Silverstone to Host Six-Hour World Endurance Race
Silverstone will host a round of the World Endurance Championship in 2027, becoming the ninth event on the calendar which also features the legendary Le Mans 24 Hours.
Silverstone, the iconic British circuit, is set to return to the World Endurance Championship (WEC) calendar in 2027 with a six-hour race. The event will be the ninth round of the 2027 season, announced on Friday, and includes the famous Le Mans 24 Hours. The series has regained popularity since the introduction of new 'hypercar' rules in 2021, attracting manufacturers such as Ferrari, Peugeot, Alpine, BMW, Toyota, Genesis, Cadillac, and Aston Martin.
The 5.891km Silverstone track, known for its fast, sweeping corners, is beloved by drivers and fans alike and will provide a stern test for WEC cars, including the showroom-style LMGT3 class. The British race is scheduled as the third event of the season, running from 23 to 25 April. Other rounds on the calendar include Qatar (Lusail), Italy (Imola), Belgium (Spa), Le Mans, Brazil (Sao Paulo), the United States (Circuit of the Americas), Japan (Fuji), and Bahrain (Sakhir).
"Silverstone is a venue steeped in motorsport history and boasts a long legacy of top-flight endurance racing, including eight hugely successful FIA WEC events from 2012 to 2019," said Frederic Lequien, CEO of WEC. "It is a circuit beloved by competitors, and from a driving and engineering point of view, it presents a tremendous challenge."
Le Mans sells out each year, attracting around 300,000 fans, and other races like the Six Hours of Spa are also growing in popularity. Several former Formula 1 drivers compete in WEC, including last year's Le Mans winner Robert Kubica, who drives the AF Course number 83 Ferrari 499P alongside Britain's Phil Hanson and China's Ye Yifei. Along with Silverstone's return, both Ford and McLaren will join the hypercar category next year, rekindling their legendary rivalry with Ferrari. Four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen is rumoured to be keen on competing at Le Mans in the future, following his participation in GT racing this year.
This year's Le Mans 24 Hours begins at 15:00 BST on Saturday in northwestern France.
