For more than a decade, the WEC’s globe-trotting test of driver and machine has produced some of the most spectacular and close-fought competition in motorsports and provided leading auto manufacturers with a platform to prove and develop cutting-edge technologies in the cauldron of competition.  

Centerpiece of the WEC is the world-famous 24 Hours of Le Mans, a race which over the past 100 years has attracted countless legendary manufacturers, teams and drivers, all aiming for a place in history as winners of the toughest, most prestigious sports car race on the planet.

“The difference between professional drivers can be a couple of tenths of a second each lap. However, with Bronze-rated drivers, if they’re not in a comfortable environment and trained and supported well, the gap between them can be multiple seconds. That can be the difference between first and last place.”

This creates a fascinating team dynamic – one in which the pro drivers cannot afford to be thinking just of themselves. Instead, they often sacrifice their own track time and the use of fresh tires during the practice sessions to help their amateur drivers build confidence and dial themselves into a track.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the jewel in the crown of the WEC and its status as a legendary event in world motorsports  long pre-dates the championship’s inaugural season in 2012.

Since 1923, teams and drivers from around the world have descended on northwestern France, to a cathedral of speed on the outskirts of the historic cathedral city of Le Mans, to race twice around the clock on one of the world’s greatest and most daunting circuits. For one week in June, it’s the center of the racing world and an event like no other.

The race itself is the culmination of a mighty effort, with preparation work starting long before the teams arrive at the circuit for race week and continuing through the hours of practice and qualifying. It means an endless blur of late nights and early starts for each team member, even before the field takes the rolling start at 4pm on Saturday, June 15 .

For the drivers behind the wheel, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is also a test of physical and mental endurance, but of a different nature. Lexus’s roster of drivers – three in each of its two AKKODIS ASP Team-run entries – will be required to drive at the limit of the Lexus RC F GT3’s capabilities for hours at a time, concentrating on a fast, error-free performance on every single lap, as well as focusing on the wider race strategy, which often requires fuel- and tire-saving to gain a competitive edge in the closing hours.

The Circuit de la Sarthe is steeped in history, in no small part because it’s one of the world’s toughest, most unforgiving race circuits. A unique blend of permanent race track and public roads, including the fearsomely fast Mulsanne Straight, it winds through the bucolic French countryside to test the skill and nerve of everyone behind the wheel and give the 24 Hours of Le Mans a unique character. It’s a track that can – and will – bite.

Modern GT3 racecars – including Lexus RC F GT3, fresh off a championship-winning 2023 season in North America’s high-profile IMSA serie s – feature highly-sophisticated, competition-specific components and electronics, and are perfectly suited to the challenge and spectacle of Le Mans. The racing is so tight and even between the competing teams that any mistake, no matter how small, can prove costly in a contest where the winning margin each year is usually seconds, rather than minutes, laps or hours.

Over the years, a number of famous actors have even taken part in the race for real. The likes of Paul Newman, who finished second overall in 1979, and more recent participants like Patrick Dempsey and Michael Fassbender all felt the pull of Le Mans’ gravity after experiencing its cocktail of speed, drama, danger and human resilience in person from behind the catch fencing.

But out on track or up on the silver screen, the biggest star is always the 24 Hours of Le Mans itself.

From a strategic standpoint, the task is a sizeable one, too. With four different lengths of race – six, eight , 10 and 24 hours – the engineers and tacticians tasked with determining strategy must work out a unique gameplan for every track and race length, and be prepared for the unexpected, too.

Spa, in the heart of Belgium’s Ardennes Forest, is perhaps the most challenging. A fast-flowing, technical circuit that features huge elevation changes, the daunting uphill sequence of Eau Rouge and Raidillon, it’s a place that rewards precision and bravery. The Spa weather is notoriously fickle, too. Recent years have seen the WEC teams contending with searing heat, heavy rain, sleet, hail and even snow – sometimes within hours of each other.

After that comes the centerpiece of the season, the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 15-16. It’s held on the enormous 13.63km/8.47-mile Circuit de la Sarthe track that’s a mixture of permanent race track and closed public roads. A low-drag setup for maximizing top speed is key because, despite the layout featuring 38 corners, drivers run at full throttle for an incredible 85 percent of the lap.

Of the new or returning tracks, Qatar’s Losail International Circuit makes its WEC debut by kick-starting the season with 10 hours of racing on March 2. Next up, the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola, Italy, is new to the championship, too, with six hours of action on April 21.

And after Le Mans, the WEC crosses the Atlantic for a South and North American swing. Sao Paulo in Brazil returns after a decade-long absence from the calendar for a six-hour race on July 14, and the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas is back for the first time since 2020 with its own six-hour shootout.

Being trackside and cheering on the cars and stars of the WEC at each of 2024’s eight races on four continents is an experience like no other, with the 24 Hours of Le Mans as the season’s spectacular centerpiece on June 15-16. The legendary race will attract more than 300,000 fans to northern France for its twice-around-the-clock test of speed and endurance.

But every stop on the WEC’s 2024 global tour is a must-see, with multiple ticket and hospitality options allowing fans to take in the sensory overload of practice, qualifying and the races themselves. Fan villages, open paddocks and autograph sessions all add to an unforgettable experience.

The WEC also produces an in-house fly on the wall documentary series throughout the season. Called “Full Access,” it goes behind the scenes at each race, bringing fans the inside stories from the tracks, pits and paddocks. It’s available free of charge, along with live Free Practice 3 broadcasts, on the WEC’s dedicated YouTube channel.

The 2024 WEC season starts in Qatar on March 2, and whether you’re at the track, at home or on the go, you won’t miss a second of the action.