FIA WEC News: Series Reaches 100 Races in Japan

What is FIA WEC?

Established in 2012 by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), FIA WEC represents the international pinnacle of the long-distance discipline.

Bringing together the world’s biggest brands, leading drivers and most successful teams, the championship races around the globe from Brazil to Bahrain, with every exhilarating encounter pushing the limits of speed, performance, and durability, while encouraging ever-greater feats of tactical acuity and strategic skill.

The cornerstone of the calendar is the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans in France, a flagship event born in 1923 that set the standard for endurance racing and continues to serve as the ultimate test for manufacturers seeking to prove their mettle – but every race has its own character, challenges, and pitfalls.

If the fast and fearless drivers are the heroes, then the cars are the stars, from their cutting-edge technology and striking silhouettes to their prodigious performance, unmistakeable engine notes and dynamic design.

With multiple different winners in both the headlining Hypercar category and supporting LMGT3 division so far in 2025, unpredictability comes as standard – offering up an irresistible challenge for competitors, and an unmissable experience for fans.

From dazzling duels to awe-inspiring overtakes, from show-stopping starts to barnstorming finishes, adrenaline-fueled intensity is embedded in WEC’s DNA just like extreme emotions – from the elation of victory to the despair of defeat.

This is a series with a proud and prestigious history, a captivating and compelling present, and—most importantly of all – a thrilling and flourishing future. As its 100th race approaches apace, FIA WEC remains endurance racing’s global benchmark, continuously shaping the story of the sport.

Embracing a New Golden Age

There is no doubt that the FIA World Endurance Championship is in the midst of a true ‘golden age’, with trackside attendances up across the board and the series’ burgeoning popularity reflected in the sheer number of manufacturers involved – 13 in 2025, equating to no fewer than 36 high-caliber entries from Alpine, Aston Martin, BMW, Cadillac, Corvette, Ferrari, Ford, Lexus, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG, Peugeot, Porsche and Toyota.

Of the 40 different brands to have competed in FIA WEC to-date, 22 have reached the top step of the rostrum, with Porsche having proved the most successful, triumphing 71 times in total across all major categories. Current championship leader Ferrari is close behind on 63.

Both of those marques as well as Aston Martin have contested all 99 races to-date, while Toyota – who will receive the lion’s share of the support at Fuji – is the sole manufacturer to have achieved the coveted ‘clean sweep’, with its #8 TS050 Hybrid topping every practice session, qualifying on pole position, leading every lap, posting fastest lap and winning the race on home soil in 2019. The Japanese car maker is also the only one to have notched up more than 100 top-class podiums.

Star Power

A staggering 832 drivers have competed in FIA WEC since the series’ inception back in 2012, representing 61 different nationalities. Sébastien Buemi has the most starts to his name – at 91 – and the Swiss ace has also won more races than anybody else, with 26 victories on his CV, followed by TOYOTA GAZOO Racing team-mates Brendon Hartley on 23 and Mike Conway on 22. Buemi and Hartley are both four-time world champions in the top-tier – an unrivalled record.

In total, 29 drivers have won a race in the Hypercar class – more than two-thirds of whom will be on the grid for the forthcoming 6 Hours of Fuji – and 27 in LMGT3. In evidence of its profile and appeal, FIA WEC has also attracted no fewer than ten grand prix-winners over the years – four of them Formula 1 world champions, in the shape of Emerson Fittipaldi, Jacques Villeneuve, Fernando Alonso and current Cadillac star Jenson Button.

History at Stake

While every race is clearly important, there are undeniably some bragging rights at stake next weekend, as drivers and manufacturers aim to carve out their own little piece of history by claiming FIA WEC’s 100th win. On the basis of what has been seen so far in 2025, a breathtaking battle looks assured…

Watch FIA WEC live or on-demand via the official FIA WEC TV app – your full-access pass to the FIA World Endurance Championship including the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans. Don’t miss a moment. For further information, check out the app.