WEC is hot on Formula 1's heels: The meteoric rise of endurance racing

Whereas around the annual Grand Prix in Belgium, the organisers are responding better (that's the word, not 'well') to the influx of the many fans, visitors to the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps are struggling. Perhaps people in the Ardennes have been caught off guard by the success of the WEC, which has made huge inroads in a short time. In terms of visitor numbers - Imola, for instance, was packed with enthusiastic Tifosi a few weeks ago - as well as the level of the sport.

Manufacturers line up for WEC

After Toyota dominated the WEC for years - partly because there was little to no competition for the Japanese in the main class outside Porsche - the number of manufacturers entering the hypercar class increases every year and it has become much more exciting. Ferrari joined shortly before (the team won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in '23, ed.), Alpine, Cadillac and Peugeot followed, and this season BMW, Lamborghini and Isotta Fraschini also entered as factory teams. In addition, Porsche and Ferrari have customer teams, which manage to compete at the front. Next season, Aston Martin also reports with a hypercar.

Thanks to the factory teams, WEC has become a very interesting option both financially and sportingly for drivers of higher reputation - regularly seasoned in Formula 1. Sébastien Buemi, Nyck de Vries, Robert Kubica, Jean-Éric Vergne, Antonio Giovinazzi and, above all, Jenson Button (former F1 champion) are eye-catching names in the class, drivers for whom fans flock to the circuits.

Younger generation chooses WEC

Whereas in the past WEC was often a haven for ageing drivers, nowadays more and more 'younger' drivers see endurance racing as a fine (final) station in their career. It is no secret that Mick Schumacher (25) would have loved to have driven in Formula 1, but instead of sitting at home, the German decided to join Alpine in the WEC. He is not the only one from a younger batch who confidently chose WEC as an excellent alternative to Formula 1. Men like Robert Shwartzman (24) and Callum Ilott (25) have also fallen for the hypercars.

Sébastien Buemi (35), a four-time world champion in the WEC, fully understands why the class is attractive to talented drivers: "I think if you look at the grid, there are many seats available now, with all those manufacturers. Of course, as a young driver, if you see that Formula 1 is not really a possibility, then you want to become a professional driver and there are a lot of opportunities here. But the level is extremely high now," the Swiss said.

WEC grandstands are bulging

And that high level attracts more and more spectators. That the Le Mans race sold out should come as no surprise. The packed grandstands in Imola and at least 50,000 people expected this Saturday in Spa confirm that the racing class is booming - following Formula 1's lead. This has not escaped the FIA's notice either. In a similar way to what happened with Formula 1, the motorsport federation is trying to make WEC a happening for the whole family, including a bouncy castle for the little ones. Even merchandise stalls have made their entrance around the circuit. The most sold item? A cap of Valentino Rossi, the former MotoGP champion who is currently competing in WEC.

Unlike Formula 1 - and the FIA will cherish this - the teams and drivers in endurance racing are much more approachable. Fans are welcome in the packed paddock - which is by no means inferior to F1 in terms of motorhomes and hospitality units - and regularly the drivers just walk around among the crowd. It is the added charm of a class that is growing. The only 'danger' is that WEC might make such a huge growth spurt that endurance racing becomes as big as F1. Massiveness could take away a lot of WEC's charm.

This article was written in collaboration with Olly Darcy.