Overview: Where has the FIA WEC actually held races?

In 2012, the time had finally come again: a new World Sports Car Championship was launched. It had taken 20 years for this to happen, after the original championship had come to a rather inglorious end in late 1992. In the intervening years, there had of course been sports prototype racing – in various series and formats – but no genuine World Championship bearing the FIA seal. The WEC ultimately emerged in 2012 from the Le Mans Series and the ILMC (Intercontinental Le Mans Cup).

The first WEC race took place at a historic venue: the legendary Sebring circuit in Florida. It was precisely there that the original World Championship had made its debut in March 1953. The inaugural season consisted of eight rounds. After Sebring, the series moved on to Spa-Francorchamps, Le Mans (the great endurance classic in France is the annual highlight of the WEC), Silverstone, Interlagos, Bahrain, Fuji and Shanghai.

However, as Sebring proved to be a major mess (the race also counted towards the ALMS – there were far too many car classes and a jumble of regulations), the US round was moved to Austin for 2013. The remaining seven circuits stayed the same. There were no further changes for 2014.

It wasn’t until 2015 that a new circuit was added. As two German brands, Porsche and Audi, were competing in the LMP1 class, the series headed to the Nürburgring. The race in the Eifel replaced Interlagos on the calendar. A ninth race, in Mexico City, was added to the calendar for 2016. The 2017 season also featured new races. However, this was followed by a major shake-up. After Audi and Porsche had left the LMP1 class, the WEC organisers decided to run the 2018/19 calendar over two years. The so-called ‘Super Season’ was born.

Spa-Francorchamps and Le Mans were visited twice during this seventh season, and in March 2019 the WEC also returned to Sebring. Silverstone, Fuji and Shanghai rounded off the calendar. The following 2019/20 season also spanned the winter months. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the calendar had to be constantly adjusted. Ultimately, races took place at Silverstone, Fuji, Shanghai, Bahrain, Austin, Spa-Francorchamps, Le Mans and, once again, Bahrain.

From 2021, the season will once again run within the calendar year

By 2021, the days of long seasons were over. A compact schedule comprising six races (all within the calendar year) was to be introduced. Two new circuits, Monza and Portimão, were added to the calendar. Spa-Francorchamps and Le Mans were, of course, included once again. The season concluded with two races in Bahrain.

In 2022, too, the WEC consisted of six races: however, with Sebring, Spa-Francorchamps, Le Mans, Monza, Fuji and Bahrain, they were all ‘old favourites’. For the 2023 season, the World Championship was expanded back to seven races, as Portimão returned. For 2024, the calendar was then expanded to eight races. Losail in Qatar and Imola in Italy were added, Interlagos and Austin returned, whilst Le Mans and Spa-Francorchamps naturally remained on the calendar – as did Fuji and Bahrain. Sebring, Monza and Portimão, however, were no longer part of the 2024 calendar.

For 2025, the calendar remained the same as for 2024 – namely Qatar, Imola, Spa-Francorchamps, Le Mans, Interlagos, Austin, Fuji and Bahrain. Initially, exactly these eight circuits were also planned for 2026. However, Qatar and Bahrain were replaced (for reasons currently known) by Barcelona-Catalunya and Monza, with the races at Barcelona-Catalunya (mid-October) and Monza (early November) not taking place until the end of the season. In total, the WEC has thus far visited 15 race venues. As expected, Europe is the most heavily represented, with Imola, Spa, Le Mans, Silverstone, the Nürburgring, Monza and Portimão. Asia has hosted races at Fuji, Shanghai, Losail and Bahrain. In the Americas, races have been held in Austin, Sebring, Mexico City and Interlagos. Barcelona-Catalunya will then become the 16th venue for a WEC race.