The Return Home: WEC’s Return to Silverstone

The FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) is set for a major change starting in the 2027 season. Organisers have confirmed an expansion of the calendar to nine race weekends and the return of a legendary circuit. After an eight-year absence, the iconic British circuit of Silverstone will return to the championship.

​The track, which was a regular fixture on the calendar for many years, will make its comeback on 27 April 2027. Silverstone will become the third round of the season and will expand the European leg of the championship to three classic six-hour races.

​Silverstone's return comes at a time when WEC is experiencing a surge in popularity, helped by the arrival of new manufacturers in the top category, such as Ford and McLaren, who bring large, loyal fanbases.

​The 2027 season will begin, as usual, at the end of February in Qatar. It will then move to the European rounds at Imola, Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps, before leading into the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans, which will take place from the 12th to the 13th of June.

​The first half of the season is therefore incredibly packed, with teams completing as many as five race weekends within the first four months. It will be one of the most intensive WEC seasons in recent years.

​The return of Silverstone is also significant from a historical perspective. The British circuit was a key part of the revived WEC throughout much of the 2010s. It was removed from the calendar due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent restructuring of the championship.

​When WEC returned to its traditional annual format in 2021, the number of races was reduced back to six, and Silverstone was not included among the selected venues. At the time, organisers stated that they did not want to expand the calendar too quickly, although they acknowledged that a long-term target of ten races per season remained a possibility.

​The gradual growth continued in 2023 with the addition of a seventh race. A year later, Qatar's introduction expanded the calendar to eight rounds. Now, another step forward arrives with a ninth event and the return of one of endurance racing's most legendary circuits.

​Speculation about Silverstone's return has been circulating for some time. The Automobile Club de l'Ouest announced the circuit's return to the European Le Mans Series calendar for 2026. In the past, Silverstone hosted ELMS and WEC races on the same weekend, and this is once again believed to be a possibility.

​For WEC, however, the return of Silverstone is a definitive sign of the championship's current growth. A series that was searching for a path back to expansion just a few years ago is now growing once again and continuing to break records.