The FIA World Endurance Championship will re‑enter the UK in 2027 for the first time since 2019, expanding the 2027 calendar to nine races.
Track Line‑up Over the Years
Since its 2012 launch, the series has hosted races across Europe, Asia and the Americas. A brief evolution began with 10 rounds max, dropped to 6 during the pandemic, stabilised at 8, and now returns to 9.
The marathon twenty‑four hour showdown at Circuit de la Sarthe remains the anchor. Every season opens with a six‑hour flag‑off at Spa‑Francorchamps before the campaign builds toward Le Mans.
Meanwhile, Toyota’s Hypercar has dominated fast‑time at Fuji Speedway during most of the COVID‑disrupted era apart from recent alternates at Portimão, and Porsche keeps influencing the Bahrain finale.
Iconic Le Mans and Spa
Le Mans has hosted every WEC race since 2012, including a closed‑door event in 2020. Its status as the season finale or “title‑deciding” round in the 2018/19 super‑season forced a double‑date at the Circuit de la Sarthe.
Spa‑Francorchamps, with its 7 km sweep, has been the only other permanent venue. The Belgian track pulls the largest crowds outside Le Mans and provides the opening heat in May.
Key Asian and Middle Eastern Venues
Japan made the WEC core with Fuji from 2012‑19, 2022‑present, clinching Toyota’s dominance but ending with Porsche and Alpine victories in recent races.
Bahrain has been the Pacific‑East’s closing act, shifting from 6 to 8‑hour formats in 2019 and securing the title‑deciding points battle until conflicts in 2026. It plans a 2027 return subject to stability.
Shanghai rode the 2012–2019 championship push into China, finishing with a 4‑hour finish in 2019. Though cancelled, the track laid groundwork for possible future WEC in the region.
North American and European Cancellations
Sebring, part of the 2012 inaugural WEC when it was a combined event with the American Le Mans Series, re‑appeared in 2019, 2022‑23, and opened the seasons those years. The race was struck from 2024 after key 2024 adjustments.
Austin (Circuit of The Americas) started 2013‑17, returned in 2020, and currently re‑enters the roster as a replacement for Sebring from 2024 onward. Cadillac has yet to podium there.
Silverstone, once a dual‑event home with the European Le Mans Series, was absent since 2019, finally announced to resume in 2027. Links to its long history remain strong.
New Horizons: Brazil, Portugal, Qatar, and Spain
São Paulo, with Interlagos, returned to the calendar in 2024 after a 2014 absence, remaining until 2028. The event once helped anchor the WEC on the South‑American calendar.
Portimão seized the pandemic hiatus, first racing in 2021 and resuming in 2023, alternating 8‑hour and standard six‑hour sessions.
Qatar hosted in 2024 and 2025, a 1812‑km sprint, cancelled in 2026 due to the regional war, but restored for 2027 if the situation eases.
Barcelona will mark the first WEC race in Spain. The sixth‑hour event on 18 October 2027 replaces the postponed Qatar fixture, and the circuit already served as a 2019‑20 WEC Prologue track.
What This Means for the 2027 Season
The expanding mix of tracks preserves the series’ global mix while re‑introducing long‑standing fans in the UK and expanding the roster to eight races plus the returning Silverstone, setting an ambitious tone for the 2027 championship.
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