Five more years in Belgium: The fixed point of Spa-Francorchamps remains on the World Endurance Championship (WEC) calendar. The ELMS contract was also extended.
As part of the 6 Hours of Spa 2023, Le Mans Endurance Management (LMEM) and the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps announced the contract extension with the Endurance World Championship (WEC) and the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) for a further five years given.
This means that the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps will remain the venue for both racing series until 2028. The race has a fixed place in the calendar between the end of April and mid-May and serves as a preparation for the teams for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. To this end, it keeps attracting guest starters, including a second factory Cadillac in 2023.
Alongside Le Mans and Bahrain, the 6 Hours of Spa is the only race to feature on the calendar for all seasons (and even full calendar years in the two cross-seasons) since the WEC was founded in 2012. The ELMS has been a regular guest in the Ardennes since 2016.
Spa is considered a “fixed venue for WEC and ELMS”
“Stability is very important for our championships. Continuing our partnership with Spa-Francorchamps is a great honor for us,” says LMEM boss Frederic Lequien. “The circuit has been a fixture for both the WEC and ELMS for many years, offering teams and fans excellent racing and world-class facilities.”
“Nobody will dispute that this is one of the drivers’ favorite circuits. The circuit is unique and consistently offers spectacular racing. We’ve seen incredible racing in the WEC and ELMS over the years and now thanks to the Circuit de Spa team we can -Francorchamps look forward to many more.”
With Le Mans, the new 6 Hours of Qatar and Bahrain, four slots have now been confirmed on the provisional 2024 WEC calendar.
The ACO has already announced a calendar of eight races – the most in a 12-month calendar since 2017. The 1,000 miles from Sebring as a joint weekend with IMSA will probably no longer take place.
Parallel to the WEC contract: new grandstand inaugurated in Spa
At the same time, the new grandstand on the old start-finish straight with 4,100 seats was inaugurated. It is one of the key components of the long-term renovation project unveiled in 2020 with a ten-year timeline. As early as 2022, a new grandstand was opened at the legendary passage Eau Rouge/Raidillon.
“This is the second phase of the major grandstand renovation project that started last year,” explains Melchior Wathelet, CEO of the circuit operator. “This work underscores once again the will of our circuit to offer our fans and customers the highest standard.”
In addition to Lequien and Wathelet, ACO President Pierre Fillon and Richard Mille, President of the FIA WEC (formerly the Endurance Commission), were also present at the ceremony.
The 6 Hours of Spa 2023 starts on Saturday afternoon at 12:45 p.m.