How did 2026 build-up lap time evolution compare to previous years?

This builds on this longer review of 2011 to 2025, where the approach is outlined too.

We shall have a quick look at Test day, Free Practice, and Qualifying, and see that when there is a big improvement in a practice session in lap times we are just seeing the difference between race preparation and qualifying preparation.

Test Day to Free Practice

The improvement from test day was higher for Hypercar than the others. LMP2 was the lowest where, at the test day, it was notable that LMP2s were running a lot quicker than the last year.

This has been the case recently as explored here. Recent years compare four long free practice sessions to short qualifying. We understand what this does to the different years by looking at the times and how they develop through the weekend; we can get a great idea about the real free practice (and race) to qualifying by just looking at the improvements into fp1 and fp3.

It is noteable that biggest improvement came from the BMW that ended up being quickest in free practice (set in fp3 – the session before qualifying).

There was a similar dynamic with LMP2 and LM GT3. A difference being the strong performance with LMP2 in test day. This could be a down to there being no development, no rule changes, or car learning going on, and with lots of established teams – they are all running the same cars as last year.

Free Practice to Qualifying

Very little free practice to qualifying improvements, for the reasons noted above.

The strong increases from test day to free practice recently has come as the same time as seeing the lowering of free practice to qualifying prompting the session development where two free practice sessions include qualifying runs. This is particularly noticeable in GT Am where the change to the qualifying format much also be influencing it.

In line with this, there was very little Hypercar improvement into qualifying, and nothing special from the pole car who set a good lap in free practice too (after a big test day improvement). Teams are running qualifying simulations (to varying degrees) in free practice, and the BMW had a big improvement from test day.

Test Day to Qualifying

For completeness. Basically the product of the last two views.

The race

If recent behaviour continues we can expect the all important race pace in 2026 to be slightly behind free practice pace, as they won’t be tailoring their running to try for a qualifying type lap.