WEC will not revert to eight-round calendar in 2022
The World Endurance Championship will not revert to its traditional eight-race schedule next year in the face of the on-going COVID pandemic, series bosses have revealed.


Pierre Fillon, president of WEC promoter the Automobile Club de l'Ouest, and series CEO Frederic Lequien believe that 2022 will be too early to run eight races again.
They stated that the WEC will either remain at the reduced schedule of six events introduced for 2021 as a result of the COVID pandemic or go up by one to seven races.
"Due to the COVID situation and the economic situation related to COVID, I think it is too early to imagine to come back to eight races," said Fillon.
"I think it will be six and seven; we are discussing that."
Fillon and Lequien suggested that any additional race would be in Europe.
Lequien said: "It is not only a question of budget; it is a question of making the calendar safe because of travel restrictions."
Asked whether Silverstone, which hosted a WEC round every year between 2012 and 2019, could make a return, Fillon said: "Everything is open — Silverstone is a fantastic place."
He added that he doesn't foresee travel complications caused by Brexit being an obstacle to the Silverstone WEC fixture being revived.

Start action
Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images
The Algarve circuit near Portimao, which hosted last weekend's second round of the 2021 series, is also a candidate for the possible additional race.
"It is a very good place, a nice track; the drivers love this place, and it's in Europe," said Fillon.
The original 2021 calendar was made up of three races in Europe and three outside of Europe, including the Sebring 1000 Miles set for March.
The US event was cancelled and replaced by the Portimao fixture, which was due to take place in early April before its postponement to last weekend.
An intention to return to Sebring next year was outlined by the WEC on the cancellation of this year's event.
The calendar of the current iteration of the WEC has been made up of eight races in all bar two of the eight seasons prior to the current campaign.
This included the so-called 'superseason' in 2018/19 that encompassed two editions of the Le Mans 24 Hours.
The WEC briefly expanded to nine events in 2016 and '17.
Related video

Glickenhaus reveals Monza WEC lineup, Briscoe stood down
Vanthoor and Bamber join Weathertech in GTE Pro at Le Mans

Latest news
Friday Favourite: The Porsche “twins” who usurped Audi’s best
In a long career as a Porsche factory driver that yielded success in prototypes and GT cars on both sides of the Atlantic, Timo Bernhard was frequently paired up with Romain Dumas. Together, the pair were a near unstoppable force and were no less potent when they were loaned as a package to Audi
Porsche completes two-car LMDh test at Monza as US-bound chassis debuts
Porsche Penske Motorsport has begun testing a second example of the 963 LMDh contender as it ramps up preparation for its twin programmes in the World Endurance Championship and the IMSA SportsCar Championship in 2023.
The final episode on the Monza round of the FIA World Endurance Championship sees the action reach a dramatic and thrilling conclusion in the race.
Rast, Muller and Cassidy to miss Fuji WEC to focus on DTM
Rene Rast, Nico Muller and Nick Cassidy are all expected to miss the fifth round of the 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship at Fuji Speedway next month to prioritise their DTM commitments.
The problem sausage kerbs continue to cause
Track limits are the problem that motorsport doesn't seem to be able to rid itself of. But the use of so-called 'sausage kerbs' as a deterrent has in several instances only served to worsen the problem, and a growing number of voices want to see action taken
The history lessons Peugeot should have learned on its return
The Peugeot 9X8 will make its World Endurance Championship debut at Monza this weekend. The French manufacturer has gone radical and will be hoping it doesn’t need to overhaul its contender, as it did with its first Le Mans challenger…
Why Peugeot's sportscar return will capture the imagination
OPINION: Peugeot will make its World Endurance Championship debut at Monza this weekend with the 9X8 Le Mans Hypercar that has ignored design conventions by eschewing a rear wing. Its distinctive look will help sportscar racing appeal to fresh audiences as a new golden era is ushered in
How Formula E's double-duty drivers influenced their Le Mans teams' fortunes
Eight Formula E drivers made the 7,000-mile sprint from the streets of Jakarta to the fabled Circuit de la Sarthe and every one had a story to share at this year's Le Mans 24 Hours. Despite a range of triumphs and disappointments, each driver doubling up on the day job played a key role in their teams' fortunes
How an Italian junior formula giant is readying for its Le Mans future
Prema remains a colossus in single-seaters, but the serial Formula 2 and Formula 3 title-winning squad has joined forces with top GT squad Iron Lynx for an attack on sportscars in the World Endurance Championship and European Le Mans Series. Ahead of its debut at the Le Mans 24 Hours, its sights are firmly fixed on LMP2 glory – and a future in Hypercars next year...
The British rookies targeting a good first impression at Le Mans
Three young Britons will make their first starts in the Le Mans 24 Hours this weekend in the highly-competitive 23-car GTE Am field. But how did they get here? Autosport hears their stories.
The wingless wonder Peugeot hopes will restore it to Le Mans glory
Peugeot went radical with the initial plan for its Le Mans Hypercar project, and then stuck to its guns. Here’s how things are shaping up a few weeks before the debut of the 9X8 in next month's Monza World Endurance Championship round
How Toyota’s sole survivor turned the tables at Spa
After a chastening opening to the season at Sebring that ended in an enormous accident, Toyota's #7 crew got their World Endurance Championship underway with victory at a treacherously slippery Spa to make up for its sister car's Sebring defeat to Alpine, as Glickenhaus's promising qualifying turned to disaster in the race