TotalEnergies And The World Endurance Championship
We’ve all experienced particularly long drives, but these mind-numbing motorway trips have nothing on the true test of automotive resolve: endurance racing.
Endurance races see drivers and highly modified hypercars put through their paces for extended periods of time, but while there are plenty of endurance races in the world, none come close to the fame of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). Featuring innovative technology, awesome tracks and expert drivers, there are plenty of reasons why the FIA WEC is a fan favourite.
What is the World Endurance Championship?
The WEC is a car racing championship that sees teams and drivers competing in extended-duration endurance races. Behind the wheels of high-performance vehicles, drivers must push their abilities to the absolute limit, driving for 60 to 90-minute shifts before swapping with a team member. The vehicles aren’t so lucky – each must cope with near-constant use over periods spanning between six and 24 hours, all while reaching speeds beaten only by open-wheel Formula 1 vehicles.
Around 20 teams compete in the WEC, which comprises eight stages plus a test-focused ‘prologue’ race. There are eight classifications, from grand touring endurance vehicles through to extreme-performance Le Mans Prototypes, and while speed is key, so is efficiency – all WEC classifications focus on fuel optimisation on top of performance.
World Endurance Championship fixtures
To find out when you can next catch a WEC race, including the oldest and most prestigious endurance race in the world, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, view the WEC racing calendar.
Why watch the World Endurance Championship?
The WEC features everything racing fans look for in a competition: speed, endurance, skill and pedigree.
Vehicles are drawn from the cream of the automotive crop, developed by notable manufacturer teams including Aston Martin Racing, BMW Team MTEK and the Porsche GT Team in the LMGTE Pro category, and a host of so-called ‘Privateer’ teams – independent squads who develop their own vehicles, usually Le Mans Prototypes, or run in similar GT cars within the LMGTE AM class.
This mix of teams ensures that races are packed with hair-raising action and generous servings of speed and agility, all while machines and expert drivers are put through their paces. Expect thrilling breakdowns and tense racing full of attrition!
If awesome vehicles weren’t enough, the WEC takes place on some of the world’s most iconic tracks, including Silverstone, Sebring and the venerable Le Mans. For any race-lover wanting to see drivers truly push the limits of the most famous tracks around, there’s no better event than the WEC.
How is TotalEnergies involved with the World Endurance Championship?
Working alongside the competition’s organisers, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), Total is the WEC’s official fuel supplier until May 2023. Total’s range of fuels and lubricants, including QUARTZ and ELF SPORTI engine oils, have always been a byword for performance and efficiency, so partnering with the WEC was a simple choice.
What’s more, TotalEnergies are official partners of Aston Martin Racing in the LMGTE Pro class, providing fuel, engine oils and the honed racing expertise of TotalEnergies’ engineers to keep vehicles working at their peak. Learn more about TotalEnergies and Aston Martin’s partnership.
Our experts have been able to push the limits of fuel technology in order to help WEC vehicles and teams reach new heights of endurance, all while lessening environmental impacts. All these innovations also find their way into our consumer and business products too, pushing the boundaries of the WEC beyond entertainment.
For more information on TotalEnergies’ work with the WEC, and our range of high-performance fuels and lubricants, please contact our team today.