Series promoter the Automobile Club de l’Ouest has stressed the importance of capping the expansion of the series, at least temporarily, following its return to its traditional eight events in 2024 after a contraction resulting from COVID.
“It is not in the plan today to add a race, because of the cost,” ACO president Pierre Fillon told Motorsport.com. “The most important thing is to be careful about the costs even if the WEC is growing.”
The WEC organisation has made statements in the past suggesting that the series could go back to the nine-round calendar of 2016 and 2017 and even grow to as many as 10 races.
That scenario was outlined by series boss Frederic Lequien as he laid out the roadmap during 2022 for the return to eight races.
Fillon again stressed the significant interest from tracks and promoters in hosting WEC races.
“We have a lot of demand for races from circuits,” he explained, mentioning Silverstone’s interest in bringing back the UK WEC date, which was a fixture on the schedule from 2012 until the 2019/20 season.
The 2025 calendar should be revealed during the week of the Le Mans 24 Hours next month at the ACO’s traditional press conference.
It is expected that the schedule will be largely similar to this season’s with the exception of a return to Monza after Imola hosted the Italian race this year while the home of the Italian Grand Prix undergoes significant works to its pit and paddock facilities.
That means Austin is set to host the US round again, despite the interest from Roger Penske to run the WEC race on the road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The boss of the Porsche Penske Motorsport squad said as recently as March that he did not expect that ambition to be fulfilled next year as the result of scheduling difficulties.
Keeping the schedule at eight races has the support of the manufacturers.
BMW M Motorsport head Andreas Roos told Motorsport.com: “We are at the start of a new era of sportscar racing and first we have to see that it is working and becomes sustainable, and then maybe can think about another race.
“If you ask me now, I think the eight races is good and should be kept for next year.”
Thomas Laudenbach, boss of Porsche Motorsport, offered a similar viewpoint, suggesting that the first priority should be to increase “the marketing, the visibility, the fan base”.
“Then, I think you can increase the number of races, but for the moment we have to be careful.”
