The brief

  • What happened: FIA WEC released the entry list for the Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo at Interlagos on July 11-13, and it comes with a wave of lineup changes. Porsche Penske Motorsport is running both its Hypercars with two drivers apiece for the first time this season, and BMW M Team WRT brings in Marco Wittmann for his first race of 2026.
  • Why it matters: Two-driver Hypercar entries change pit-stop math and stint length for Porsche’s #5 and #6 cars in a six-hour race, while Wittmann steps into a title-contending #20 BMW seat cold, in place of regular driver Robin Frijns.
  • What to watch: Whether Porsche’s reduced lineups cost the manufacturer pace against full three-driver crews, and how Wittmann slots into BMW’s program after his seasonal layoff.

Fast context

Porsche Penske Motorsport’s pair of 963s will line up two-handed in São Paulo: Julien Andlauer and Michael Christensen share the #5 car, while reigning world champions Kevin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor take the #6. It is the first time either Porsche crew has dropped to two drivers in 2026, a meaningful shift for a six-hour endurance round where driver fatigue and stint length already shape strategy.

Toyota Gazoo Racing’s #8 entry loses Sebastien Buemi to what the series describes only as other commitments, and Team Peugeot TotalEnergies will be missing both Jean-Eric Vergne and Stoffel Vandoorne for the same stated reason. None of the three has a named replacement in the official release.

BMW M Team WRT’s #20 BMW M Hybrid V8 gets a new face for the weekend: Marco Wittmann, a former full-time FIA WEC driver and podium finisher, returns to the cockpit for his first race of the season in place of Robin Frijns.

LMGT3 has its own shuffle. Racing Spirit of Léman swaps Derek DeBoer for fellow countryman Anthony McIntosh. Akkodis ASP Team’s #78 Lexus brings back Yuichi Nakayama after a scheduling conflict sidelines Ben Barnicoat. Iron Lynx’s #60 fields an entirely new trio in Andrew Gilbert, Lorcan Hanafin and Fran Rueda, who made his series debut at Le Mans. Iron Dames’ #85 Porsche is expected to have Michelle Gatting back in the car.

What changes next

Free practice at Interlagos opens the São Paulo weekend on July 11, the first real test of whether Porsche’s two-driver gamble and Wittmann’s late call-up hold up over six hours of racing.