Each circuit to have hosted a WEC spherical since 2012

Since its launch in 2012, the FIA World Endurance Championship has visited all kinds of tracks around the globe, racing throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas. Some occasions like Spa have develop into everlasting fixtures on the calendar, whereas others disappeared shortly with out leaving a mark.

At its peak, the WEC hosted as many as 10 rounds in a season earlier than shrinking to simply six in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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In the previous few years, the schedule stabilised to eight races, however the return of Silverstone in 2027 will develop the calendar again to 9 occasions.

Here’s a record of all of the tracks which have hosted the WEC:

TrackYears

Le Mans (La Sarthe)

2012-present

Spa-Francorchamps

2012-present

Fuji

2012-19, 2022-present

Bahrain

2012-17, 2019-2025 (two races in ’21, returning in 2027)

Sebring

2012, 2019, 2022-23

Austin

2013-17, 2020, 2024-present

Silverstone

2012-19 (returning in 2027)

Shanghai

2012-19

Imola

2024-present

Sao Paulo

2012-14, 2024-present

Monza

2021-23, 2026

Nurburgring

2015-17

Mexico

2016-17

Portimao

2021, 2023

Qatar

2024-25 (returning in 2027)

Barcelona

2026

Le MansTrack motion

The WEC has been constructed across the Le Mans 24 Hours and the French endurance traditional stays greater than the championship itself even after 14 seasons.

Unsurprisingly, Le Mans has featured in each single WEC marketing campaign. Even in the course of the pandemic in 2020, the FIA and the ACO have been capable of stage a race on the Circuit de la Sarthe, albeit behind closed doorways.

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Le Mans additionally serves because the centrepiece of every season, with the opening rounds successfully constructing in direction of the largest occasion in endurance racing. The one exception got here in 2018/19, when the WEC additionally adopted a novel ‘superseason’ format encompassing two editions of Le Mans, with La Sarthe additionally internet hosting the title-deciding spherical.

Spa-Francorchamps#10 Storage 59 McLaren 720s GT3 EVO: Antares Au, Thomas Fleming, Marvin Kirchhofer

#10 Storage 59 McLaren 720s GT3 EVO: Antares Au, Thomas Fleming, Marvin Kirchhofer

Aside from La Sarthe, Spa-Francorchamps is the one observe that has been ever-present within the WEC for the reason that sequence’ inception in 2012. Already a longtime venue in the course of the World Sportscar Championship period, the Belgian circuit was an apparent selection when the FIA and ACO launched the brand new sequence in 2012.

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Spa has additionally persistently attracted the biggest crowd of any WEC spherical outdoors of Le Mans, whereas its sweeping 7.0km structure has produced a number of the championship’s most enjoyable races.

Often held in Could, the Spa 6 Hours naturally serves because the curtain-raiser for Le Mans.

Fuji SpeedwayStart motion

Whereas Suzuka is Japan’s religious residence of Components 1, Fuji has lengthy been synonymous with sportscar racing. What was initially the Fuji 1000km was was a six-hour contest when the WEC was launched in 2012.

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Aside from the COVID-affected years, Fuji has been an annual fixture on the WEC calendar, changing into an necessary hub for the championship in Asia. Toyota’s presence in LMP1/Hypercar additionally makes the Fuji weekend an necessary cease on the calendar.

Unsurprisingly, Toyota is essentially the most profitable producer at a observe it owns, though the final two WEC races in Japan have been received by Porsche and Alpine respectively.

Bahrain#5 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963: Julien Andlauer, Mathieu Jaminet, Laurin Heinrich

#5 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963: Julien Andlauer, Mathieu Jaminet, Laurin Heinrich

All main championships have established a foothold within the Center East, and the WEC is not any completely different. Initially run over six hours like different common WEC rounds, the occasion was prolonged to eight hours in 2019, with extra factors consequently being awarded to the winner.

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In recent times, Bahrain has develop into the venue for the season finale, with the bonus-points system retaining extra groups within the title combat come the ultimate spherical.

Save for 2018, Bahrain has hosted a WEC spherical each single 12 months. Actually, throughout 2021, Bahrain hosted back-to-back occasions in response to the pandemic: a six-hour fixture adopted by an eight-hour race.

Nonetheless, the race was faraway from the 2026 calendar because of the battle within the area. It is because of return in 2027, topic to the prevailing state of affairs in Iran.

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Sebring#48 Hertz Staff Jota Oreca 07 – Gibson: David Beckmann, Yifei Ye, William Stevens

#48 Hertz Staff Jota Oreca 07 – Gibson: David Beckmann, Yifei Ye, William Stevens

The primary-ever WEC race came about at Sebring, as a part of a mixed 12-hour occasion held together with what was then the American Le Mans Collection. When Sebring returned in 2019, the WEC as an alternative staged a standalone 1000-mile race on Friday earlier than IMSA’s 12 Hours took centre stage the next day.

The joint WEC/IMSA weekends proved vastly well-liked, introducing the WEC to IMSA’s extra established fanbase in Florida. Sebring additionally served because the season opener in 2022 and ’23, serving to set the tone for the remainder of the 12 months.

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Nonetheless, after internet hosting a complete of 4 WEC rounds within the span of over a decade, Sebring was struck from the calendar in 2024.

Austin#21 Vista AF Corse Ferrari 296 LMGT3: Francois Heriau, Simon Mann, Alessio Rovera

#21 Vista AF Corse Ferrari 296 LMGT3: Francois Heriau, Simon Mann, Alessio Rovera

For essentially the most half, Austin has been the WEC’s major residence within the US. The championship first visited the Circuit of the Americas in 2013, and the Lone Star Le Mans remained an annual fixture till 2017. The race was revived in February 2020, earlier than being dropped once more within the wake of the pandemic.

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However Austin now seems to have its future safe, having changed Sebring on the calendar in 2024 and re-established its presence since then.

Porsche has been essentially the most profitable producer at Austin throughout the LMP1 and Hypercar eras, whereas Cadillac has but to attain a podium on residence turf.

Silverstone#7 TOYOTA GAZOO RACING – Toyota TS050 – Hybrid: Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, Jose Maria Lopez Race

#7 TOYOTA GAZOO RACING – Toyota TS050 – Hybrid: Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, Jose Maria Lopez Race

Silverstone was a cornerstone of the WEC calendar between 2012 and 2019. At one stage, the British venue hosted each the European Le Mans Collection and the WEC on the identical weekend, underlining its significance to endurance racing. It appeared that Silverstone, which has a protracted historical past of internet hosting world championship-level sportscar racing, could be an indefinite a part of the WEC.

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With its wealthy sportscar heritage relationship again to the World Sportscar Championship period, Silverstone appeared destined to stay a everlasting fixture. Nonetheless, the COVID pandemic disrupted the calendar, forcing WEC to cut back the variety of races and revert to the annual calendar format.

Rumours of Silverstone returning continued to flow into for a few years, earlier than the WEC lastly introduced that the championship shall be heading again to the UK in 2027.

Shanghai#38 JOTA Oreca 07: Roberto Gonzalez, Antonio Felix da Costa, Anthony Davidson

#38 JOTA Oreca 07: Roberto Gonzalez, Antonio Felix da Costa, Anthony Davidson

Shanghai was one other race that had been a part of the WEC since its rebirth, because the sequence targeted on the Chinese language market from the get-go.

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The primary seven races in China’s monetary hub all ran to 6 hours, earlier than the ultimate 2019 occasion was shortened to 4 hours.

Shanghai fell off the WEC calendar similtaneously Silverstone, however its departure had nothing to do with the pandemic. Actually, the circuit was already dropped from the calendar for what was speculated to be the 2020/21 season.

Though Components 1 and Components E have each returned to China, a WEC comeback seems unlikely within the quick time period.

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Imola#51 Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi

#51 Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi

Imola took over because the host of the WEC’s Italian spherical in 2024, as Monza was unable to host a race in April that 12 months whereas renovation work was carried out. Whereas this was speculated to be a one-off association, Imola has now develop into a everlasting fixture on the calendar.

Toyota received at Imola in each 2024 and ’26, however Ferrari scored a house win final 12 months en path to profitable the producers’ championship.

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This 12 months, Imola ended up internet hosting the opening spherical of the season, because the Qatar spherical initially scheduled for March needed to be pushed again till later within the 12 months and finally cancelled because of the Iran struggle.

Sao Paulo#69 Staff WRT BMW M4 LMGT3 EVO: Anthony McIntosh, Parker Thompson, Daniel Harper

#69 Staff WRT BMW M4 LMGT3 EVO: Anthony McIntosh, Parker Thompson, Daniel Harper

Sao Paulo was one in all eight tracks that have been part of the inaugural WEC season in 2012. Having a race in South America additionally helped set up the sequence’ place as a burgeoning world championship.

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The Interlagos observe remained part of the WEC till 2014, earlier than it was struck off the calendar. A number of makes an attempt have been made to revive the Brazilian occasion, but it surely was solely in 2024 that it rejoined the WEC because the sequence expanded to eight rounds once more.

The present contract with Sao Paulo runs via 2028, guaranteeing Brazil a spot on the calendar for 2 extra seasons.

Monza#2 Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Collection.R: Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn, Richard Westbrook

#2 Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Collection.R: Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn, Richard Westbrook

The WEC made its first go to to Italy in 2021, even because the season was lower quick to 6 races to cut back prices within the wake of the pandemic. Monza was an apparent selection for the WEC, having loved a wealthy historical past in sportscar racing. Additional, the race’s recognition was boosted by Ferrari, which was competing within the GTE lessons at the moment and had already introduced its plans to enter Hypercar as a manufacturing facility entrant in 2023.

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WEC visited Monza for 3 consecutive years between 2021 and ’23, with Toyota and Alpine sharing the general wins. Ferrari needed to accept a second place on residence turf within the 2023 version of the occasion because the 499P made its residence debut.

Monza returns to the WEC calendar this November, changing Bahrain because the season finale. This additionally means the championship will conclude in Europe for the primary time for the reason that 2018/19 season.

NurburgringStart: #7 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota TS050 Hybrid: Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, Jose Maria Lopez leads

Begin: #7 Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota TS050 Hybrid: Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, Jose Maria Lopez leads

Given Porsche’s presence and sportscar historical past, it was solely pure for WEC so as to add a race in Germany. And whereas the Hockenheimring can also be identified for its sportscar pedigree, Nurburgring was finally chosen because the venue for the WEC’s German spherical in 2015, reviving what was beforehand an necessary fixture within the World Championship of Makes.

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The race additionally helped fill an necessary hole within the WEC’s post-Le Mans schedule, slotting in late August.

Nonetheless, Nurburgring was dropped from the schedule after simply three years, coinciding with Porsche’s exit from LMP1.

Mexico Metropolis#7 Audi Sport Staff Joest Audi R18: Marcel Fässler, Andre Lotterer

#7 Audi Sport Staff Joest Audi R18: Marcel Fässler, Andre Lotterer

The WEC’s first foray into Mexico got here in 2016, bringing world championship-level sportscar racing again to Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez for the primary time since 1991.

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Nonetheless, the occasion turned out to be short-lived and was dropped after simply two years.

Porsche received each editions with its dominant 919 Hybrid, defeating Audi and Toyota on the high-altitude circuit.

Portimao#708 Glickenhaus Racing Glickenhaus 007: Romain Dumas, Ryan Briscoe, Olivier Pla

#708 Glickenhaus Racing Glickenhaus 007: Romain Dumas, Ryan Briscoe, Olivier Pla

Portimao was the large beneficiary of the pandemic. Across the similar time it started internet hosting F1 races, the Portuguese venue additionally joined the WEC calendar.

The 2021 Portimao occasion came about in mid-June – a date often reserved for Le Mans – after the La Sarthe occasion needed to be postponed to August. The race additionally ran for eight hours versus the same old six.

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After a 12 months’s absence, Portugal returned on the WEC map in 2023, internet hosting the second spherical of the season, this time reverting to the usual six-hour format.

Lusail#51 Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi

#51 Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P: Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, Antonio Giovinazzi

The WEC added a second race within the Gulf in 2024, with Qatar becoming a member of because the season opener. The race was set to a distance of 1812km, in honour of Qatar’s Nationwide Day, however was subjected to a most period of 10 hours.

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Porsche triumphed within the first-ever WEC race at Lusail, earlier than Ferrari swept the rostrum positions in 2025. Qatar was once more on account of open the 2026 marketing campaign, earlier than the struggle within the Center East compelled the occasion to be postponed and finally cancelled.

Qatar is already scheduled to make a return in 2027, assuming the prevailing state of affairs improves within the area.

New addition: Barcelona

The WEC will head to Spain for the primary time in historical past, with Barcelona changing the cancelled Qatar occasion. A six-hour race is scheduled for 18 October, every week earlier than the postponed Qatar 1812km fixture was on account of happen.

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Though Barcelona has by no means hosted a championship race, some groups are already accustomed to the circuit, having accomplished the WEC Prologue there forward of the 2019-20 season.

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