WEC 2016 calendar

[cailean]

The WEC 2016 race calendar has been released. The main changes look like 6hr of Nurburgring is earlier on 24 July and Mexico added.

Once again Silverstone is the first race.

Looking forward to COTA 6hr race in an hour...can anyone explain why Le Mans is so huge but the rest of the WEC season seems to not be popular?

http://www.fiawec.com/en/news/2016-world-endurance...

[hdrflow]

LeMans is one of the big three to win and old as the hills I suppose.

WEC is quite popular. Not to the same level as F1 but popular nonetheless. Last race at the Nurburgring was quite busy. Pit walk on both days was packed and on Sunday was just massive. Cool music with DJ and so on. Totally different vibe for fans.

Twitter is full of commentary on it or is just the people I follow .

Not popular on PH though. Threads get very little traction. Perhaps is the duration of the races.

[Alex Langheck]

I think they're taking it step by step to build it up. And good to see them learning. The ridiculous gap after Le Mans has been shortened to a month. I would like to see another race before Le Mans - in fact starting before Silverstone; mid April is late to start a world championship.
Also, I know it's called the WEnduranceC, but I think maybe a 3 hour/ 500km race would be something to think about.

[MG CHRIS]

I would like them to do a longer race instead of just the 6hrs maybe one 12hr race then a 3hr sprint race etc instead of all bar the lemans one being 6hrs.

[Alex Langheck]

Yes, I agree with that. It's all a bit 'samey' - a 10 or 12 hour race just to break up the monotonous 6 Hours of xxxxxxxxx

[olliethehut]

Good to see them sticking to tracks and dates that are trying to build up the events and numbers, whilst a 12hrs of Silverstone would be great for the anoraks of the sport (and I count myself in that bracket...), can you really imagine many people turning out in April for it? Its cold and bleak enough for a 6hrs as it is.
I do agree that it needs a little more variety, but as with most things WEC its a case of softly softly until the time is right.
As a side note its great to see that whacking great big gap post LM has gone, now to continue to build the image of the racing alongside the technological aspects.
Button moving up a class from the feeder series wouldn't be a bad move either...

[RobGT81]

olliethehut said:

Button moving up a class from the feeder series wouldn't be a bad move either...

Unless Porsche run a third car I don't think anyone has room for him at the moment. Maybe a P2 drive with Hoy to see if he can make the jump from the feeder series.

[FredericRobinson]

The WEC at the Nurburgring the weekend before the Spa 24 hours has got me pondering a road trip

[cailean]

So it is! And just when schools close. I feel a week round trip needs to be planned....

[sirtyro]

I was at the Nürburgring event this year and it was a brilliant weekend....I would highly recommend it for next year!

I don't think Button will go into P2. With the likes of Mark Webber, Ant Davidson & Alex Wurtz all ex-F1 in P1, I think P2 wouldn't be right for him. He is a fan of Japanese manufactures so I would imagine him going to Nissan or Toyota for a full season WEC drive and I think Alonso will do Le Mans with Audi or Porsche.

[G321]

Shame the only UK round is at Silverstone, might have to plan a road trip to Spa instead

[cailean]

I took the family to Nurburgring WEC this year, was a great day, great weather and 60,000+ turned out, great facilities and only 35 Euros each. Just looked at Silverstone prices for next April and surprised to see it is £40 each...why so much more and for a month that will probably be wet and cold with much less people turning out as Brits, while they love Le Mans, don't seem to have caught on to the WEC series generally?

[hdrflow]

F1 fees to pay. Nurburgring was busy this year on the Sunday. Friday and Saturday was average.
The trip is also considerably more expensive with all the petrol, tunnel, hotels, Nordscheleife laps and the rental car plus instruction .

Weather was magnificent so I guessed that helped for the locals as well.

Not making excuses for Silverstone but I don't mind the £40. I don't go to many live events these days but WEC is always a must.

[olliethehut]

£40 for a weekend ticket, and under 15s are free.
WEC at Silverstone is a bargain for the access and racing you get.

[onomatopoeia]

cailean said:

...can anyone explain why Le Mans is so huge but the rest of the WEC season seems to not be popular?

There were a lot of people at Silverstone this year and few empty spaces to be found in the grandstand opposite the pits after the pit walk, attendance was way up on 2011 which was the last time I went, which in turn was way up on my previous visit in 2008 when the place seemed deserted. So I wouldn't say that it is not popular, at least not at the moment. Already ordered my 2016 ticket, in fact .


I'd very much like it if P1 could be made more accessible to privateer teams in a way that allowed them to be competitive, but other than that the whole structure of the regulations seems to work well.

[joema]

Only if the privateer P1's have hybrid or they get way more entries. Other wise they should drop down to P2 as it is just a race amongst the kolles and rebellion otherwise.

Glad WEC has more rounds though, can only be a measure of its success.