Manthey heads to Japan seeking its first 2026 WEC victory, with Fuji opening a decisive three-race run to the season finale.
Manthey will head to Fuji Speedway in pursuit of its first FIA World Endurance Championship victory of the 2026 season, bringing an LMGT3 storyline to a weekend led by the Hypercar title fight.
The 6 Hours of Fuji takes place from September 25 through September 27, with Sunday's race set to begin at 11:00. The entry list has been released, and the Japanese round opens a compact run-in that continues at Barcelona on October 18 before ending at Monza on November 8.
Fuji gives Manthey another opportunity to make 2026 a winning season.
Manthey targets its breakthrough
Manthey has set a straightforward target for Japan: its first victory of the season. The German operation travels east following the September 4 through September 6 round at Circuit of The Americas, where a dramatic six-hour race changed the championship's wider competitive order.
The released Fuji material confirms no driver changes or technical revisions for Manthey. Attention therefore stays on execution at Fuji Speedway, rather than paddock speculation surrounding its personnel or machinery.
The Japanese round follows an LMGT3 pole at COTA for the No. 23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin. That car has now qualified first in class twice in 2026, at Brazil and COTA, and is one of only two cars across the championship's two categories with two poles this season.
That record sets a clear benchmark for Manthey when LMGT3 qualifying starts on Saturday, September 26.
Fuji schedule leaves little margin
Track activity begins Friday, September 25, with first practice at 10:15 and the second session at 14:30. Final practice is scheduled for 09:50 on Saturday.
LMGT3 qualifying starts at 14:20, followed by LMGT3 Hyperpole at 14:40. Hypercar qualifying gets underway at 15:00, with its Hyperpole session beginning at 15:20.
The six-hour race begins Sunday at 11:00.
Teams have three practice sessions before the grid is set. Manthey's bid for its first victory starts with a brief, structured buildup, and the LMGT3 field's qualifying order will be determined during a 20-minute window on Saturday afternoon.
Hypercar battle shares the spotlight
The overall fight brings pressure of its own to Fuji. Ferrari won at COTA after the leading No. 7 Toyota suffered a terminal mechanical problem with 11 minutes left, handing victory to the No. 50 Ferrari.
Fuoco, Molina and Nielsen took 25 points at COTA. Bamber, Bourdais and Aitken earned 18 for second place, while Félix da Costa, Milesi and Habsburg collected 15 in third.
Toyota's sister No. 8 car also had a difficult race. A stop under the virtual safety car dropped it to 14th, then Buemi recovered eight positions in the final hour to finish sixth.
Fuji offers Toyota an immediate chance to answer on home ground. No change to its approach has been confirmed after COTA, but the mechanical failure and the No. 8 car's recovery form the competitive backdrop to the next round.
Genesis and Aston Martin carry Austin gains
Genesis arrives at Fuji confident of “even better results” after its Austin performance, while Aston Martin drew “considerable satisfaction” from a COTA outing in which it fought for a podium.
Those performances add to the teams taking firm goals into Japan. Manthey is chasing its first win. Genesis aims to build on Austin, while Aston Martin carries forward its Hypercar progress and the No. 23 LMGT3 car's two pole positions.
The No. 51 Ferrari arrives with an equally clear qualifying record. It secured Hypercar pole at Imola and COTA, making it the other car to claim two pole positions in the 2026 season.
Ferrari and Cadillac set identical qualifying times at COTA, with Ferrari awarded the top spot. Fuji's Hyperpole format will provide another direct measure between manufacturers that displayed closely matched one-lap pace in Texas.
Japan starts the final three-race run
Fuji opens the final three rounds of the confirmed 2026 calendar. Barcelona hosts its first WEC race on October 18 as the penultimate event, then Monza stages the finale on November 8.
Monza will make its first WEC appearance since 2023.
Before the cars arrive at Fuji Speedway, the championship will stage a Tokyo car meeting at Daikanyama T-SITE on September 23. The event runs from 09:00 to 18:00, and driver appearances are scheduled between 10:00 and 12:00.
Manthey begins its competitive program two days later, when first practice starts at Fuji at 10:15.
