Silverstone Aiming to Be “Next Biggest” Race After Le Mans

Silverstone CEO Stuart Pringle has outlined an ambition for the British track to become the “next biggest” race on the FIA World Endurance Championship calendar behind the 24 Hours of Le Mans after securing a deal to return to the calendar next year.

The home of the Formula 1 British Grand Prix, and a former staple of the WEC schedule prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, was confirmed as part of the 2027 calendar when it was revealed at Le Mans last month with an April date.

It marks the start of a new four-year deal with promoter Le Mans Endurance Management that will see Silverstone host WEC events at least through to 2030.

Pringle told selected media including Sportscar365 that he’s already “looking beyond this four-year deal” as it seeks to tap into its primarily Formula 1-derived fanbase to build up interest in the revived 6 Hours of Silverstone.

“This is a genuine partnership with WEC,” he said. “We’re very much in this together. They really want to be at Silverstone. They consider it to add value to the calendar and I’m determined that we don’t let them down and we give them an event.

“Nothing’s going to rival [Le Mans], but I see no reason why we can’t quickly be the next biggest race on the calendar.”

He added: “I anticipate that there’ll be a really strong first year, because I think there’s a pent-up demand for this, and I think there’s an angle to get people excited about it.

“Our challenge is to explain to people who have become fans of Formula 1 that actually this is every bit as good, and unpack it for them and explain how this is an incredible game of chess which plays out over six hours, and tactically it’s every bit as enthralling.”

Becoming the next-largest race on the WEC schedule after Le Mans in terms of attendees would require surpassing the 6 Hours of Spa, which welcomed 101,606 fans over the course of three days earlier this year.

Asked if he felt a six-figure weekend crowd was viable, Pringle replied: “I think that that is absolutely achievable over the weekend at Silverstone. I think we can get to six figures over the weekend in this contract, yes.”

Involvement of British Marques, ELMS Success Key to WEC Return

Pringle went on to cite the involvement of Aston Martin, and the looming arrival of McLaren, in the WEC’s Hypercar class as one of the factors that has made him confident about being able to attract a sizeable crowd.

“You need British brands,” he stated. “The best example I can give you of that is the challenges we have trying to promote MotoGP, where there are no British manufacturers, no British teams and no British riders in the premier class. And it’s really difficult.

“If you contrast that with Formula 1, where in the opening race at Melbourne, this year’s championship, there are only three people in the top eight that weren’t British.

“So, absolutely having Aston Martin and McLaren in this championship had a direct material impact in our decision-making.

“It gives us confidence that we can build a crowd because they are huge brands and they’re willing to work with us and support us. Silverstone’s a big brand, but they are more emotional.”

Equally important was the success of the 2025 Silverstone ELMS round, where a weekend crowd of 110,000 fans was claimed by organizers.

“I think there’s people involved in that organization [LMEM] who weren’t around when WEC was there before, so for them to turn up and see that cracking racing, and to see the latent interest in sports car racing, was important,” said Pringle.

“Also, working with us and seeing that we know what we’re doing, we’re a straightforward professional bunch of people who put on races, week in, week out, from really big ones to the clubbies that are on our stock-in-trade week in, allowing the ecosystem of British motorsport access to the premier circuit.”

Pringle reiterated that maintaining Silverstone’s place on the ELMS calendar as a standalone event also remains a major priority.

“ELMS is a really important meeting,” he stated. “It’s a European championship. It’s very quick, it’s very competitive, and it has its place.

“I hope the largest crowd comes to WEC because that’s the world championship, but I hope people come to WEC in April and go, ‘That’s really good, let’s go again in September and see the ELMS’. I see no reason why people wouldn’t come [to both].

“I want them both, and I want them both to be successful meetings.”