FIA World Endurance Championship
- For the FIA World Endurance Championship contested from 1981 to 1985, see World Sportscar Championship.
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| Category | Le Mans Prototypes, Grand tourers |
|---|---|
| Country | International |
| Inaugural season | 2012 |
| Classes |
LMP1, LMP2 LMGTE Pro, LMGTE Am |
| Teams | 25 |
| Tyre suppliers | Michelin, Dunlop, Pirelli |
| Drivers' champion |  André Lotterer Marcel Fässler Benoît Tréluyer |
| Makes' champion | Audi |
| Official Website | http://www.fiawec.com |
The FIA World Endurance Championship is an auto racing world championship organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The series usurps the ACO's former Intercontinental Le Mans Cup which began in 2010, and is the first endurance series of world championship status since the demise of the World Sportscar Championship at the end of 1992. The World Endurance Championship name was previously used by the FIA from 1981 to 1985.
The series will feature multiple classes of cars competing in endurance races, with sports prototypes competing in the Le Mans Prototype categories, and production-based grand tourers competing in the GT Endurance categories. World champion titles will be awarded to the top scoring manufacturers and drivers over the season,[1][2] while other cups and trophies will be awarded for drivers and private teams.[3]
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Format [edit]
The World Endurance Championship will follow much of the format of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup and feature seven endurance races across the world, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with all races being at least six hours in duration.[2] The calendar will include two races each in Europe, North America, and Asia,[4] with a possible future expansion to eight or nine races.[5] The four current categories utilized in ACO events will continue to be used in the World Endurance Championship through 2013: LMP1 and LMP2 prototypes and the GTE category, divided into GTE Pro for teams with professional driver line-ups, and GTE Am for teams featuring a mixture of amateur drivers.
Six titles will be awarded each season based on total point tally, with two being deemed world championships: Manufacturers' World Endurance Champion and Drivers' World Champion. The GTE Pro class champion will be awarded a World Cup, while the leaders in LMP2 and GTE Am will be awarded a Trophy. The final Trophy will be awarded to the best privateer team amongst all four classes.[3] The points system will be similar to that that used in the FIA's other world championships, awarding points to the top ten finishers on a sliding point margin scale from first to tenth. Cars finishing the race but classified eleventh or further will be awarded a half point. Double points will be awarded for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.[3]
See also [edit]
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- American Le Mans Series
- European Le Mans Series
- FIA GT1 World Championship
- World Sportscar Championship
- Intercontinental Le Mans Cup
References [edit]
- ^ "2012 FIA World Endurance Championship". fia.com. Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 2011-06-03. Retrieved 2011-06-04.
- ^ a b "World Motor Sport Council". fia.com. Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 2011-06-03. Retrieved 2011-06-04.
- ^ a b c "The FIA World Endurance Championship is unveiled!". lemans.org. Automobile Club de l'Ouest. 2011-06-09. Retrieved 2011-06-09.
- ^ "FIA, ACO reveal details of WEC". Autosport.com. Haymarket Press. 2011-06-09. Retrieved 2011-06-09.
- ^ Marcel ten Caat (2011-06-09). "Le Mans Press Conference: 2012 and further". planetlemans.com. Planet Le Mans. Retrieved 2011-06-09.
External links [edit]
- FIA World Endurance Championship
- Automobile Club de l'Ouest
- Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
