FIA and ACO Extend World Endurance Championship Deal Through 2037, Paving Golden Age

The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) have signed a new ten‑year partnership that will keep the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) running through 2037. The agreement, which takes effect after the current contract expires in 2027, streamlines regulation, gives the FIA Endurance Commission final approval authority, and tightens homologation for Hypercar cars. It also boosts FIA branding across the track, podium, safety cars and broadcast. In 2026 the WEC’s trackside audience grew 8 %, with 44 % of attendees under 34 and 40 % attending a WEC event for the first time. The championship now features 14 marques, and Ford and McLaren will join the Hypercar class in 2027. The deal lays a framework for hydrogen powertrains and a unified technical standard that will align WEC Hypercars with IMSA’s North American series from 2030, aiming to lower costs and increase global participation. The extension signals a strategic push to sustain the WEC’s record growth, deepen fan engagement, and position endurance racing as a testbed for sustainable automotive technology.