36 FIA WEC SEASON 8 - 1000 MILES OF SEBRING
KYALAMI
LOOKING AHEAD TO SEASON 9:
2020/2021
Season 9 will see the brand new Le Mans Hypercar replace
the top tier LMP1 category, as well as a refreshed calendar for
the 2020/2021 FIA WEC season. Silverstone will once again kick off
proceedings in September 2020 (back to its 6-hour race format) and the
season will culminate with the 24 Hours of Le Mans which will form the WEC
Super Finale in June 2021.
Two new venues, Monza (Italy) and Kyalami (South Africa), have been
introduced for Season 9 while retaining several traditional competitor and
fan favorites that have become an integral part of the WEC’s success around
the world. The eight races, to be run in Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa
and America, allow the WEC’s manufacturers, teams and partners true
intercontinental visibility at well-established venues in key regions around
the world.
Monza, the temple of Italian motorsport at which the WEC Prologue took
place in April 2017, has never hosted a WEC race before but has always
been a strong favourite with teams and fans alike.
Also new to the calendar is the historic but extensively redeveloped and
upgraded Kyalami circuit. Situated between Johannesburg and Pretoria,
the 6 Hours of Kyalami will open up new vistas to endurance racing fans
across the world and firmly establish world-class racing in Africa. Bahrain,
Fuji (Japan), Sebring (USA) and Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) also remain
on the calendar.
The cornerstone of the WEC – the 24 Hours of Le Mans – will see World
Champions crowned but drivers must prove their skill throughout the eightround
season, from the shortest race at 6 hours to the longest at 24 hours.
In the end, only the world’s best endurance racers who have proved to be
top of their game throughout the season will be worthy of being crowned
at Le Mans.
The new Toyota hypercar will be based on the GR Super Sport
for season 9
ACO AND IMSA FORGE FUTURE OF ENDURANCE RACING
The Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) and North America’s sanctioning body for endurance racing, the International Motor Sports
Association (IMSA), have announced that agreement has been reached for a common future with convergence of the top categories
of endurance racing. On the occasion of the 2020 Rolex 24 At Daytona, the two sanctioning bodies unveiled the guiding principle for this platform
– the introduction as the top category of competition of LMDh, which will be eligible for both the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. This joint platform responds to the wishes of numerous manufacturers.
The chance for automotive manufacturers to compete with the same car at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Rolex 24 At Daytona, at SuperSebring or
at the Total 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, at the Motul Petit Le Mans or even at the 6 Hours of Silverstone, will soon become a reality.
The ACO and IMSA have together established the basis for joint regulations to govern the new LMDh category. The objective is that, from
September 2021 in the FIA WEC and from January 2022 in the WeatherTech Championship, manufacturers will be able to enter the top category
and compete in the two leading championships in endurance racing with this new model of car, LMDh.