The FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) has released its provisional calendar for the 2020/21 season, which sees the addition of Monza and Kyalami.
The calendar will consist of eight rounds and retains Silverstone as the season-opener, which will now run for six hours compared to four, before heading to Italy's motorsport mecca that is Monza, which will host its first ever round of the WEC, taking place on October 4.
Fuji and Bahrain make up the third and fourth rounds with China dropped next season.
The endurance championship then heads to South Africa for the second new addition to the calendar at the historic but extensively redeveloped and upgraded Kyalami circuit.
The 1000 Miles of Sebring follows on March 19, with Spa-Francorchamps and Le Mans closing out the season.
"When you have a list which includes Silverstone, Monza, Fuji, Bahrain, Kyalami, Sebring, Spa and, of course, Le Mans, you are at the heart of endurance racing’s history and heritage, its present and its future," commented Gérard Neveu, WEC CEO.
"The calendar is also great for our logistical road map as it provides our teams with the most cost-effective package possible. We hope this Season 9 schedule will make our competitors and fans very happy."
Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) added: "What better way to usher in the new era of Le Mans Hypercars than with this excellent 2020-21 calendar. Reflecting an ever-evolving automotive industry, the WEC continues to present automotive manufacturers with an ideal showcase for their products, and even more so as we look towards the future and the introduction of different renewable energy platforms."
2020-2021 FIA World Endurance Championship Provisional Calendar*
Date | Race | Country |
September 5, 2020 | 6 Hours of Silverstone | Great Britain |
October 4, 2020 | 6 Hours of Monza | Italy |
November 1, 2020 | 6 Hours of Fuji | Japan |
December 5, 2020 | 8 Hours of Bahrain | Bahrain |
February 6, 2021 | 6 Hours of Kyalami | South Africa |
March 19, 2021 | 1000 Miles of Sebring | USA |
April 24, 2021 | 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps | Belgium |
June 12-13, 2021 | 24 Hours of Le Mans | France |
* Subject to approval by the FIA World Motor Sport Council
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