WEC: Eight Rounds in the 2024 Season
After an online vote by the FIA World Motor Sport Council, the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship schedule has been released. For its twelfth year, the global endurance series will visit eight nations across four continents, with more manufacturers entering the series' flagship hypercar class.
When the World Endurance Championship returns in 2024, the opening race of the season will be held in Doha, Qatar, at Lusail International Circuit. The Qatar 1812km, a race with a 10-hour cutoff, will be named after the country's National Day, a staple of the annual celebration. The Italian round of the WEC will be moved from July to April, and the championship will transfer to a new racing venue: the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari (Imola) will replace the Autodromo Nazionale Monza. Before the series returns to France for the biggest race of the year, the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans (15–16 June), the third round of the championship will take place at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, which recently signed a five-year contract extension with the series promoter, Le Mans Endurance Management. The World Endurance Championship (WEC) will return to Brazil for the first time since 2014 for the 6 Hours of So Paulo at the Interlagos Circuit in the middle of July, per an agreement with the City Hall of So Paulo. Next, the championship heads to Austin, Texas, for round six and the Lone Star Le Mans, which was last staged at the Circuit of the Americas in 2020. The penultimate race of the season will be held in Japan at Fuji International Speedway in the middle of September. At the beginning of November, Bahrain's spectacular Bahrain International Circuit will once again play host to the season finale. In 2024, the winners of the World Championship will be honoured at a grand celebration. Next year's competitions will last anything from six to twenty-four hours.
Mohammed ben Sulayem, FIA President, said: “It is always encouraging to see FIA championships growing in strength. The announcement of the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship is another positive development within the series. For 2024, the calendar expands both in the number of races, and more importantly, geographical diversity, bringing WEC to more people. Looking at the bigger picture, the evolution of the calendar coincides with the rise of FIA WEC’s profile, and in particular its premier Hypercar class. This is testament to the reform of the series’ regulatory foundations carried out jointly by the FIA and the ACO, which has attracted new manufacturers.”
Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), said: The 2024 FIA WEC season promises to be greater than ever before. A record number of entries in the Hypercar class and a calendar of eight races on as many magnificent circuits make for an exciting prospect. Drivers will be getting to grips with four new tracks. That’s quite a challenge! It gives me great pleasure to see that the calendar reflects the rejuvenation of our discipline and I am grateful to all the circuits that will be hosting races in the eagerly awaited season to come.
Richard Mille, FIA Endurance Commission President, said: “The evolution of the FIA World Endurance Championship calendar over the last couple of seasons proves that the world’s premier endurance racing series is on an upward trajectory. The 2024 schedule offers a great mixture of well-established circuits and venues that are new to WEC. What’s important is the fact that the calendar remains comprised of world-class racing circuits. The fact that WEC is breaking new grounds and visiting new markets is also very important to all the manufacturers that committed to their endurance racing programmes, especially in the Hypercar class. Plus, some of the countries that have been on the WEC calendar for a number of years will have new circuits hosting the races and this should give the fans something extra to look forward to.”
Frédéric Lequien, CEO of the FIA World Endurance Championship, said: “The 2024 FIA WEC calendar is a mix of traditional motorsport venues and key markets that are important for our manufacturers, key stakeholders and partners. It is always a challenge finding the right balance but with four new venues, two of which are completely new to the WEC, as well as four well-established races, we have created a good mix of old and new. Eight races across five different regions will also bring our series to an even greater audience, as well as building momentum throughout the year. Today’s announcement is yet again another indication of WEC’s very bright future.”
