WEC REVEALS 2018/19 CALENDAR

WEC announce big changes for 2018/19 schedule – Photo: LAT

As previously reported, the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) will undergo major changes in to 2018, moving from a summer to a winter schedule.

The changes will see the championship expanded to 18 months for the 2018/19 season as the series migrates to its new winter schedule, with the Spa 6 Hour and Le Mans 24 Hour featuring twice to both open and close the new nine round calendar.

Five of the current nine venues to host WEC races have been dropped, with Silverstone, Circuit of the Americas, Mexico City, Bahrain and Nürburgring losing their places on the calendar.

WEC last raced at Sebring in 2012 – Photo: LAT

The notable addition to the schedule is the return of the 12 Hours of Sebring for the first time since 2012.

WEC will run alongside IMSA at Sebring with the two categories hosting their own seperate 12 hour races over the same weekend at the venue. The IMSA race will take place from 10.00am to 10.00pm on Saturday before WEC take to the track at midnight and race through to 12 noon Sunday.

Races at Fuji and Shanghai remain unchanged, while one more slot in the calendar, for February 2019 is yet to have it’s venue determined.

FIA WEC Provisional 2018/19 Calendar

• 5 & 6 April:                                       The Prologue, Circuit Paul Ricard (FRA) **
• 4 & 5 May:                                        WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BEL)
• 16 & 17 June:                                   24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA)
• 13 & 14 October:                             6 Hours of Fuji (JPN)
• 03 & 04 November:                         6 Hours of Shanghai (CHN)
• February 2019                                  Place and event TBC
• 15 & 16 March 2019:                      12 Hours of Sebring (USA) *
• 3 & 4 May 2019:                              WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BEL)
• 15 &16 June 2019:                           24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA)

The news of changes for 2018/19 also included a revision to the the LMP1 classifications for the next season.

All LMP1 cars to be treated equal from next year with the non-hybrid LMP1 regulations managed via equivalence of technologies will be aligned with the current LMP1 hybrid regulations, allowing private LMP1 teams to compete with the manufacturer teams.

These rules will remain in place until the 2020 season with the new LMP1 regulations announced at this year’s Le Mans 24 Hour to be ‘substantially altered’.

The WEC is on track this weekend in Mexico and we’ll cover all the action in next week’s International Wrap. In the meantime, pick up the current issue of Auto Action magazine for more of the latest international motorsport news. Also follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or our Weekly Newsletter for all the latest updates.