The Last Dance Before Le Mans.

Spa. A circuit adored by fans and drivers worldwide; and this weekend, the final testing ground before the biggest race on the endurance calendar.

There are circuits on the calendar. And then there's Spa.

Toyota takes on Radillon and Eau Rouge

Seven kilometres of tarmac winding through the Ardennes forest in Belgium - Eau Rouge, Raidillon, Kemmel, Pouhon. Drivers who've raced everywhere will still tell you Spa is different. It demands something from you that other circuits don't. It finds you out. And in the context of the World Endurance Championship, it carries extra weight: this is the final race before the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

That makes everything matter more. Every setup decision, every stint, every fuel load. Teams aren't just racing for points this weekend, they're reading their cars. Finding the things Le Mans will find for them in worse circumstances if they don't find them here first.

The field is stacked. 14 manufacturers. 17 Hypercars. 18 LMGT3 entries. Toyota arrive as the most successful Hypercar manufacturer at this circuit (eight wins) carrying momentum from Imola. Ferrari want revenge after losing on home soil in round one. Alpine have history here, previous podiums, and pace that makes them a genuine outsider threat. In LMGT3, six different manufacturers led sessions across the three practice days - Aston Martin, McLaren, Cadillac, nobody with a clean grip on what Saturday looks like.

McLaren's Garage 59 entry were on course to win their WEC debut at Imola until an alternator failure ended it with minutes left. They came back to Spa and locked out the top two in FP3. That's the kind of momentum that endurance racing rewards; and punishes, if you read it wrong.

Mclaren Garage 59

Laurens signed with Mclaren for their Hypercar program from 2027

Away from the track, McLaren made the kind of announcement that signals serious intent. The MCL-HY - their new LMDh Hypercar, completed its first rollout this week, and the team confirmed the reigning FIA Hypercar World Champion, Laurens Vanthoor (Larry), as their second driver signing for the 2027 programme. He's won at Spa, at the Nürburgring, at Daytona, at Bathurst. The one race missing from the CV is Le Mans overall — and that, he says, keeps him up at night. McLaren's last outright Le Mans win was 1995. The whole programme exists to go back and do it again.

Two stories running in parallel this weekend. On the circuit, the best endurance teams in the world using Spa to prepare for the race that defines their season. Off it, the next chapter of that world being written - more manufacturers, more ambition, more reasons to watch.

Race is Saturday, 14:00 local. If you've never watched endurance racing and want to understand what Le Mans means, start here.