The FIA World Endurance Championship will grow to nine rounds in 2027, with Silverstone rejoining the schedule for the first time since 2019 and the series stretching to its longest calendar in a decade.
The expansion was confirmed at the Automobile Club de l'Ouest's annual press conference ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Silverstone slots in as round three on 25 April, the only change to a calendar that otherwise retains all eight of its 2026 venues. The British circuit, which already hosts the Formula 1 and MotoGP British Grands Prix, staged WEC races every year from 2012 to 2019; Toyota's Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Jose Maria Lopez won the last one.
"We are very excited. This championship is on fire at the moment. Everyone is talking about it," said Silverstone CEO Stuart Pringle. "It's been a long time since we had endurance racing at Silverstone. We are delighted to have it back."
WEC chief executive Frederic Lequien framed the return as a homecoming for one of endurance racing's traditional strongholds. "Silverstone is a venue steeped in motorsport history and boasts a long legacy of top-flight endurance racing, including eight hugely successful FIA WEC events from 2012 to 2019," he said. "British fans are famously enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the sport, and we are delighted that they will once again be able to enjoy the indescribable thrill of a World Championship round up close on home soil."
The growth comes as the grid swells. Fourteen major manufacturers are currently represented in the championship, with Ford and McLaren both set to join the Hypercar ranks in 2027 -- numbers that have helped push trackside attendances to record levels.
"The FIA World Endurance Championship continues to go from strength-to-strength," said FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. "The return of the 6 Hours of Silverstone next season marks an important milestone for the championship. Silverstone is a venue with a rich endurance racing heritage, and its return reflects both the continued growth of the championship and the increasing global appeal of our sport."
The 2027 season opens with the traditional Prologue test at Qatar's Lusail circuit in late March, followed by the Qatar 1812km. A run of European races -- Imola, Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps and the 95th Le Mans 24 Hours on 12-13 June -- precedes four flyaways at Interlagos, the Circuit of the Americas, Fuji and the Bahrain finale in early November. The series also confirmed it has extended its agreement with Bahrain International Circuit through 2036.
Less settled is the back end of the 2026 calendar. With the postponed Qatar race and the Bahrain finale both under a cloud due to the conflict in the Middle East, Lequien said a decision would be taken over the summer. "The current situation is severe. We have reacted as much as possible. We have been working hand in hand with our partners. We want to remain optimistic," he said. "We will make a decision over the summer break on whether we will race in the Middle East or replace them with races likely in Europe. We will host eight races."
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*Originally published on [Motorsports Global](https://motorsports.global/article/wec-expands-to-nine-rounds-for-2027-as-silverstone-returns). Visit for full coverage.*
