The FIA World Endurance Championship arrives in Texas this weekend for round six of its eight-event 2025 season, as title contenders prepare for the Lone Star Le Mans event held at Circuit of the Americas.
Austin’s state-of-the-art COTA has hosted the WEC on seven previous occasions, first appearing on the calendar in 2013. The newest venue on the championship calendar is renowned for its challenging layout, featuring dramatic elevation changes, fast sweepers, technical slow corners, the signature 41-metre uphill climb into blind Turn 1, known as ‘Big Red’, the zig-zag ‘Esses’ and the triple-apex right-hander at Turns 16–18.
The circuit runs anti-clockwise and is demanding on brakes and tyres, with around 44% of the 5.513km lap spent at full throttle. Hypercars reach speeds exceeding 300kph, and drivers shift gears an estimated 54 times per lap. Its flowing nature and wide overtaking zones frequently produce spectacular races; with last year’s event being the second-closest finish in WEC history, as the #83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P held off the #7 Toyota Gazoo Racing GR010 Hybrid by just 1.780 seconds for its first Hypercar victory.
The AF Corse-entered #83 Ferrari remains firmly in contention for the 2025 title. Having won June’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, the trio of Robert Kubica, Yifei Ye and Phil Hanson sit 12 points behind the championship leader ahead of Austin. Ye maintains a perfect record in the US, having previously also won in LMP2 at Sebring in 2023.
But it’s the factory #51 Ferrari trio of Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Antonio Giovinazzi, that sits atop the standings. Giovinazzi claimed his first WEC pole at COTA last season, however was forced to retire from the race.
Cadillac will also target a strong result after its breakthrough victory in São Paulo, where the two V-Series.Rs left the field behind.
At Toyota, two-time world champion Kamui Kobayashi will make his 75th appearance, while Mike Conway and Sébastien Buemi are the only drivers to have contested all seven Lone Star Le Mans races. Toyota is yet to win at COTA, although Brendon Hartley triumphed three times there with Porsche between 2015 and 2017 – a record in the current field.
HOME HEROES IN LMGT3
In LMGT3, US-based Heart of Racing Team, winners at COTA in 2024, are among the favourites, alongside Ford Mustangs, Chevrolet Corvettes, and championship leader Manthey’s Porsche, which features Tennessee-born Ryan Hardwick.
Texas native Ben Keating will make his 40th WEC start in the #33 TF Sport Corvette, aiming to reduce the 23-point gap to the championship lead alongside teammates Daniel Juncadella and Jonny Edgar.
KEY INFORMATION
Free practice begins Friday, 5 September. Qualifying and the Hyperpole top ten shootout start at 15:00 local time (22:00 CEST) on Saturday, 6 September. The race gets underway at 13:00 local time (20:00 CEST) on Sunday, 7 September.
For further details, including the full event timetable and entry list, click HERE.
