A report, and a fast denial
The claim landed on Thursday and carried real weight, because Auto Motor und Sport is not a publication that guesses. The German title reported that no promotion contract was in place for the World Endurance Championship in 2027, and that a public tender could follow.
That would have opened a hole in the middle of the sport. The Le Mans 24 Hours is owned and run by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, the current promoter. A new promoter arriving in 2027 would have meant the championship’s biggest race sitting outside the calendar it defines.
The FIA has rejected the claim. In a statement issued to RacingNews365, the governing body confirmed that its agreement with the ACO runs to the end of 2027, with talks continuing over what happens from 2028 onwards.
Try it for $0.99.
What the governing body actually said
“The FIA World Endurance Championship has enjoyed sustained growth since the introduction of the Hypercar and LMGT3 regulations, competing this season across seven countries,” the statement began.
“This achievement is the result of extensive collaboration between drivers, teams, manufacturers, the FIA, the promoter, the ACO and the millions of fans who follow the championship.”
Then the line that settles the immediate question. “The FIA and ACO are continuing discussions regarding an extension of the promoter agreement. The current agreement with ACO remains in place until the end of 2027.”
RacingNews365 also understands there were inconsistencies within the original report.
Why the timing mattered
Endurance racing has spent the Hypercar era selling stability to manufacturers, and manufacturers commit budgets years in advance. A tender process for the promotion rights, floated in public, is the kind of story that makes a board pause before signing anything.
The FIA has stopped that conversation for now. What it has not done is say who promotes the championship from 2028, and the wording leaves that deliberately open. Discussions are continuing. That is a different sentence from an agreement being reached.
Discover the rest of our motorsport news on MathODDS!
in your pocket.
Real-time notifications & alerts
Leave a Reply