How Does WEC Work: Here Are The Most Important Facts About World Endurance Championship
The World Endurance Championship (WEC) is a premier international racing series organized by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO).
It showcases endurance racing, where the emphasis is on the durability of cars, the strategy, and the stamina of the drivers, rather than just speed. The WEC includes several races around the globe, with the most famous being the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams compete in different classes of cars, ranging from prototypes to GT vehicles, allowing for a diverse field of competitors.
World Endurance Championship Points System
Points are awarded at the end of each race to the top finishers in each class. The standard points distribution system awards points to the top ten finishers as follows:
25 points for 1st place,
18 points for 2nd place,
15 points for 3rd place,
followed by 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, and 1 point for positions 4th through 10th, respectively.
This scale incentivizes teams and drivers to aim for the podium, but also rewards consistency and the ability to finish races.
However, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the crown jewel of the WEC calendar, features a different points allocation due to its significance and the increased challenge it represents. For Le Mans, the points awarded are roughly 1.5 times those of other races: 38 points for the winner, 27 points for 2nd place, and 23 points for 3rd place, continuing down in a similar fashion. This reflects the importance of Le Mans in the championship and the extra effort required to succeed in a 24-hour race.
Teams and drivers accumulate points over the season, and the ones with the highest points total in their respective classes at the end of the season are declared the champions. In the event of a tie in points, the tie-breaker is determined by the number of wins, followed by the number of second-place finishes, and so on, until a champion is decided.
Additionally, there is a separate championship for manufacturers in the LMP1 and GTE Pro classes. Manufacturer points are calculated by taking the highest-finishing car from each manufacturer in each race, ensuring that the competition remains focused on the collective performance of manufacturers' cars rather than individual teams.
Who’s Competing In WEC?
The WEC is divided into different classes to accommodate various types of cars and technologies, including:
LMP1 (Le Mans Prototype 1): This top category features the fastest and most technologically advanced prototypes, with a focus on hybrid technology and efficiency.
LMP2 (Le Mans Prototype 2): A more cost-capped class for prototypes, emphasizing equal competition through standardized engines and chassis.
GTE Pro (Grand Touring Endurance Professional): This class is for professional drivers racing high-performance versions of road-going sports cars.
GTE Am (Grand Touring Endurance Amateur): Similar to GTE Pro but aimed at amateur drivers, with slightly older models of cars permitted.
WEC Teams And Drivers in 2024
The 2024 season features 37 cars.
In the Hypercar class, notable teams include Cadillac Racing, Porsche Penske Motorsport, Toyota Gazoo Racing, Isotta Fraschini, Hertz Team Jota, BMW M Team WRT, Peugeot TotalEnergies, Lamborghini (Iron Lynx), and others. This class features advanced racing machines like the Cadillac V-Series.R, Porsche 963, Toyota GR010 Hybrid, and Lamborghini SC63, among others. Drivers such as Earl Bamber, Sébastien Bourdais, Alex Lynn, Matt Campbell, Mike Conway, and others bring a high level of skill and experience to the competition.
The introduction of the LMGT3 class in 2024 replaces the previous GTE class, aligning with the FIA's GT3 technical platform and focusing on a mix of professional and amateur (gentlemen) drivers.
This class includes 18 entries with representation from global brands such as Aston Martin, BMW, Corvette, Ferrari, Ford, Lexus, Lamborghini, McLaren, and Porsche. Notable teams and driver entries in this category include Team WRT with Valentino Rossi, United Autosports with a pair of McLaren 720S GT3 Evos, and Akkodis ASP Team entering two Lexus RC F GT3 cars.
The 2024 season is notable for its expanded schedule that includes eight rounds across five regions – Europe, the Middle East, Asia, North America, and South America. This expansion includes new venues in Doha, Imola, and Sao Paulo, alongside established circuits like Spa-Francorchamps, Le Mans, COTA, Fuji, and Bahrain.
What Are The Differences Between World Endurance And Formula 1 Championships?
The most striking difference is in the race format. WEC focuses on endurance racing, with events lasting anywhere from 6 hours to 24 hours, the most famous being the 24 Hours of Le Mans. F1 races, on the other hand, are much shorter, generally lasting around 2 hours, and are run over a set number of laps rather than a set time.
Furthermore, WEC features multiple classes of cars racing on the track simultaneously, including prototypes (Le Mans Prototypes 1 and 2) and GT cars (Grand Touring Endurance).
F1 features a single class of open-wheel, single-seater formula cars. The cars in each series are built to different specifications, with WEC cars designed for long-distance reliability and F1 cars optimized for speed and agility on shorter circuits.
Both series push the envelope in automotive technology, but they do so in different ways. WEC has been a pioneer in testing hybrid technologies and energy recovery systems in endurance racing conditions. F1 also incorporates advanced hybrid technologies but focuses more on maximizing performance and efficiency over a shorter race distance.
WEC Teams And Drivers vs. F1 Teams And Drivers
WEC races feature teams of two to three drivers per car due to the length of the races, requiring drivers to switch during pit stops. F1 races are contested by individual drivers, each representing their respective teams throughout the entire race.
Championship Structure
The WEC championship is decided over a season of endurance races around the world, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Points are accumulated based on finishes in these races. F1 follows a similar points system but is based on a series of Grand Prix races held globally, with each race typically lasting about two hours.
