The WEC name itself was previously used by the FIA between 1981 and 1985, but the modern championship traces its direct lineage from the ACO's Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, which began in 2010. When the WEC launched in 2012 it featured eight races, four car classes — LMP1 and LMP2 prototypes along with GTE Pro and GTE Am grand tourers — and awarded world champion titles to the top-scoring drivers and manufacturers over the season.
The championship's founding placed the 24 Hours of Le Mans at its centre, giving the race official world championship status for the first time since the end of the World Sportscar Championship era.
World champion titles are awarded for Hypercar drivers and manufacturers based on cumulative points across the season. Points are awarded to the top ten finishers in each race on a sliding scale, with half a point given to classified finishers outside the top ten. The point value of each race is scaled to its duration: roughly 1.5 times standard points for 8- and 10-hour races, and approximately double for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
As of the 2026 season, four championship titles are contested, with the Hypercar World Endurance Drivers' Championship and the Hypercar World Endurance Manufacturers' Championship carrying full world championship status.
The LMP1 class dominated the early seasons of the WEC and attracted major manufacturer programmes from Audi, Toyota, and Porsche. Following declining manufacturer interest after the 2017 season, the FIA commissioned a study into the future of the top class that resulted in the Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) regulations. These rules aimed to attract brands by allowing flagship production model inspirations and reducing reliance on complex hybrid systems.
The Hypercar class first appeared in the 2021 season, with entries from Alpine, Glickenhaus, and Toyota. From 2023, Le Mans Daytona h (LMDh) entries could also compete full-time in the Hypercar class alongside LMH machinery, opening the door to manufacturers already competing in the IMSA SportsCar Championship with the same cars.
The GTE categories were progressively wound down. The 2022 season was the final year for LMGTE Pro, and from 2024 the LMGTE Am category was replaced by a GT3-based class called LMGT3. This customer-focused category uses a cost-capped bodywork conversion from standard GT3 machinery, with manufacturers unable to enter officially — a move intended to keep costs competitive and accessible for privateer teams.
The LMP2 class, a long-standing pillar of the WEC grid, did not feature in the 2024 season due to increased demand for full-season Hypercar and LMGT3 entries. It retained a presence at Le Mans itself, where a minimum of 15 LMP2 slots are reserved on the grid.
The WEC's early seasons were marked by Toyota's near-misses at Le Mans. The Japanese manufacturer led the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2016 only for car number 5 to suffer a mechanical failure on the final lap while almost a full lap ahead, handing victory to Porsche. Toyota finally won Le Mans in 2018 and went on to dominate the Hypercar era.
The introduction of the Hypercar class revitalized manufacturer interest in the championship. Ferrari returned to top-level prototype racing with an LMH programme starting in 2023, winning Le Mans that year on their return. Porsche and BMW entered with LMDh machinery, while Cadillac, Peugeot, and Lamborghini also joined the Hypercar ranks, producing one of the most competitive fields in the championship's history by the mid-2020s.
The FIA World Endurance Championship is extensively represented in sim racing. Its events — particularly Le Mans, Spa-Francorchamps, Monza, and Fuji — appear across major simulation platforms including Assetto Corsa Competizione, Le Mans Ultimate, and iRacing. The diverse car classes, mixed-condition endurance format, and circuits ranging from high-speed straights to technical corners make WEC a cornerstone of motorsport simulation.