From the Middle East to Europe and South America, the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) arrives in North America this week for the sixth round of the 2025 season. Renowned for its challenging layout with fast, flowing corners and dramatic elevation changes, the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, will host the Lone Star Le Mans, with the six-hour race taking place this Sunday, September 7.
Decades of support
Since the 1960s, Rolex has supported the leading championships and most prestigious contests in endurance racing, celebrating milestones on and off the track. The Swiss watchmaker has been the Official Timepiece of the FIA World Endurance Championship since 2016, championing team spirit and human achievement. Established in 2012, the FIA World Endurance Championship represents the pinnacle of long-distance motor racing as the world’s leading manufacturers push the limits of human and machine while accelerating technology, performance, and safety advancements in the automotive industry.
With three rounds remaining in the 2025 season and several teams still in contention for the title, the global series is poised for another thrilling contest as competitors strive to secure maximum points in their quest for the crown. After four consecutive wins for Ferrari AF Corse, Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA made history at the Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo in July, securing the team’s first victory. The #12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA took the checkered flag ahead of the #38 sister car to achieve a historic 1-2 finish.
Rolex Testimonee Jenson Button, who is part of the #38 driver line-up and has raced at the Circuit of the Americas on multiple occasions during his illustrious career, says: “I really enjoy the Circuit of the Americas. It’s an excellent track that suits the fast and enduring nature of WEC races with big straights, late braking, and high-speed corners – exactly what these cars are built for. I also love Austin; it’s a great city and the circuit always attracts enormous crowds with a fantastic atmosphere.”
Mark Webber
This year marks the 10th anniversary of Rolex Testimonee Mark Webber winning the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship. A key moment in Webber’s triumphant 2015 season was victory at Circuit of the Americas, alongside Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley in the Porsche 919 Hybrid. A decade later, Webber reflects on this period and the special bond he shared with his team: “I was lucky to have brilliant teammates and a great team. We were able to put together a great campaign across a tricky racetrack. When I look back, I have such great memories of what we achieved together and our team spirit – there’s such a unique bond between everyone that’s involved in endurance racing.”
Season’s End
Following Lone Star Le Mans, the championship will travel to Japan later this month for the 6 Hours of Fuji before the season-finale in Bahrain in early November – drawing to a close Rolex’s ninth year of partnership with the series. In admiration of Rolex’s legacy in endurance racing, Webber continues: “When you see the Rolex crown at the best sports car races in the world, you understand the significance of the event, and it reminds you of what’s at stake. Every driver in the WEC has admiration and immense respect for the journey Rolex has been on with the sport, so achieving victory with your team and winning the watch at the end of the season is incredibly special.”
Above contents © 2025 Rolex, reviewed and edited by Rex McAfee
