World Endurance Championship (WEC) as the series is called,
consist of eight races - with three new exciting circuits on the
calendar: Next year the field of prototypes will visit Interlagos
in Sao Paolo in Brazil, Mount Fuji in Japan and the motorsport
fanatic Gulf state Bahrain.
The first race will be the 12 Hours of Sebring in March, and the
final round will be fought in either Shanghai or Zhuhai in
November. The absolute peak of the WEC will be when the
80th 24 Hours of Le Mans takes place on the 16/17 of
June - a race where Tom Kristensen will try to expand his record
and take home his ninth victory in the prestigious race.
Except from Le Mans and Sebring all races are 6 hours long.
"It is a great calendar. The World Championship for prototypes
will truly be a global series. Four continents are on the calendar
including new, exciting countries as Brazil, Bahrain and Japan.
Especially the Fuji circuit in Japan is perfect for the World
Endurance Championship, I think. I have lived in Japan for five
years close to Fuji and I look forward to come back. The only thing
I think the calendar really need is a long race in the end of the
season, like Petit Le Mans in this year's ILMC. The fact that we
still get to race in USA at the 12 Hours of Sebring is great,
though. I have a lot of good memories from that particular circuit.
However there is no doubt that the most important race of the
season will be the 24 Hours of Le Mans - as always. That is the
race all teams and every driver wants to win the most," says Tom
K.
Preliminary WEC 2012 calendar (needs FIA's final
approval):
March 17, 2012: Sebring 12 Hours (USA)
May 5, 2012: Spa-Francorchamps 6 Hours (B)
June 3, 2012: 24 Heures du Mans test day (F)
June 16/17, 2012: 80th 24 Heures du Mans (F)
August 25, 2012: Silverstone 6 Hours (GB)
September 16, 2012: Sao Paulo 6 Hours (BR) tbc
September 30, 2012: Mount Fuji 6 Hours (J)
October 20, 2012: Bahrain 6 Hours (BAH)
November 11, 2012: (China) tba