[WEC] WEC 2024

[rdjones]

We have the schedule for 2024@-

Prologue - 24-25 Feb
Qatar 1812km - 2 Mar
6H Imola - 21 Apr
6H Spa - 11 May
24H Le Mans - 15-16 Jun
6H Sao Paolo - 14 Jul
Lone Star LM (COTA) - 1 Sep
6H Fuji - 15 Sep
8H Bahrain - 2 Nov

As we thought no Sebring and return to COTA for the US round. Also a return to Brazil and a bit of a surprise Monza has been dropped and replaced by Imola.

Still no Silverstone hopefully they will return in 2025

[PhilipR]

I like the scheduling - seems we have a more compact schedule with less big breaks between races which I think is great

As for the venues, I will keep away from this debate

[ArnageWRC]

A series which cuts its cloth accordingly, and will grow organically....no ridiculous number of events - unlike a certain other series which can't really afford it.

[Akrapovic]

lol circuit choices.

[seanyb505]

Spa to clash with nurburgring 24. Unfortunate, a lot of top class guys do both.

[PhilipR]

11th May is a Saturday - wonder if date stands - majority will do WEC first stint and then off to Nurburgring to do night and morning there

[broadrun96]

September 1 in Texas, should be PERFECT weather and plenty of hotel rooms for visitors that weekend too

Home game the day before the race and weather usually in the 30s and humid, perfect

[joeb]

Originally Posted by PhilipR

I like the scheduling - seems we have a more compact schedule with less big breaks between races which I think is great

As for the venues, I will keep away from this debate

6 weeks gap a couple times on there, but curiously not after Le Mans?

[v8supes]

Have to admit i was expecting Silverstone to be back on the schedule, it sounded as if talks were positive in earlier articles. Wonder if the ELMS will be heading there instead?

[PhilipR]

Originally Posted by joeb

6 weeks gap a couple times on there, but curiously not after Le Mans?

I do like how it comes around
End of Jan Daytona 24 hours
First weekend March the WEC Qatar
3rd weekend March 12 hours sebring
Mid April - Imola and Long Beach
Mid May - Spa
June-Le Mans
Mid July - Brazil
Summer Break
September - USA and Japan

The gap to Bahrain feels a bit long though

[Coach Ep]

Originally Posted by rdjones

We have the schedule for 2024@-

Prologue - 24-25 Feb
Qatar 1812km - 2 Mar
6H Imola - 21 Apr
6H Spa - 11 May
24H Le Mans - 15-16 Jun
6H Sao Paolo - 14 Jul
Lone Star LM (COTA) - 1 Sep
6H Fuji - 15 Sep
8H Bahrain - 2 Nov

As we thought no Sebring and return to COTA for the US round. Also a return to Brazil and a bit of a surprise Monza has been dropped and replaced by Imola.

Still no Silverstone hopefully they will return in 2025

I hope Imola and Monza will rotate annually.

Btw, just received a new survey invite from the series, I'm sure most of you did.

[TheMightyM]

It’s really hard to see how that COTA date will be a success.

The average high temperature in Austin on September 1 is 94°F (34.4°C). The huge draw in Austin — the University of Texas college football team — starts their season with a home game the day before the race. The football stadium has a capacity of 100,119. It will very likely be full, with many fans (alumni) traveling from out of town and staying in a hotel.

The start of the football season will also dominate the local sports coverage leading up to the weekend.

This is also COTA’s third biggest race of the year (NASCAR in March; F1 in October), and likely to get a “what’s the WEC?” reaction.

Neither the WEC nor IMSA have drawn well there in the past.

[Coach Ep]

General consensus seems to be that the CotA race is a stop-go fill before the series move to Indy in '25. If the track is paying the sanctioning fee + covering the promotion risks, then the series is more than likely fine with it. There might also be contractual obligations in play to host at a race on N-A/US territory. All in all, it sounds like a very similar deal as Qatar with the exception it's probably a 1 year deal only.

Agreed this is a major step back for US sportscar fans but the series doesn't exactly have the best track record in that regard. The Silverstone smoke screen is another example of that. Keep in mind the series is a manufacturers driven championship and they dictate the series' directions - not the fans. Besides Porsche and Cadillac, I don't think any of the other major manufacturers have been that eager to go to Sebring, especially not Toyota and Peugeot. The former (+ BMW) are already racing in IMSA and we know Ferrari values the Middle East highly.

Agreed on the scheduled weekend atrocities!

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by Coach Ep

I hope Imola and Monza will rotate annually.

Btw, just received a new survey invite from the series, I'm sure most of you did.

It appears the track may have requested the change due to work at the track in 24

***Imola is replacing Monza as the Italian WEC round because the latter circuit is undergoing improvement works in the first half of next year. It is understood that Imola has a one-year deal with an option to extend that into the future. “We need to enjoy 2024 with Imola and then we will see what we do in Italy,” said Lequien. From S365

[Adam43]

I’m underwhelmed. And I’m all for COTA.

[J Jay]

Two steps forward, one step back. Hopefully there will be a resolution to the Spa/N24 clash, but it's not like the ACO have previous for throwing their weight around.

[Plantagenet]

Can anyone explain to me why Silverstone is not here. I know WEC isn’t as well attended as the other marquee events (F1, MotoGP) but I still would have thought they would want to host this.
I make no apology for being a purist, but it is a real shame that there is no Silverstone when you have 2 soulless circuits in the Middle East.
Fully agree about COTA which is a great addition.

[ArnageWRC]

Originally Posted by Plantagenet

Can anyone explain to me why Silverstone is not here. I know WEC isn’t as well attended as the other marquee events (F1, MotoGP) but I still would have thought they would want to host this.
I make no apology for being a purist, but it is a real shame that there is no Silverstone when you have 2 soulless circuits in the Middle East.
Fully agree about COTA which is a great addition.

I think the simplest explanation is down to £££££$$$$$$...they don't/can't pay. They're set up for the F1 race, plus the bonus of MotoGP.
I often thought they treated ILMS, WEC races as a second class series....

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by seanyb505

Spa to clash with nurburgring 24. Unfortunate, a lot of top class guys do both.

Don't understand why they do this.
And why manufacturers like BMW and Porsche accept this.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by seanyb505

Spa to clash with nurburgring 24. Unfortunate, a lot of top class guys do both.

What?! They are next door to each other too!

[TheMightyM]

The Spa/N24 clash is extremely unfortunate. You have to put the blame on the WEC for this — the N24 race date was announced back in October 2021.

Of course, the ACO/FIA WEC may not be in a mood to play nice as the Nürburgring 24 date for 2025 was set as June 19 - 22, which a potential (likely?) Le Mans clash.

[GT3_Fan]

The WEC sked for 2024 honestly sucks. Conflicts with other events galore. Wasted cash pickups at 2 middle east tracks now. And no Sebring and Portimao, both are awesome tracks at awesome locations.

[broadrun96]

Conflicts will happen, that's just part of life, pretending everyone can make each track bend to their will is a fool's errand. Remember these tracks aren't sitting here just waiting for the series to show up, they have multiple other events, testing and track rentals on the schedule too

Spa and N24 though does seem a bit excessive there for fans, flaggers and teams though

[pach233]

I like that there's 8 events and that's about it. I'll consider making it to COTA but flying there for a 6 hour race in 94 degrees without much support series is a much worse proposition than Sebring has been. That said, Indy RC in '25 is even worse IMO.

[broadrun96]

I'm with you, would be interested in COTA but a hotel room then and the temps make the cost seem extreme