FIA World Endurance Championship facts for kids
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| Category | Endurance racing |
|---|---|
| Country | International |
| Region | Worldwide |
| Inaugural season | 2012 |
| Prototype Classes | Hypercar |
| GT Classes | LMGT3 |
| Teams | 17 |
| Tyre suppliers | Michelin, Goodyear |
| Drivers' champion |
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| Makes' champion |
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| Teams' champion |
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 Current season |
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The FIA World Endurance Championship, often called WEC, is a global auto racing competition. It is organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and approved by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). This championship features exciting endurance races. These are long races where cars and drivers push their limits for many hours.
WEC took over from the ACO's earlier Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, which started in 2010. It is the first world championship for endurance racing since the World Sportscar Championship ended in 1992. The name "World Endurance Championship" was also used by the FIA from 1981 to 1985.
The series has different types of race cars. There are special sports prototype cars in the Hypercar and LMP2 groups. These are built just for racing. There are also grand tourer cars, which are based on production cars. These compete in the LM GTE Pro and Am categories. Teams and drivers earn points throughout the season. The top drivers and car makers win world champion titles. Other awards are given to private teams and drivers.
Contents
History of WEC
The World Endurance Championship began in 2012. It replaced the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. The new series followed a similar plan. It included eight endurance races around the world. One of the most famous races is the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Car Classes Over Time
When WEC started, it had four main car groups. These were LMP1 and LMP2 for prototype cars. There were also GTE grand tourer classes. GTE Pro was for professional drivers. GTE Am was for a mix of amateur and professional drivers.
After 2017, fewer car manufacturers were interested in the LMP1 class. So, the FIA looked into new rules for the top car category. This led to the creation of the Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) class. These new cars were different from the old Le Mans Prototypes. They used less hybrid technology. The goal was to attract more car makers to the championship. Cars like the Aston Martin Vulcan and McLaren Senna GTR were examples of the types of cars they hoped to see.
The Hypercar class first appeared in the 2021 season. Alpine, Glickenhaus, and Toyota entered LMH cars. From 2023, another type of car, called LMDh, could also race in the Hypercar class.
In 2021, the ACO announced changes for the LMGTE categories. Interest from car manufacturers was declining. The 2022 season was the last for the LMGTE Pro class. From 2024, LMGTE Am will be replaced. A new category based on GT3 cars will take its place. These will be "GT3 Premium" cars. They will have special body kits. The FIA wants this new class to be for customer teams. This means car makers cannot officially enter.
In 2024, the LMP2 class will not be part of the full WEC season. This is because more teams want to race in the Hypercar and new GT3-based LMGT3 classes. However, LMP2 cars will still race in the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans event.
How WEC Works
In the current season (as of 2024), five titles are awarded. Two of these are world championships. These are the Hypercar World Endurance Drivers' Championship and the Hypercar World Endurance Manufacturers' Championship. Winners are decided by total points.
Points System Explained
The points system is like other FIA world championships. Points are given to the top ten cars that finish a race. The first-place car gets the most points. Cars finishing eleventh or lower get half a point.
For races that are 8 or 10 hours long, points are worth about 1.5 times more. For example, a win that usually gives 25 points would give 38 points in these longer races. For the 24 Hours of Le Mans, points are worth about 2 times more. This makes the longer races more important for the championship.
Races
Current races (2024)
| Race | Circuit | Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| Qatar 1812 km |  Losail International Circuit |
2024 |
| 6 Hours of Imola |  Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari |
2024 |
| 6 Heures de Spa-Francorchamps |  Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps |
2012–present |
| 24 Hours of Le Mans |  Circuit de la Sarthe |
2012–present |
| 6 Hours of São Paulo |  Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace |
2012–2014, 2024 |
| Lone Star Le Mans |  Circuit of the Americas |
2013–2017, 2020, 2024 |
| 6 Hours of Fuji |  Fuji Speedway |
2012–2019, 2022–present |
| 8 Hours of Bahrain |  Bahrain International Circuit |
2012–2017, 2019–present (2 races in 2021) |
Former races
| Race | Circuit | Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| 4 Hours of Shanghai |  Shanghai International Circuit |
2012–2019 |
| 4 Hours of Silverstone |  Silverstone Circuit |
2012–2019 |
| 6 Hours of Mexico |  Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez |
2016–2017 |
| 6 Hours of Monza | Autodromo Nazionale di Monza |
2021–2023 |
| 6 Hours of Nürburgring |  Nürburgring |
2015–2017 |
| 6 Hours of Portimão |  Algarve International Circuit |
2021, 2023 |
| 1000 Miles of Sebring | Sebring International Raceway |
2019, 2022–2023 |
| 12 Hours of Sebring | Sebring International Raceway |
2012 |
Champions
See also
In Spanish: Campeonato Mundial de Resistencia de la FIA para niños
- 24 Hours of Le Mans
- IMSA SportsCar Championship
- European Le Mans Series
- Asian Le Mans Series
- Le Mans Cup
