New ACO-FIA deal extends WEC contract until the end of 2020

The new contract, signed at Silverstone ahead of today's WEC season opener, covers 2018-20 and is the third three-year deal between the governing body of world motorsport and the organiser of the Le Mans 24 Hours since the rebirth of world championship sportscar racing in 2012. 


FIA President Jean Todt said: "When things go well it is only rational to move forward and continue to make things better." 


He insisted that he had no reservations about extending the deal, despite the presence of only two manufacturers in the premier LMP1 division following Audi's withdrawal from the WEC. 


"It is part of sport, not only motorsport, that you have people coming, staying and some leaving," explained Todt 


"It is up to the FIA and the ACO to encourage manufacturers to stay and, hopefully, more to come. 


"That is why it is important to take into consideration the evolution of the regulations and the evolution of the costs." 


WEC boss Gerard Neveu denied that it had ever been a stipulation of the FIA-ACO contract that required three manufacturers in LMP1. 


"It has always been two - remember how we started in 2012 [with Audi and Toyota]," he told Autosport.