Silverstone in talks for slot on WEC calendar
A British European Le Mans Series round next year will mark the return of international prototypes to Silverstone. Now a WEC race is back on the agenda
The last time WEC was staged in the UK was 2019, when Silverstone hosted round one – won by Toyota
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International prototype sports car racing will return to these shores in 2025 for the first time in six years – in what could be a precursor to a long-awaited British comeback for the World Endurance Championship.
Silverstone will host the penultimate round of the 2025 European Le Mans Series on September 14, marking a welcome return for the series featuring LMP2, LMP3 and LMGT3 for the first time since 2019. The ELMS is run by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, organiser of the Le Mans 24 Hours and the WEC, and Silverstone chief Stuart Pringle, inset, is in talks to secure a round of the thriving world championship in 2026 or 2027.
When asked by Motor Sport whether the ELMS race might blaze a trail for a WEC return, Pringle said: “I hope so. There are no guarantees, but the WEC has invited me to their season finale in Bahrain. We are edging [towards it]. If we do get it, the ELMS race will be an important part of the journey. We might have to show them how we run a race. But we did invite [ACO president] Pierre Fillon to the British Grand Prix. He was impressed.”
The Covid pandemic has been blamed on Silverstone’s loss of the ELMS and WEC rounds, which last hosted a double-header for both in summer 2019.
“It’s taken a little while to get here, but we’ve maintained a regular and very friendly dialogue with the ACO,” said Pringle. “Fundamentally we want Silverstone to be the home of world championships and sports cars have always been particularly popular with a large portion of the BRDC membership. The ELMS is a nice bit of business. The next nut to crack is to find terms that work for both us and the WEC.”
The main sticking point is likely to be the WEC manufacturers agreeing to expand beyond the current limit of eight rounds per season. WEC boss Frédéric Lequien has indicated an ACO desire for more, although carmakers with a stake in the series have previously expressed a reticence because of extra costs.
In terms of the time of year of a potential WEC race, Pringle said: “We’ll take what we’re given,” before indicating a May date is most likely. “Things are heading in the right direction and I think we’ll get it eventually on terms we can afford and on a date we can promote.”
ELMS 2025 season starts in Barcelona on April 6 and ends in Portimão on October 18.