Here is the thing, as Crash.net reports: the 24 Hours of Le Mans is facing an uncertain future for 2027 due to a reported rift between the FIA and the ACO regarding their World Endurance Championship contract.
The partnership between the two bodies has been active since the World Endurance Championship debuted in 2012, reviving the old World Sportscar Championship that collapsed in 1992. According to a report from Auto Motor und Sport in Germany, this relationship is now under severe threat.
A new deal was supposed to be signed in June, but the current FIA WEC season has been running without a contract in place. The previous agreement was a dual contract stipulating that the ACO’s subsidiary, Le Mans Endurance Management, serves as the organiser of the WEC, while confirming the 24 Hours of Le Mans as a world championship round. Auto Motor und Sport reports that the relationship between FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and ACO chief Pierre Fillon has broken down.
This follows comments from Ben Sulayem in June at Le Mans stating he expected a new deal to be finalised next week. The German publication claims a number of manufacturers have complained about the ACO to the FIA. The standoff appears tied to Ben Sulayem’s push for the FIA to generate more money, secure greater power in championships, and gain a say on technical regulations. Under former FIA president Jean Todt, the ACO was previously granted favourable conditions, paying less money to the FIA compared to world championships such as Formula 1 and the World Rally Championship, while retaining exclusive rights to define technical regulations in the Hypercar class.
With the standoff ongoing, the FIA is now threatening to appoint a different promoter for the WEC and could launch a public tender. This move could lead to the loss of the 24 Hours of Le Mans as part of the FIA WEC calendar, raising questions about the series' long-term survival without its showpiece event. It also creates uncertainty over technical regulations in sportscar racing’s top flight alongside the ACO's North American partner, the IMSA SportsCar Championship, from 2030 onwards when the current ruleset expires, raising the prospect of an ACO-run breakaway series centred around Le Mans.
Although some manufacturers have complained to the FIA about the ACO, it remains unclear how the car maker balance would shift in a split. At present, the LMDh platform of regulations in the Hypercar class is favoured over LMH through the cooperation of the ACO and the FIA. Incoming brands like Ford and McLaren in 2027 have built cars around the LMDh formula, alongside Cadillac, BMW and Genesis. This dispute arrives just as world sportscar racing enjoys a massive boom in manufacturer interest, with next year featuring no calendar clash between Formula 1 and Le Mans, opening the door for names like Max Verstappen and Lando Norris to potentially compete at the French enduro.
