Now, here is a wild rumour put to bed quickly. As Motorsport.com reports, the FIA has stepped forward to confirm that its current agreement with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest covering the promotion of the World Endurance Championship remains completely secure until the end of 2027.
That clarification comes straight on the heels of a bombshell report from renowned German outlet Auto Motor und Sport. That publication claimed the two joint organisers of the WEC could actually part ways as early as 2027 due to an alleged dispute over promotion terms. According to that same report, the situation might have forced the FIA to issue a tender for a brand-new promoter—a series that, crucially, would not feature the Le Mans 24 Hours since that French classic is owned and governed directly by the ACO.
Thankfully, both governing bodies have laughed off the panic. The FIA issued a statement highlighting that the championship has enjoyed sustained growth across seven countries this season thanks to the introduction of Hypercar and LMGT3 regulations. That success, the FIA noted, is the result of extensive collaboration between drivers, teams, manufacturers, the FIA, the ACO, the promoter LMEM, and the fans. Crucially, the governing body confirmed that discussions are already underway regarding an extension beyond the current term.
The WEC echoed that sentiment, describing ongoing talks for the long-term future of the championship as constructive. Their official statement pointed out that the ACO and the FIA have worked hand-in-hand since the world championship was created in 2012, riding a wave of strong momentum built on growing interest from manufacturers, teams, partners, media, and fans alike. Both organisations remain fully committed to their collaboration to ensure the long-term success of the series.
In fact, the championship machinery is already looking far ahead. The WEC has already locked in and approved a nine-round calendar for 2027 by the FIA World Motor Sport Council in June, featuring the return of Silverstone and the traditional season finale in Bahrain. International sportscar racing has a notoriously brutal political history—remembering the collapse of the old World Sportscar Championship after 1993 and the twenty-year desert before the WEC was born in 2012—so any hint of a split naturally causes a stir.
Today, the WEC is promoted via Le Mans Endurance Management, an ACO subsidiary, while the FIA acts as joint promoter, sanctions the championship, and awards the world championship titles. The original German report also pointed out that FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been re-negotiating contracts across multiple championships. But any worry of an imminent divorce has been thoroughly dismissed, especially since both bodies, alongside IMSA, agreed in principle to new unified Hypercar regulations for 2030 just three months ago.
