The FIA World Endurance Championship, frequently abbreviated to simply the WEC, is an international sportscar racing series, organised by the FIA and the Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Built upon the success of the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans race, the WEC is among the most successful racing series of the modern era, with mixed class racing of prototypes and GT cars.
The WEC came into existance in 2012 as a revival of the World Sportscar Championship, which had run alongside Formula One as one of the prime motorsport categories in the world between 1953 and 1992.[1] Although the WEC and F1 have lacked a close relationship, with frequent calendar clashes, the continuing growth of interest in sportscar racing has meant that there has been an ever increasing amount of crossover between the two.
Links to Formula One[]
Aside from the fact that the FIA organise both series, the WEC and F1 have a far greater connection than is often realised. Becoming Champion of either the LMP1 or GTE Pro classes in the WEC is viewed as the equivalent as taking the F1 World Championship title by the FIA, while winning the WEC has a significant influence on a driver's Super Licence points.[2]
Below are various lists of personnel, drivers, manufacturers and more that have competed in, or have been involved in, both the WEC and Formula One.
Drivers[]
Note: Only drivers who have completed in a round of the Formula One World Championship are listed here.
| Driver | WEC years | F1 years | Races |
|---|---|---|---|
 Christijan Albers
|
2012 | 2005-2007 | 1 |
 Fernando Alonso
|
2018, 2019 | 2001, 2003-2018, 2021-present | 9 |
 Sébastien Bourdais
|
2012 | 2008-2009 | 2 |
 David Brabham
|
2012, 2015 | 1990, 1994 | 9 |
 Martin Brundle
|
2012 | 1984-1989, 1991-1996 | 2 |
 Gianmaria Bruni
|
2012-2016 | 2004 | 40 |
 Sébastien Buemi
|
2012-present | 2009-2011 | 43 |
 Karun Chandhok
|
2012 | 2010-2011 | 8 |
| Max Chilton
|
2015 | 2013-2014 | 1 |
| Anthony Davidson
|
2012-2017 | 2002, 2005, 2007-2008 | 41 |
 Lucas di Grassi
|
2012-2016 | 2010 | 28 |
| Giancarlo Fisichella
|
2012-2015 | 1996-2009 | 18 |
| Emerson Fittipaldi
|
2014 | 1970-1980 | 1 |
| Marc Gené
|
2012-2014 | 1999-2000, 2003-2004 | 5 |
| Antonio Giovinazzi
|
2016 | 2017 | 2 |
 Brendon Hartley
|
2014-2017 | 2017-present | 34 |
 Nick Heidfeld
|
2012-2016 | 2000-2011 | 28 |
| Nico Hülkenberg
|
2015 | 2010, 2012-present | 2 |
 Stefan Johansson
|
2012 | 1980, 1983-1991 | 3 |
 Christian Klien
|
2015 | 2004-2006, 2010 | 2 |
 Kamui Kobayashi
|
2013, 2016-present | 2009-2012, 2014 | 26 |
 Pedro Lamy
|
2012-present | 1993-1996 | 41 |
| Vitantonio Liuzzi
|
2012-2013, 2015 | 2005-2007, 2009-2011 | 12 |
| André Lotterer
|
2012-present | 2014 | 50 |
| Allan McNish
|
2012-2013 | 2002 | 16 |
| Roberto Merhi
|
2016-2017 | 2015 | 8 |
| Franck Montagny
|
2012 | 2006 | 1 |
| Tiago Monteiro
|
2015 | 2005-2006 | 1 |
| Kazuki Nakajima
|
2012-present | 2007-2009 | 37 |
 Vitaly Petrov
|
2016-present | 2010-2012 | 18 |
| Nelson Piquet, Jr.
|
2016-present | 2008-2009 | 11 |
| Antônio Pizzonia
|
2013, 2016 | 2003-2005 | 3 |
 Alexander Rossi
|
2013 | 2015 | 1 |
 Mika Salo
|
2014 | 1994-2000, 2002 | 1 |
| Stéphane Sarrazin
|
2012-present | 1999 | 44 |
| Takuma Sato
|
2012 | 2002-2008 | 2 |
| Bruno Senna
|
2013-2014, 2016-present | 2010-2012 | 23 |
| Will Stevens
|
2016 | 2014-2015 | 5 |
| Giedo van der Garde
|
2016 | 2013 | 4 |
| Jean-Éric Vergne
|
2017-present | 2012-2014 | 8 |
| Mark Webber
|
2014-2016 | 2002-2013 | 25 |
| Alexander Wurz
|
2012-2015 | 1997-2000, 2005, 2007 | 28 |
- Bold indicates a WEC Champion overall.
Personnel[]
Manufacturers[]
Toyota is the most recent competitor in both the WEC and Formula One, although the Japanese firm have not campaigned in both series simultanously. Other prominent WEC brands Porsche and Audi have left the series in recent seasons, and expressed interest in F1, although neither has committed to join F1 in the near future.
The GT field in the WEC has always featured multiple entries from Ferrari, whom have won all bar one of the World GT Manufacturers' Championships since 2012. Other than Porsche, the only other F1 associated manufacturer are Aston Martin, who have flirted with an F1 return for 2021.
In terms of suppliers, famed Italian chassis builders Dallara have built both F1 and WEC cars, selling their own customer LMP2 chassis in the latter.
Venues[]
The WEC and Formula One have used the same venues several times apiece, including:
Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez- Autódromo José Carlos Pace
- Bahrain International Circuit
- Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
- Circuit of the Americas
- Fuji Speedway
- Nürburgring
- Sebring International Raceway
- Shanghai International Circuit
- Silverstone
Formula One has also visited the WEC's best known venue, the Circuit de la Sarthe, although the 1967 French Grand Prix, infamously known as the "Grand Prix of the Car Parks", used the "Bugatti Circuit".
More Information[]
For more information on the World Endurance Championship head to one of the following sites:
References[]
Images and Videos:
References:
- ↑ 'Archives', fiawec.com, (World Endurance Championship, 2017), http://www.fiawec.com/en/past-seasons/36, (Accessed 20/11/2017)
- ↑ Lawrence Barretto, 'FIA makes changes to planned Formula 1 superlicence points system', autosport.com, (Haymarket Media, 11/07/2015), https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/119938/changes-to-f1-superlicence-points-plan, (Accessed 30/11/2017)