Silverstone joins 9-race WEC calendar for 2027

The 2027 FIA World Endurance Championship calendar was revealed today at the ACO's annual press conference ahead of the Le Mans 24 Hours. The major headline is the addition of Silverstone to the European leg of the season on April 25, expanding the schedule to nine races for the first time since 2017.

The UK circuit, which hosts the British Grand Prix, has been tipped as a potential addition for multiple seasons since the Hypercar era picked up steam, and now finds itself back on the WEC calendar two years after the ACO’s European Le Mans Series returned to the venue in 2025. Previously, Silverstone hosted WEC races each year from 2012 to 2019.

Beyond that, the other eight venues remain the same from 2026. The schedule is book-ended by races in the Middle East with Qatar opening the season in March (the weekend after the Sebring 12 Hours) and Bahrain hosting the finale once again. Bahrain has also had its WEC contract extended through 2036.

Between the two are European races at Imola, Silverstone, Spa and Le Mans, before the flyaways begin in July with a visit to Interlagos, ahead of the regular stops in the U.S. at Circuit of The Americas and Fuji Speedway in Japan in September.

In terms of clashes/schedule conflicts with the announced 2027 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the Qatar Prologue will start a day after the Sebring 12 Hours, the Le Mans Test Day is set to be held the day after the Detroit Grand Prix and the WEC race at Interlagos clashes again with the IMSA race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

No update was shared on the status of the final portion of the 2026 calendar. It still has question marks hanging over it due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which may prevent the postponed Qatar race and the Bahrain finale from going ahead as planned. A final decision is expected to be taken next month.

There was also no reveal of the Asian Le Mans Series 2026-27 calendar, which is at risk of being heavily impacted if racing in the UAE remains impossible by the end of the year.