Photo: Andrea Lorenzina/DPPI
The FIA and ACO could go separate ways in its current partnership with the FIA World Endurance Championship, according to a report from a leading German automotive and motorsport publication, which would have massive repercussions in sports car racing worldwide.
According to a detailed report by Auto Motor und Sport, the WEC has been operating without a contract that was due to be renewed in June between the two organizations for 2027 and beyond.
It states that two contracts governing the cooperation between the FIA and ACO have expired, the first of which designates ACO subsidiary Le Mans Endurance Management (LMEM) as the organizer of the WEC, while the second confirms that the 24 Hours of Le Mans is part of the WEC season, with the agreements stipulating financial contributions to the FIA for world championship titles and various other obligations.
In June at Le Mans, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem downplayed rumored disputes between himself and ACO President Pierre Fillon, although Auto Motor und Sport states that an agreement has still not been reached, speculating that the FIA could soon place a public tender for a new promoter of the WEC.
The publication states that disputes have reached a point where FIA Endurance Commission President Richard Mille will be reportedly stepping down from his position at the end of this year.
Ben Sulayem, who was re-elected FIA President last December, has been in the process of re-negotiating contracts with all FIA world championships, with WEC reportedly the sole remaining series without a new agreement.
The report states that the contract negotiations are “allegedly causing an escalation.”
Should the FIA appoint a new promoter, it would lose the 24 Hours of Le Mans, as the French endurance classic is owned and governed by the ACO, which could even lead to a separate series, run by the ACO, similar to the WEC’s precursor, the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup.
The 2030 top-class technical regulations, which have been agreed in principal by the FIA, ACO and IMSA, could also be placed into jeopardy.
Sport Auto Editor-in-Chief Marcus Schurig writes: “This would turn the world order in endurance racing upside down, raising numerous questions: Can an endurance world championship function without Le Mans?
“What will the ACO do if it has to relinquish the world title? Will there be an ACO [breakaway] series, centered around the 24 Hours of Le Mans? And if so, what technical regulations will govern the prototype and GT race cars?
“What are the car manufacturers doing? Are they withdrawing? Or are they showing solidarity with the ACO – or with the FIA? What will happen to the regulatory cooperation between the ACO/FIA and the IMSA championship?
“The American LMDh concept clearly has the upper hand in terms of manufacturer support, with a 9:4 margin [over LMH]. If the alliance between the ACO and FIA breaks down, then the boom in endurance racing could also come to an abrupt end.”
The FIA and ACO joined forces to launch the WEC in 2012, a re-incarnation of the World Sportscar Championship, which collapsed at the end of 1992.
The WEC has recently seen record growth among manufacturer involvement in the Hypercar class, which debuted in 2021 but reached convergence with the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2023 with the start of the LMDh ruleset, which is balanced with LMH-based prototypes in the top classes of both championships.
There are currently eight manufacturers in Hypercar, with two more — Ford and McLaren — on the way for next year, while the LMGT3 grid is represented by nine brands.
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