While the 2026 World Endurance Championship calendar is widely expected to resemble that of the current campaign and that of last year, a ninth round is on the horizon for 2027.
And if plans for the calendar expansion do come to fruition, it would be no surprise to see Silverstone return to the calendar for the first time since 2019.
Why not expand in 2026 already?
To understand this, we just need to recall the statement made by Frédéric Lequien, the FIA World Endurance Championship CEO, when he unveiled the 2025 WEC season calendar last June, on the eve of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
"The WEC is growing at an extraordinary rate but we must remain humble and by maintaining eight rounds we are listening to our teams, stakeholders and partners by also keeping budget in mind," Lequien said.
"It is important for WEC to reach as wide an audience as possible and with eight races across five different regions, we will continue to achieve this."
This reasoning still holds true today. While the WEC has never been in better shape, cost escalation remains a concern. Thus, in 2026, the only notable change would be the scheduling of the season opener, the 1812 km of Qatar, at the end of March instead of February.
Indeed, next year, Ramadan extends from Tuesday, February 17, to Thursday, March 19. Additionally, a slot must be found for the Prologue pre-season test, which is usually held a week before the race. This would significantly shorten the gap between the Qatar 1812 km and the Imola 6 Hours (under contract through 2028), which is still expected to take place in mid-April.
Why did Silverstone disappear in the first place?
From its rebirth in 2012 until 2019, the WEC visited Silverstone every year. The circuit even hosted the season opener from 2013 to 2017, as well as in 2019-20. But since then, nothing…
How come? Well, firstly, the collapse of the LMP1 category forced the promoter to scale down operations for two seasons, which was the time it took for the Hypercar regs to take shape. As a result, in 2021 and 2022 the calendar featured only six rounds, increasing to seven in 2023 and eight in 2024.
At the time, there were also disagreements between the championship and local promoters, which notably impacted attendance.
One of the key points of contention was event promotion on-site. Moreover, Silverstone’s pricing in particular was seen as excessive and discouraged many championships. Concessions for the WEC were out of the question at the time, as the WEC was not the powerhouse it is today.
So what has changed?
Simply put, Silverstone can no longer afford to ignore the second-largest FIA-sanctioned world championship after Formula 1, featuring manufacturers such as Ferrari, BMW, Porsche, Toyota, Peugeot, Alpine, Cadillac, and now Aston Martin; not forgetting Genesis, which will arrive next year. Last season, the WEC broke attendance records at every circuit it visited.
On the other hand, the WEC can hardly afford to bypass the United Kingdom, one of motorsport’s heartlands, and Silverstone, the epicentre of the 'Motorsport Valley'.
After maintaining eight rounds in 2026 as a reasonable approach, promoter LMEM - Le Mans Endurance Management - will need to take a step forward in 2027, a year in which Ford and McLaren will further strengthen an already impressive Hypercar grid.
The championship’s financial situation is far healthier than it was six years ago. And while the Qatar deal, signed through 2029, sparked some controversy, one of its objectives was to facilitate a return to historic circuits. After Interlagos returned in 2024, both fans and competitors agree: it’s time to return to Silverstone too.
Endurance heritage
This news would delight many, especially purist fans, who would see their beloved discipline reconnect with a historic circuit. And for good reason: the World Endurance Championship first visited Silverstone in 1976, back in the days of the World Championship for Makes.
Victory that year went to the BMW 3.5 CSL of John Fitzpatrick and Tom Walkinshaw. They were followed in the record books by Jacky Ickx and Jochen Mass, winners in the next two years with a factory Porsche 935. In 1980, Silverstone became part of the calendar of the World SportsCar Championship, with Derek Bell and Stefan Bellof winning in a Porsche 956.
Ickx and Mass share four wins together (1977, 1978, 1984, 1985), the same as Allan McNish (2004, 2005, 2008, 2013). Meanwhile, Porsche boasts a total of seven victories at the track.
The event has been contested over various distances and durations. But since 1976, Silverstone has hosted a major endurance championship 32 times, a streak just waiting to resume in full force…
