There has been plenty said, scribbled and typed about the continuing growth of the World Endurance Championship, and the problems that Formula One is facing.
I’m happy to say that the racing in the WEC this year has far outstripped what we’ve seen on the Grand Prix circuit and the series itself is getting far more eyeballs both here (thanks to Mark Webber) and elsewhere around the world.
Here are five reasons why the World Endurance Championship is better than Formula One.
The racing
Anyone who tells me that the Formula One product is better than what the World Endurance Championship is putting out on any given racetrack on any given weekend is either closely related to Bernie Ecclestone or is just plain crazy.
Contrast what we saw over six thrilling hours at Silverstone last Sunday to the Formula One Grand Prix at China. The FIA’s rules package is spot-on at the moment. You could not have asked for much more! There were dozens of on-track passes for the lead in all four classes – even though LMP2 basically boiled down to a two-car, one-team shoot out – while the Grand Prix cars struggled to do any passing whatsoever.
It wasn’t even a fair contest in that regard. From a mostly-boring Grand Prix to one of the more exciting endurance races we’ve ever seen, which, hopefully, is a sign of great things to come in the WEC this year.
In Formula One at the moment, realistically there are two cars (or maybe three on a good day) who can win a race, and, as such, a 10. On Sunday at Silverstone, there was a battle royal between two Audis, two Porsches and two Toyota machines for the top spot on the podium, and the race wasn’t decided until the very end. You can’t complain about that!
Technology
John Hindaugh said it best at the beginning of the Silverstone race: the LMP1 class is home to the most technologically advanced race cars on the planet, and, key to such a large factory presence in LMP1 and GTE-PRO (far larger than we see in Formula One these days), is the fact that endurance racing is more of a proving ground for upcoming road car technology than Formula One.
These are cutting edge prototype machines that go ridiculously fast – faster than some of the times set by cars at last year’s British Formula One Grand Prix – despite weighing a considerable amount more than open-wheel vehicles.
The speed and grip the LMP1 cars have is, frankly, staggeringly awesome. To see the Audis power through high-speed corners, and to see the Porsche acceleration down the straights at Silverstone was awe-inspiring.
Fan engagement
You’re more likely to want to follow a driver and a series if you get to rub shoulders with them, right? At a Formula One Grand Prix, the teams keep to themselves and access to the paddock is highly controlled. The opposite is true for all World Endurance Championship events (other than Le Mans, due to space, or a lack thereof, in the paddock) and there are multiple driver appearances and autograph sessions. Having Patrick Dempsey in the field definitely helps.
Add to that, drivers like Aston Martin factory racer Fernando Rees, who busily and comprehensively interacts with fans on social media. It makes drivers seem less like robots hidden behind helmets and in fire suits, and more like regular human beings. The World Endurance Championship has worked hard at engaging the fans, and it seems to be paying dividends. The series’ social media presence has been strong for years, whereas Formula One seems to be just coming to that party.
The car count
Le Mans has 56 cars, and most World Endurance Championship races total thirty or more vehicles over four classes, making for a packed grid that’s also bright and diverse. Obviously, more cars makes for more sustained racing.
Compared to Formula One, there are less instances of cars getting strung out and racing on their own for so long, and the best drivers at the pointy end of the field not only need to be fast and focus on their LMP1 battle, but also must weave through traffic, and that’s no easy feat.
The drivers
Perhaps at the top end of driving talent, Formula One is ahead of the World Endurance Championship, but, overall, I’d prefer to watch the wealth of factory driver talent on offer in the WEC – the Anthony Davidsons, Marcel Fasslers and Patrick Longs of the racing world – over a lot of the Formula One backmarkers, who, essentially, are ride-buyers, in those seats to keep cars on the grid.
In recent years, the notion that sports car racing is a place for guys who have been to Formula One and were looking for a place to spend the fading years of their career has been dispelled. These days, a lot of young talent is being snapped up by the best sports car squads in the world. Marcel Fassler, Romain Dumas, Timo Bernhard are good examples of this phenomenon, and we are seeing others like Brendon Hartley, the rising New Zealander, coming through the ranks, and not heading to Formula One.
These days, with Formula One rides that you actually get paid for and aren’t required to bring a budget scarce, a lot of brilliant talent is finding it’s way to top-level sports car racing, and it’s no surprise that the racing product in the WEC has risen at the same time.
Loaddown
Guest
Having followed endurance racing since the 70's at Sebring and Daytona and watching Le Mans, I am looking forward to even more marks to enter all the classes. Certainly we have more of a car test with endurance racing. And the technology that we see coming down to consumers is resulting in great improvements, i.e. eTron/ GTE PHEVs. Maybe Toyota will get on the ball with their wimpy hybrids soon.
Andrew Kitchener
Roar Guru
The sound of the Formula E cars is where they lose me, to be honest.
Dale D
Guest
I like them both. I like all racing. It's not a competition. If you really enjoy racing, then it seems a bit silly and fan-boi-ish to talk about why either sport is better. Grow up.
nordster
Guest
I've done so many laps of it on motogp playstation games, i get lost on the full circuit;)
Goodfella
Guest
I'm happy to watch both categories these days. Last night's Bahrain GP was actually pretty entertaining and far from a Merc cakewalk. One more lap and Ferrari would have had their second win in four races. The mid pack battles are fairly close too, the likes of Sauber, Lotus, Force India, Red Bull and Toro Rosso all changing positions regularly. I'm also keen to see the inevitable development of the McLaren/Honda partnership into a real force - with the pedigree of both partners it's a matter of when not if. Having said all that, some F1 races are little more than processions for the front running team(s). Regulations and, I believe, the homogenised nature of many F1 tracks these days contribute to that. Interesting that there's more talk being bandied about regards another major revamp of engine/regs for 2017 - I think even F1 has lost some of its elitist arrogance and realises it's got some real competition from other categories. WEC I agree is going from strength to strength and in many respects is much more relatable as a spectacle - I reallu enjoy the diversity of manufacturers and the technolog/innovation on offer probably does have the edge on F1. Someone else mentioned Formula E, and I have to admit to liking what I've seen so far - for a fledgling category. I'm liking it all at present, but then some who are close to me would say I watch too much motorsport. Is there such a thing as too much motorsport?
Andrew Kitchener
Roar Guru
The Bugatti circuit doesn't hold the same appeal for me!
nordster
Guest
The le mans 24hrs in the bikes was also on eurosport over the weekend. Had never watched one before, quite good. I like the mix of drivers, classes and teams in WEC ...pro drivers, ones later in their careers, gentleman drivers....nice range.
Andrew Kitchener
Roar Guru
For me, it's not entertaining seeing what amounts to a parade with very little on-track passing. It's sleep-inducing!
Lano
Roar Guru
agree with you Andrew - too expensive, too elitist. Drivers have become the "brands" while the cars, engines and chasis have become homogenised. after a life time of support and enthusiasm, the sport has lost me as a spectator.
Andrew Kitchener
Roar Guru
Right now, the WEC is doing a better job of looking after it's paying customers than Formula One is.
GTR
Guest
F1 is expensive, boring in its current format, predictable and has been even criticised by Ecclestone that this current formula is a mistake. Mercedes has too much of an advantage on the rest of the field with hybrid technologies and this is the last thing that F1 needed after the domination of Red Bull. That is why the WEC and Formula E are becoming closer competitors to F1 because in both of these formulas there is more racing and nobody CAN DETERMINE THE WIMMER AS EASILY AS IN F1, of either Lewis Hamilton or Niko Rosberg from the Mercedes Petronas team which is a carbon copy of what happened in the Red Bull Days. F1 need to be entertaining, competitive and fore mostly it needs to please the paying customers.
Andrew Kitchener
Roar Guru
Formula E? Really. I'm pretty sure most racers would rather ride up front in a competitive LMP1 or GTE-PRO ride than linger at the back, or mid-pack at best, in Formula One.
Simoc
Guest
Nonsense. Brendan Hartley lasted about 3 months with Red Bull in F1. Ask any of your so called top drivers, what their choice of car would be. Whoopee. 10 out of 10 would choose an F1 drive. It is where the money, the fans, the best drivers and the fame is. And the promoter of WEC said exactly that. But you're allowed to like WEC; I don't. Formula E looks to the next best after F1 to me.