The FIA has confirmed that the current agreement with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) for the promotion of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) will be maintained until the end of 2027, after a German media outlet reported a possible dispute between both organizations.
According to the report by Auto Motor und Sport, no agreement had been reached regarding the promotion of the WEC for 2027, which had generated speculation about the creation of a new promoter for the championship. In this eventuality, the 24 Hours of Le Mans would not be part of this new series, as they are directly owned by the ACO.
The FIA responded by emphasizing that the current agreement remains in force and that discussions are ongoing for a possible extension beyond 2027. In a statement, the FIA highlighted the sustained growth of the WEC, especially since the introduction of the Hypercar and LMGT3 regulations, and underscored the importance of collaboration among drivers, teams, manufacturers, and fans.
The WEC has confirmed that both the FIA and the ACO are maintaining “constructive” discussions about the future of the championship, suggesting that talks about the seasons after 2027 are positive. The ACO and the FIA have worked together since the creation of the WEC in 2012 to develop the competition and have achieved greater global visibility in recent years.
Additionally, the WEC has already announced a calendar of new events for 2027, which includes the return of Silverstone and the traditional season finale in Bahrain, approved by the FIA World Motorsport Council last June.
Historically, endurance racing has been marked by political and organizational incidents. The FIA and the ACO have worked jointly to re-establish a global competition after the Sportscar World Championship was canceled in 1993. The current WEC has gone through various phases of growth and adaptation and has recently benefited from the convergence between LMDh and LMH regulations.
With the promotion of the championship handled by Le Mans Endurance Management (LMEM), the FIA grants the world championship titles and oversees the sanctioning of the competition, while FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been reviewing contracts with all championships, including those of Formula 1.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
