interlagos with a Proven Tyre Strategy

After the demanding 24 Hours of Le Mans, the FIA World Endurance Championship headed to Brazil for the Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo, where Goodyear once again supplied all 18 LMGT3 entries with its Racing Eagle Medium tyre.

Unlike the previous season, when Goodyear introduced its Eagle Hard compound at Interlagos, the company selected the Eagle Medium for 2026, citing its broad operating window and proven consistency across a wide range of temperatures and weather conditions. Having already been used successfully at Imola, Spa-Francorchamps and Le Mans earlier in the season, the Eagle Medium arrived in Brazil as a well-understood platform for both teams and engineers.

Although Interlagos is the shortest circuit on the 2026 FIA WEC calendar at just 4.31 kilometres, it presents a unique tyre challenge. The anti-clockwise layout combines long, loaded corners, significant elevation changes and heavy braking zones, placing sustained stress through the tyres over an entire lap. Goodyear identified the rear-right tyre as the most heavily loaded due to the circuit’s sequence of long left-hand corners, while the technical infield offers little opportunity for tyres to cool before being loaded again.

Stephen Bickley, Goodyear’s Endurance Programme Manager, explained that previous experience at Interlagos gave the company confidence in returning with the Eagle Medium.

“We have a very good understanding of the Goodyear Racing Eagle Medium at Interlagos. We raced on this tyre at Interlagos two years ago and it performed consistently across varying track temperatures and mixed weather conditions. This is the right compound for us to bring this weekend.”

São Paulo represented another example of Goodyear selecting a tyre based on circuit characteristics rather than simply opting for the hardest available compound. Instead of prioritising maximum durability, the company chose the versatile Eagle Medium to provide consistent performance across changing temperatures and the unpredictable weather for which Interlagos is well known. Combined with the circuit’s continuous tyre loading and limited cooling opportunities, the race was expected to reward teams that managed tyre temperatures effectively while maintaining pace over long stints.

Round 5: Lone Star Le Mans

Aston Martin Converts Fresh-Tyre Pace into Victory

The fifth round of the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship took LMGT3 to Circuit of The Americas, where high temperatures, abrasive asphalt and a demanding mix of fast and technical corners created a very different tyre challenge to Le Mans and São Paulo.

Goodyear again nominated the Racing Eagle Medium for the entire LMGT3 field. Despite the tyre being capable of covering more than 300 competition miles, Goodyear expected the demanding COTA surface to favour shorter stints and fresh-tyre performance rather than the extended multi-stint strategies seen at Le Mans.

Aston Martin Takes Control

Heart of Racing showed its strength from qualifying, locking out the LMGT3 front row with its two Aston Martin Vantage AMR entries. The race itself developed into a fight involving Aston Martin, Porsche and Ford before the #27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin emerged as the leading contender.

Mattia Drudi made particularly effective use of fresh tyres following the final Safety Car period, building an advantage before transitioning into tyre management later in the stint. The #27 Aston Martin ultimately took victory ahead of the #91 Manthey DKR Engineering Porsche, with the sister #23 Aston Martin completing the podium.

COTA demonstrated an important distinction between maximum tyre life and optimum tyre strategy. At Le Mans, teams stretched the Racing Eagle Medium across as many as four stints. In Texas, the combination of heat and abrasive asphalt increased the value of fresh rubber, making outright stint performance more important than extracting maximum mileage from each set.

For Goodyear, the weekend provided another demonstration of the Racing Eagle Medium’s broad operating window. The same control tyre that supported extreme multi-stint endurance at Le Mans could also deliver the fresh-tyre performance required for a much more aggressive six-hour race at COTA.

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WEC News

• Tickets go on sale on Friday 6 November for next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans!
  October 24, 2026
  The outstanding grid of the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans drew a record crowd and the race organisers are already looking forward to welcoming the world to next year’s edition, 9–13 June 2027. The 95th 24 Hours of Le Mans is also the fourth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship. General tickets sales […]
• 2027 24 Hours – Spectators given the opportunity to support climate-related projects
  October 21, 2026
  Since 2025, the Automobile Club de l'Ouest has supported environmental endeavors ranging from local reforestation to wind farms in Brazil. For the 95th 24 Hours of Le Mans (9–13 June), spectators will have the option to make a contribution when purchasing their entrance passes.
• Wolfgang Ullrich knows to expect the unexpected at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
  October 20, 2026
  How can you really prepare for a race that is utterly unpredictable? In episode 3 of the series Drivers of Destiny, Wolfgang Ullrich, a major figure in Audi's endurance racing history, reflects on lessons gleaned at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the historic win in 2000 and the mantra that guides every team: absolutely […]
• Leonardo Fornaroli jumps from F2 to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with McLaren
  October 20, 2026
  McLaren Racing has announced that McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team reserve driver and reigning FIA Formula 2 (F2) Champion Leonardo Fornaroli will race for the McLaren Hypercar Team in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), including the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
• FIA WEC : Toyota masters mixed conditions to clinch the crown in Spain
  October 19, 2026
  Toyota delivered a peerless performance to claim a one-two finish in the inaugural 6 Hours of Barcelona presented by Visit Qatar today (18 October) – securing the Japanese automotive giant the 2026 FIA Hypercar World Endurance Manufacturers’ Championship.