2026 | WEC | 6 Hours of Barcelona | Qualifying & Hyperpole | LMGT3 | Fleming claims second pole for Garage 59

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Tom Fleming secured LMGT3 pole position for the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) 6 Hours of Barcelona, delivering a remarkable Qualifying performance for Garage 59 despite missing Friday’s practice sessions. The British driver recorded a 1:40.933 in the #10 McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo, beating The Bend Manthey’s Riccardo Pera by 0.122 seconds during Saturday’s Hyperpole shootout.

The result marked Fleming’s second pole position of his debut FIA WEC campaign, following his success at Imola in April. Simon Mann completed the top three for VISTA AF Corse Ferrari, while Jonny Edgar secured fourth for the championship-leading TF Sport Corvette. Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG and Team WRT BMW rounded out the top six.

Meanwhile, the championship’s revised Barcelona weekend format allowed LMGT3 competitors to complete their qualifying programme ahead of the Hypercar field. The arrangement accommodated drivers competing in both the FIA WEC and GT World Challenge (GTWC) Europe Endurance Cup finale at Portimão, including Fleming, who travelled between the two events.

2026 FIA WEC: 6 Hours of Barcelona: LMGT3: Qualifying

Racing Team Turkey by TF emerged as the fastest team during the opening LMGT3 Qualifying session, with Peter Dempsey recording a 1:42.082 in the #34 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R. The Irishman placed the car he shares with Salih Yoluç and Charlie Eastwood at the top of the 18-car classification, securing the team’s place among the ten Hyperpole contenders.

The performance represented an encouraging turnaround for Corvette following a difficult opening practice programme. The #34 entry had finished 16th during Friday’s FP2 session, leaving the crew with considerable ground to recover before qualifying. However, Dempsey demonstrated improved single-lap pace when the competitive sessions began, delivering a benchmark that none of his rivals could match.

The result also strengthened Racing Team Turkey’s prospects ahead of Sunday’s six-hour race. The crew remains involved in the LMGT3 championship battle following its victory at São Paulo and third-place finish at Fuji, making a competitive starting position particularly valuable as the championship approaches its conclusion.

Keating advances championship-leading TF Sport Corvette

The sister #33 TF Sport Corvette also enjoyed a significant improvement during the opening qualifying session. Ben Keating secured a place in Hyperpole for the first time in 2026, giving championship leader Jonny Edgar an opportunity to compete for a leading starting position.

The achievement carried particular significance following the team’s challenging practice sessions. Keating, Edgar and Nicky Catsburg entered Barcelona with a substantial championship advantage, but the #33 Corvette had struggled to match the leading LMGT3 competitors across Friday’s running and Saturday morning’s dedicated FP3 session.

However, Keating delivered when qualifying began, allowing the team to progress into the ten-car shootout. His performance ensured both TF Sport-operated Corvettes advanced, reversing the manufacturer’s fortunes after neither car reached Hyperpole at Lone Star Le Mans in September.

Consequently, Corvette entered the final qualifying segment with two opportunities to challenge for the leading grid positions, despite its earlier difficulties around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Au secures Garage 59 Hyperpole appearance

Garage 59 also progressed into Hyperpole through Antares Au, who secured a place among the ten fastest drivers in the #10 McLaren. The result marked only the second time that Au had advanced beyond the opening qualifying session during the 2026 campaign, giving Fleming another opportunity to compete for pole.

The achievement proved particularly important given the British driver’s unusual weekend schedule. Fleming had missed both Friday practice sessions because of his GTWC Europe commitments at Portimão, leaving teammate Marvin Kirchhöfer and Au responsible for much of the McLaren’s initial preparation.

Fleming subsequently completed his first laps of the Barcelona weekend during Saturday morning’s dedicated LMGT3 FP3 session. The revised schedule allowed him to participate in qualifying before returning to his GTWC Europe commitments, although the limited running presented an additional challenge as he prepared to face the championship’s leading Silver-rated drivers.

Nevertheless, Au successfully guided the McLaren into Hyperpole, creating an opportunity for Fleming to repeat his Imola pole-winning performance.

Porsche, Ferrari, Lexus and Ford advance to Hyperpole

The Bend Manthey secured another Hyperpole appearance through Yasser Shahin in the #92 Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3. The Australian advanced the car he shares with Pera and Richard Lietz, allowing the Italian to challenge for pole during the final segment.

VISTA AF Corse also progressed with its #21 Ferrari, giving Mann an opportunity to build on his session-leading performance during FP3. The American had recorded a 1:41.696 during Saturday morning’s dedicated LMGT3 practice session, placing Ferrari ahead of Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG and Akkodis ASP Team Lexus.

Meanwhile, Akkodis ASP Team advanced its #87 Lexus, while Iron Lynx secured a Hyperpole appearance through the #61 Mercedes-AMG. Team WRT’s #32 BMW also progressed, giving Sean Gelael a chance to challenge the leading contenders following the crew’s dramatic victory at Fuji.

Proton Competition completed the ten-car Hyperpole field with both Ford Mustangs. Eric Powell advanced the #77 entry, while Stefano Gattuso secured a place for the #88 Mustang that he shares with Giammarco Levorato and former Formula 1 driver Logan Sargeant.

The opening qualifying session therefore produced a competitive Hyperpole field featuring eight manufacturers, with both Corvettes and both Fords advancing alongside Porsche, Ferrari, Mercedes-AMG, BMW, Lexus and McLaren.

Heart of Racing suffers double qualifying elimination

Heart of Racing Team experienced the most disappointing outcome of the opening qualifying session, as neither Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3 advanced into Hyperpole.

Gray Newell qualified the #23 Aston Martin 14th with a 1:43.513, leaving teammate Eduardo Barrichello without an opportunity to challenge for another pole position. The result represented a significant setback for the Brazilian, who had secured three poles from four Hyperpole appearances earlier in the campaign, including his victory in the Lone Star Le Mans qualifying shootout.

Meanwhile, Ian James endured an even more difficult session in the championship-contending #27 Aston Martin. The team principal recorded a 1:49.121, finishing 18th and last in the category and leaving the crew with substantial ground to recover during Sunday’s race.

The result carried particular importance for the championship battle. James, Zacharie Robichon and Mattia Drudi entered Barcelona as one of the closest challengers to the leading TF Sport Corvette following consecutive podium finishes at Circuit of The Americas and Fuji. However, their last-place qualifying result contrasted sharply with the #33 Corvette’s progression into Hyperpole, potentially complicating their efforts to reduce the championship deficit.

Garage 59’s sister #58 McLaren also failed to advance after Alexander West recorded a 1:44.267, placing the entry 16th. The result followed the crew’s strong Friday afternoon, when Finn Gehrsitz topped FP2, demonstrating the changing order between practice and qualifying.

2026 FIA WEC: 6 Hours of Barcelona: LMGT3: Hyperpole

Fleming delivered a commanding performance once the ten fastest LMGT3 entries returned to the circuit for Hyperpole. The 24-year-old immediately established the #10 Garage 59 McLaren among the leading contenders before improving to a 1:40.933, becoming the only driver to break the 1:41 barrier.

The lap represented the fastest LMGT3 time of the Barcelona weekend and secured pole by 0.122 seconds over Pera. Fleming also recorded the two fastest laps of the 10-minute session, leaving his rivals unable to challenge his advantage despite the closely matched field.

His success continued an exceptional start to his FIA WEC qualifying career. Fleming previously secured pole at the season-opening 6 Hours of Imola, placing Garage 59 at the front during its championship debut. Having reached Hyperpole on only two occasions this season, the British driver has now converted both appearances into pole positions.

The result also delivered McLaren’s fifth pole position in the LMGT3 category, reinforcing the manufacturer’s competitiveness since the class joined FIA WEC in 2024.

Speaking after qualifying, Fleming credited Garage 59’s preparation and the assistance of his teammates, acknowledging the challenge of arriving at Barcelona after missing Friday’s running. He praised the team’s work in developing the car before celebrating his ability to maintain his perfect Hyperpole record.

“It’s nice to be back on the front row and to keep my 100 per cent Hyperpole streak going!”

The achievement provides Garage 59 with an opportunity to pursue another strong result following its victory at Spa-Francorchamps earlier in the season. Fleming, Au and Kirchhöfer will now aim to convert their qualifying advantage into a competitive performance during Sunday’s six-hour race.

Pera secures front-row start for The Bend Manthey

Pera emerged as Fleming’s closest challenger, recording a 1:41.055 in the #92 The Bend Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3. The Italian finished just 0.122 seconds behind the leading McLaren, securing an encouraging front-row starting position alongside teammates Shahin and Lietz.

The result continued Manthey’s strong qualifying performance after Shahin had successfully advanced through the opening session. Although Pera could not match Fleming’s sub-1:41 benchmark, he established a clear advantage over the remaining Hyperpole competitors, finishing 0.343 seconds ahead of third-placed Mann.

The performance also carried significance for the reigning LMGT3 champions, who have remained competitive throughout the 2026 campaign despite experiencing difficulties converting their pace into victories. The #92 crew will therefore begin Sunday’s race in a promising position as it attempts to challenge for its first class win of the season.

Furthermore, Manthey’s front-row result provides Porsche with an opportunity to add another major achievement to its endurance racing record. With the manufacturer having demonstrated strong race pace throughout the campaign, the team will aim to use its qualifying position to challenge Garage 59 during the opening stages.

Mann completes top three as Ferrari pursues victory

Mann secured third for VISTA AF Corse, recording a 1:41.398 in the #21 Ferrari 296 LMGT3 Evo. The American finished 0.465 seconds behind Fleming and 0.343 seconds behind Pera, securing the leading position on the second row of the LMGT3 grid.

The result continued an encouraging Barcelona weekend for Mann, Hériau and Rovera, who had already demonstrated competitive pace across the practice sessions. Rovera led the category during FP1 with a 1:41.420, while Mann subsequently topped Saturday morning’s dedicated LMGT3 FP3 session with a 1:41.696.

Although the Ferrari could not match Fleming’s Hyperpole performance, the team’s third-place result placed it ahead of several championship contenders and provided a promising starting position for Sunday’s race.

The performance also comes as Ferrari attempts to end an 11-race winless streak in the LMGT3 category. Despite consistently challenging near the front, the manufacturer has not secured a class victory during that period, leaving VISTA AF Corse determined to convert its competitive pace into a stronger race result.

Meanwhile, the sister #54 Ferrari failed to reach Hyperpole after Thomas Flohr qualified 13th in the opening session. Francesco Castellacci and Davide Rigon will therefore begin the race further down the order, leaving the #21 as Ferrari’s leading contender.

Edgar puts championship-leading Corvette fourth

Edgar delivered one of the most important performances of Hyperpole, placing the championship-leading #33 TF Sport Corvette fourth with a 1:41.447. The British driver finished 0.514 seconds behind Fleming and just 0.049 seconds behind Mann, securing a competitive second-row starting position alongside teammates Keating and Catsburg.

The result represented a significant turnaround for TF Sport after the team struggled throughout the opening practice sessions. Keating’s progression through the initial qualifying phase had already secured the crew’s first Hyperpole appearance of 2026, while Edgar subsequently converted the opportunity into a leading-four result.

The performance also strengthened the team’s prospects in the Drivers’ and Teams’ Championship battles. Edgar entered Barcelona holding the advantage in the LMGT3 Drivers’ standings, while the #33 Corvette retained a substantial lead over Heart of Racing Team in the Teams’ classification.

Consequently, the contrast between Corvette’s fourth-place result and the #27 Aston Martin’s 18th-place starting position could prove particularly significant during Sunday’s race. With the championship capable of reaching a decisive stage before the season finale, TF Sport will aim to capitalise on its qualifying advantage.

Meanwhile, Racing Team Turkey by TF experienced a more challenging Hyperpole session after Dempsey had topped the opening qualifying phase. The #34 Corvette ultimately finished tenth with a 1:42.774, leaving the crew 1.841 seconds behind Fleming.

Although the result represented a considerable change from the opening session, both Corvettes will begin Sunday’s race among the leading ten LMGT3 entries.

Andrade secures fifth for Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG

Rui Andrade delivered fifth overall for Iron Lynx, recording a 1:41.625 in the #61 Mercedes-AMG LMGT3. The Angolan driver finished 0.692 seconds behind Fleming and 0.178 seconds behind Edgar, securing a place on the third row of the category grid.

The result continued an encouraging weekend for the #61 crew, which had already demonstrated strong single-lap pace during the dedicated LMGT3 practice session. Martin Berry, Andrade and Maxime Martin will therefore begin Sunday’s race ahead of several championship contenders, providing an opportunity to pursue the team’s first podium finish of 2026.

The sister #79 Mercedes-AMG endured a less competitive qualifying programme, with Johannes Zelger failing to advance beyond the opening segment. The car he shares with Matteo Cressoni and Lin Hodenius qualified 17th, leaving Iron Lynx with contrasting starting positions across its two entries.

Nevertheless, Andrade’s performance ensured Mercedes-AMG remained among the leading manufacturers as the championship approached its penultimate race.

Gelael places Fuji-winning Team WRT BMW sixth

Team WRT completed the leading six through Sean Gelael, who recorded a 1:41.698 in the #32 BMW M4 LMGT3 Evo. The Indonesian driver finished 0.765 seconds behind the pole-sitting McLaren and 0.073 seconds behind Andrade, securing another competitive result for the crew he shares with Darren Leung and Augusto Farfus.

The performance followed the team’s dramatic LMGT3 victory at Fuji, when Farfus charged from sixth to first following a late Safety Car. The victory demonstrated the crew’s ability to capitalise on changing race circumstances, while its Barcelona qualifying result provides another opportunity to challenge near the front.

Meanwhile, the sister #69 BMW of Anthony McIntosh, Parker Thompson and Daniel Harper failed to progress into Hyperpole, qualifying 15th with a 1:43.975. The result left the team with additional work ahead of Sunday’s race, although the crew has previously demonstrated strong race pace throughout the season.

Lexus and Ford complete Hyperpole top ten

Akkodis ASP Team secured seventh through Clemens Schmid, who recorded a 1:41.894 in the #87 Lexus RC F LMGT3. The Austrian finished 0.961 seconds behind Fleming, giving teammates Petru Umbrărescu and José María López a fourth-row starting position.

Proton Competition followed in eighth and ninth, with Ben Tuck leading the manufacturer’s two Ford Mustang LMGT3 entries. Tuck recorded a 1:41.956 in the #77 Mustang, finishing 1.023 seconds behind pole and securing a position ahead of the sister #88 car.

Giammarco Levorato subsequently recorded a 1:42.222 in the #88 Ford, placing ninth with a 1.289-second deficit to Fleming. The Italian shares the car with Gattuso and Sargeant, with the trio securing another top-ten starting position despite failing to challenge the front row.

Racing Team Turkey by TF completed the Hyperpole classification in tenth, as the #34 Corvette recorded a 1:42.774 after its strong opening qualifying performance.

McLaren leads LMGT3 into Barcelona race

Fleming’s second pole of the 2026 season gives Garage 59 a valuable advantage heading into Sunday’s inaugural 6 Hours of Barcelona. However, the closely matched performances of Porsche, Ferrari and Corvette suggest that the six-hour contest could produce significant changes in the competitive order.

Meanwhile, the championship battle remains a major storyline, particularly after the #33 TF Sport Corvette secured fourth while its closest Heart of Racing rival qualified last. Edgar and his teammates will aim to use that starting advantage to strengthen their championship position, although the length of Sunday’s race leaves opportunities for recovery and strategic changes.

The unusual Barcelona timetable also means that the LMGT3 field completed its qualifying programme before the Hypercar competitors undertook their final practice and qualifying sessions. The revised arrangement accommodates drivers competing across FIA WEC and GTWC Europe, allowing the two championships to share competitors despite their overlapping race weekends.

The 2026 WEC 6 Hours of Barcelona begins at 12:00 local time (CEST) on Sunday, 18 October, with 18 LMGT3 entries and 17 Hypercars competing in the penultimate round before the championship concludes at Monza in November.

2026 WEC 6 Hours of Barcelona: LMGT3 Qualifying and Hyperpole results

Qualifying: Opening session

Peter Dempsey topped the opening qualifying session for Racing Team Turkey by TF with a 1:42.082 in the #34 Corvette. The following ten entries advanced to Hyperpole: #34 Racing Team Turkey by TF, #33 TF Sport, #10 Garage 59, #21 VISTA AF Corse, #92 The Bend Manthey, #61 Iron Lynx, #32 Team WRT, #87 Akkodis ASP Team, #77 Proton Competition and #88 Proton Competition.

Eliminated in Qualifying