WEC slims down to six races for 2021 schedule

The World Endurance Championship is set to shrink from from eight races to six next year. That’s the plan, though the series says it cannot reveal when and where the races will be, save for a return of the Le Mans 24 Hours to its traditional mid-june slot.

The FIA and WEC promoter the Automobile Club de l’ouest confirmed on the resumption of the 2919-20 series at Spa last weeekend that there will be a slimmed-down schedule in 2021. The move, they stressed, is an inevitable consequence of the fallout of the COVID-19 crisis.

“We are trying to adapt the calendar to the economic and world situation,” said WEC boss Gerard Neveu. “It was clear and logical that we have to reduce the number of races from our discussions with the manufacturers and the teams.”

Six races, including Le Mans, is the minimum number laid down in the series rules. FIA statutes also dictate that world championships visit three continents.

Neveu insisted that this remains the intent for the WEC next year and that there is a desire to kick off the series at Sebring in March. But he stated that it is impossible at the moment to make any firm decisions because of restrictions on international travel.