Latest news with #WEC
NBC Sports
2 days ago
- Automotive
- NBC Sports
World Endurance Championship announces 2026 schedule
The FIA World Endurance Championship has announced its 2026 schedule, which will be made up of the same venues as in 2025. Capitalizing on the momentum of 750,000 fans that attended events in these eight rounds, there was little reason to alter the schedule, which will begin with Round 1 in Qatar, March 26 - 28, 2026. The 2026 calendar comprises five regions: Europe, North America, South America, Asia, and the Middle East. 'We are pleased to present our 2026 FIA WEC calendar, which reflects the series' success by building upon a winning formula and format,' said Frédéric Lequien, CEO, FIA World Endurance Championship in a news release. 'All eight events have established themselves as firm favourites amongst competitors and fans. Every circuit offers its own unique characteristics and challenges – and invariably brings out the best from our incredible drivers, cars and teams. We look forward to continuing to put on a thrilling show all around the world! The highlight of the schedule will continue to be the 24 Hours of Le Mans, June 10 - 14. Four six-hour races will be held at Imola (April 17 - 19), Spa-Francorchamps (May 7 - 9), Sao Paulo (July 10 - 12), and Mount Fuji, Japan (September 25 - 27). The Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, returns to the schedule on September 4 - 6 for the Lone Star Le Mans. WEC will conclude their season with an eight-hour race in Bahrain, November 5 - 7. 'After a period of expansion, including the addition of an eighth round in 2024, the FIA World Endurance Championship enters a phase of consolidation and stability with next season's calendar,' said Richard Mille, President, FIA Endurance Commission. 'The schedule continues to feature world-class circuits across key regions, striking the right balance between global exposure for manufacturers and the need to keep participation costs at a reasonable level. This stability lays a strong foundation for the continued success of the Hypercar class and supports the sustained growth of the world's premier endurance racing series.' 2026 WEC Schedule March 26 - 28: Qatar 1812 Kilometers (1,126 miles) April 17 - 19: 6 Hours of Imola May 7 - 9: 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps June 10 - 14: 24 Hours of Le Mans July 10 - 12: 6 Hours of Sao Paulo September 4 - 6: Lone Star Le Mans September 25 - 27: 6 Hours of Fuji November 5 - 7: 8 Hours of Bahrain
The Citizen
2 days ago
- Automotive
- The Citizen
McLaren's Le Mans hypercar will be sold to (very few) members of the public
McLaren's Le Mans hypercar will be sold to (very few) members of the public Alongside Ford, McLaren has also committed to joining the Le Mans LMDh Hypercar category from 2027, which will make it one of the most competitive the top tier of the endurance series has ever been. Looking for a new or used vehicle? Find it here with CARmag! On the weekend of the 93rd running of the iconic and revered Le Mans, McLaren unveiled its soon-to-be challenger, which will officially take on the Circuit de la Sarthe in 2027. Dubbed Project: Endurance, the initiative is a collaboration between McLaren Automotive and McLaren Racing, centred around customer ownership of a genuine Le Mans Hypercar and direct involvement in the development of the brand's 2027 FIA World Endurance Championship challenger. Related: Road Test: Isuzu MU-X 3.0TD Onyx XT 4X4 Participants will be limited to a highly select group of clients that will join the McLaren racing legacy, one that includes victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1995, two Indy 500 wins, 190+ Formula 1 Grand Prix victories, and the rare distinction of being the only manufacturer to have claimed motorsport's Triple Crown. The Hypercar itself will be built in partnership with Dallara, which has been critical in McLaren's IndyCar efforts. Behind the cockpit will be a rear-wheel-drive V6 twin-turbo hybrid powertrain, closely related to the one McLaren will field in the WEC's Hypercar class. McLaren says it promises to deliver authentic race-bred performance and the kind of driving experience typically reserved for professional endurance racers. A key selling point for what will realistically be a multi-million rand purchase will be integration into McLaren's factory development programme. The English automaker says that this includes testing phases and strategic briefings; they will shadow the creation of the 2027 WEC car alongside McLaren Racing's engineers, drivers, and management. The experience includes trackside immersion at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2027, where McLaren will chase its next Triple Crown, and aim to win all three jewels in a single season once more. Related: All-New Honda Amaze Lands in SA – Pricing and Spec Each Project: Endurance owner will also take part in a two-year global track programme, covering world-class circuits in an arrive-and-drive format. This includes personalised driver coaching, dedicated pit crews, and race engineers at each event to maximise performance and deliver a genuine endurance racing atmosphere. McLaren Group CEO Nick Collins describes the venture as 'a bold, authentic Le Mans Hypercar customer ownership experience', adding that it 'delivers a new dimension in McLaren customer partnership'. His counterpart at McLaren Racing, Zak Brown, echoed the sentiment, calling it 'an incredible chance to own an authentic race car and get closer to the action on track'. More details will be revealed as the programme develops, but for those fortunate enough to be selected, Project: Endurance sounds like the ultimate entry into the world of motorsport. Click here and browse thousands of new and used vehicles here with CARmag! The post McLaren's Le Mans Hypercar Will Be Sold to (Very Few) Members of the Public appeared first on CAR Magazine.
The Drive
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Drive
Inside the Mind-Boggling Logistics of Porsche's Le Mans Effort
The latest car news, reviews, and features. Even before stepping in, it's easy to see that the Porsche Penske Motorsport garage at the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans has an ant farm-like vibe. People walking at a determined pace are coming and going, Porsche-branded ATVs towing trailers with racing tires stacked high honk their way through the crowd, all while fans decked out in Porsche Motorsport attire bake in the sun like statues, hoping to catch a glimpse of their favorite racing driver. And for good reason, Roger Penske employs some of the best in the business. A security guard supervises the entrance to the garage throughout the entire weekend, and authorized visitors must check in by signing a digital waiver in exchange for a plastic badge before entering for the first time. Once inside, what you see largely depends on where you go and what's happening on the track. The atmosphere ranges from cramped to open, from frenzied to calm, and from dark to well-lit. There's no music or anything resembling entertainment: It's all racing, all the time. Racing is a business, especially for this global organization, which competes in the world's biggest racing series like NASCAR, IndyCar, IMSA, and of course, WEC. Ronan Glon The Porsche complex is much bigger than you might assume, too; it's like a small town in there. The room that's closest to the entrance is where Porsche stores three spare battery packs for its 963 Hypercars (one per car). It's roped off, only people who have a special accreditation are allowed to go near the high-voltage packs, and everyone on the team hopes that the batteries will stay in that room for the entire race. Replacing one takes about 45 minutes, making it one of the more labor-intensive operations that you can perform in the pits. 'The mindset of this race is that you don't give up,' Timo Bernhard, who drove a Porsche 919 Hybrid to victory in 2017 with Brendon Hartley and Earl Bamber, tells me. 'It's not a short race; It's not an F1 race. If you have a problem, you're not out of the race immediately.' He's speaking from experience. In 2017, his car made an unexpected pit stop due to a problem with the front axle's electric motor. Replacing the part took a little over an hour, and the 919 returned to the track in 54th place, 19 laps behind the leader, with over half of the race remaining. Earning a spot on the podium (let alone the top spot) must have looked impossible, yet that exact car went on to win the race. Ronan Glon I lost track of how many people walked in and out of the Porsche compound in the time that it took for Bernhard to explain why it's worth hauling around three spare battery packs. He then led me into the next room, which he jokingly described as 'a Porsche supermarket.' It's where the team stores many of the smaller parts that can fail during a day-long race, such as oil lines and coolant hoses, as well as any liquid that a repair could require, including engine oil and brake cleaner. Porsche keeps three spare transaxles in a separate room, and something immediately caught my eye as I walked in. There's a big, silver-colored ring around each axle. Did the thing just get married? Nope, not quite. It's a sensor that lets FIA officials measure the car's power output in real time to ensure no one cheats. It's mandatory on every car, of course, and if it fails, it needs to be replaced immediately. Ronan Glon Tires are closely monitored as well. In the Hypercar category, each car is allowed 14 sets of slick tires per race (rain tires are unlimited). Every tire is tracked via a QR code, so Porsche and FIA officials can quickly access parameters like its mileage and other variables. 'It's a huge part of the organization,' Bernhard points out. Interestingly, Porsche doesn't own the tires that the 963 races with; it pretty much leases them from Michelin. During the race, a dedicated Michelin engineer examines every single tire before they're mounted on the car, and then re-examines them once they're taken off after a stint. The engineer measures wear and tear and marks anything alarming or unusual with chalk; they then label the tire and take pictures for documentation purposes. It's not just Porsche: There's a Michelin engineer in every garage at Le Mans. The one working for Porsche doesn't exchange intel with the one working for BMW, obviously, but at the end of the race, the used tires all go back to Michelin's headquarters in Clermont-Ferrand, France. Ronan Glon The tires take up a tremendous amount of space in the pits. On the other hand, brake parts from AP Racing are few and far between. The 963 uses giant carbon-ceramic rotors designed to last for the full race, which is wild to think about when you consider the heat that they're subjected to. The 963 is a hybrid, so the brake energy recuperation system extends the rotors' life. The pads are changed once per race. The Porsche complex is massive, and there are multiple levels to it. Upstairs, there's a place for mechanics and the management team to relax, and an office where at least a dozen people have their eyeballs glued to computer screens. I don't think they even noticed I was there; that's how important their job is, and how seriously they take it. They're tracking live data sent by each car and looking for any irregularity, however small it may be. It's always the tiniest details that can indicate that a potentially serious problem is brewing. If needed, there's a second team of engineers located in Weissach, Germany, where Porsche develops all of its race cars, that's a phone call away. Ronan Glon Like most things nowadays, Le Mans is largely run by computers, but there's one task that hasn't been digitalized. Keeping the cars running in tip-top shape takes arduous, physical labor. Each 963 has its own pit crew tasked with servicing it during the entire race—a big job considering anywhere from 30 to 40 pit stops are performed if everything goes according to plan. We've talked before about the art of the Le Mans pit stop, and how it's something that needs to be seen up close to be believed. The crews can rest in their downtime, but they're never far from the pits and always ready to jump into action in case something goes wrong. But what about the drivers? Porsche Penske Motorsport entered three cars in Le Mans this year, the No. 4, 5, and 6, so that's a total of nine drivers, plus the reserve drivers. When they're not in the car, they're out and about. Some watch the race on the numerous televisions scattered throughout the pits, while others walk to what Porsche refers to as Container City. It looks like those temporary structures you often see on construction sites, and it's a few feet away from the pits, so the drivers can try to disconnect for a while while staying close to the heart of the action. Inside, the drivers can change, get a massage, see a doctor, and relax in a private space. Odds are you won't find them sleeping, though. 'You can never relax; I can tell you from my own experience,' Bernhard told me. 'This is the hardest part, to get a little bit of rest, because when you share a car with other drivers, you never really relax. You're always looking at where your car is and what's happening. You can never really disconnect from the race. You're lying in your bed, but you cannot sleep.' Ronan Glon Each driver's mileage throughout the race varies, literally and metaphorically. Most driver stints range from right under an hour to up to two hours. Regardless of how each team breaks shifts up, per the rules, a driver cannot race longer than four hours in six hours. Bernhard tells me that, when he raced at Le Mans, the massage room was 'almost like a wellness weekend.' For him, it was a more effective way to soothe his mind and body. Racing for such a long time, on little to no sleep, requires a great deal of concentration. You're in a cramped cockpit enduring a wide selection of vibrations, bumps, G-forces, and heat. 'It's a better way to relax your mind than trying to sleep,' he sums up. Food and drinks are at their disposal in the pits, in Container City, and in a hospitality area about 100 yards from the garage. You're at the wrong track if you're imagining that the pilots are treated like royalty, with private chefs catering to them throughout the race. They eat from the same buffet as journalists, PR staff, and execs, though I noticed a bowl of chopped avocado labeled 'Drivers Only.' Ronan Glon The logistics of racing at Le Mans are mind-blowing. The entire setup, including Container City, takes about three weeks to set up. There are over 100 people on location to support the Porsche team, and I can't even imagine what it costs to run the show. And yet, in the end, it's all worth it, even if you don't win. 'It's like our Olympic Games. You prioritize this weekend,' Bernhard said. Got a tip? Email us at tips@
Top Gear
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Top Gear
A Ferrari has been disqualified from the 2025 Le Mans 24hr race
A Ferrari has been disqualified from the 2025 Le Mans 24hr race And you'll literally never guess why… Skip 2 photos in the image carousel and continue reading Turn on Javascript to see all the available pictures. 1 / 2 Don't worry, Robert Kubica's fairytale Le Mans win isn't in jeopardy, and neither is Ferrari's, nor its position at the top of the WEC's drivers' and manufacturers' tables. However, following a post-race check, the number 50 Ferrari 499P that finished fourth overall was disqualified for a 'technical infringement'. Advertisement - Page continues below The infringement? Four missing bolts from the central rear wing support. Said Ferrari: 'As reported by the Stewards, during the number 50 car's last pit stop at 3.23pm on Sunday 15 June, a Ferrari AF Corse team mechanic noticed that only one of the bolts securing the central rear wing support was missing. 'Given the design of the element, the absence of one or more of these components did not compromise the car's safety in any way. The subsequent loss of the remaining bolts during the final 37 minutes of the race provided no advantage in terms of performance or the final standings. 'The top speed of the number 50 499P reported by the Stewards in their decision was recorded during the car's final seven laps while it was running in the slipstream of its sister car, the number 51 499P.' Advertisement - Page continues below Ferrari reported it was 'surprised' by the disqualification, while expressing 'complete confidence' in its team, and FIA regs. 'With full confidence in those same regulations, even though the incident in question offered no competitive advantage to the crew, nor did it compromise the safety of our drivers or that of other competitors, Ferrari is already at work ahead of the next rounds of a season that resumes under the global spotlight in July, in Brazil,' Ferrari added. A season it currently leads: Ferrari sits on 172 points in the manufacturers' championship, while its trio of Pier Guidi, Calado and Giovinazzi top the drivers' standings with 105 points. Top Gear Newsletter Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox. Success Your Email*
TimesLIVE
4 days ago
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
New Piloti Ferrari 296 Speciale is one for the racers
Ferrari has unveiled its new Piloti Ferrari 296 Speciale. A product of the Italian carmaker's Tailor Made programme, it's designed to celebrate the marque's successes achieved in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and to honour Ferrari client-racing drivers. The unique specification, reserved for clients involved in Ferrari's official sporting activities — both competitive and noncompetitive — is inspired by the 499P, overall winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2023, 2024 and 2025 in the Hypercar category. As such it features a bespoke exterior treatment with a choice of four racing-inspired colours: Rosso Scuderia, Blu Tour De France, Nero Daytona and Argento Nürburgring. All four shades are offset by contrasting flashes of Giallo Modena (Ferrari's famed yellow hue) and a hand-painted WEC logo. The aerodynamic front splitter wears an Italian flag and customers can choose a number of their choice to be applied to the bonnet and doors. The cabin gets racing seats upholstered in black Alcantara, with inserts made from the same fireproof fabric used to make the overalls worn by Ferrari factory drivers. The livery number is reproduced on the interior carbon fibre, while the metal footwell surface can be customised upon request. The personalisation is completed by a carbon identification plaque and a carbon-fibre door sill owners can customise with a personal inscription. Power is provided by a 515kW 3.0l twin-turbocharged V6 petrol engine. Mounted between it and the eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox is an e-motor that makes available a total system output of 648kW. Performance is rapid to say the least, with Ferrari claiming 0-100km/h in 2.8 seconds and 0-200 km/h in 7.0 seconds. Top speed is said to be greater than 330km/h.
