2025 FIA World Endurance Championship
Widely regarded as the world’s foremost endurance racing championship, the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship season featured eight rounds across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North America and South America, with the 24 Hours of Le Mans at the pinnacle of the series. During the global series, a record 36 cars competed in eight races across four continents in 2025, with the championship celebrating its milestone 100th race. Conditions throughout the year tested the teams and drivers hour after hour as they mastered varying temperatures, tracks and distances.
A year for Ferrari
Ferrari AF Corse dominated the first half of the championship, taking victory in the opening three rounds before securing the jewel in the crown with a historic win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Momentum shifted mid-season as Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA and the Alpine Endurance Team enjoyed maiden wins, respectively, at the Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo and 6 Hours of Fuji. Arriving in Bahrain this weekend, for the final race of the season, competition remained at an all-time high, with places on the podium decided by the closest of margins. Showcasing team spirit and relentless determination Alessandro Pier Guidi, Antonio Giovinazzi and James Calado driving the #51 Ferrari 499P, were crowned winners of the FIA Hypercar World Endurance Drivers Championship. In recognition of their triumph and resilience behind the wheel, the championship’s winning drivers were awarded a specially engraved Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona.
Mark Webber celebrates 10-year anniversary
Rolex Testimonee Mark Webber, who 10 years ago became an FIA World Endurance Champion, reflected on his 2015 championship. “For racing drivers, a Rolex watch is for life. Every driver in endurance racing admires the journey Rolex has been on. Achieving victory with your team and winning the watch at the end of the season is incredibly special. The last race of the 2015 season was very challenging but rewarding. Sports car racing is so special because you compete as part of a big team. It was incredible to win the championship with great people and play a small role in achieving our success.”
Jenson Button Retires
This weekend also marked a poignant moment in the career of fellow Testimonee Jenson Button as he competed in his final race as a full-time driver. Highlighting the growing significance of the sport, Button commented: “We are in a very exciting time for endurance racing and there is no other motor sport discipline like it right now. Coming back to race in the FIA World Endurance Championship over the past two seasons has been a pleasure. There are so many manufacturers and talented drivers entering the sport, which makes reaching the podium even more rewarding. Top manufacturers in the automotive world are focusing their efforts on endurance racing and we will see even more joining the sport in the future, wanting to be part of the journey.”
When asked about his retirement from full-time driving, Jensen commented, “Life has become busy, and I want to spend more time with my family. Racing cars in your 40s takes more of a toll on you than when you are in your 20s. I love classic cars and really enjoy racing the cars in my collection, so I will continue to race classics less competitively. In endurance racing, it’s all about teamwork; you must consider your teammates’ needs just as much as your own and compromise to ensure everyone is competitive. It makes for a very collaborative environment, from building the car together to racing in it together. This environment means there needs to be a true passion for the work, which brings a strong sense of camaraderie within the team and something I am always very grateful for at the end of a grueling weekend.”
Rolex and WEC since 2016
Rolex has been the Official Timepiece of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) since 2016, supporting the performance and team spirit at the heart of the series.
Rolex Moments in Motorsport
- 1935 – Sir Malcolm Campbell (Rolex-wearer) breaks the 300 mph (483 km/h) barrier in 1935
- 1959 – Daytona International Speedway® – Rolex partners the circuit when it opens and in
- 1992 – Rolex becomes Title Sponsor and Official Timepiece of the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA
- 1968 – Sir Jackie Stewart becomes a Rolex “Testimonee.”
- 1997 – Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance® – the brand commences its partnership as Official Timepiece
- 2001 – 24 Hours of Le Mans – Rolex becomes the Official Timepiece of the world’s oldest and most prestigious endurance race
- 2004 – Goodwood Revival – Rolex partners as Official Timepiece and as Title Sponsor of the Rolex Drivers’ Club
- 2005 – The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering – Rolex becomes Official Timepiece
- 2010 – Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion – the Swiss watchmaker becomes Title Sponsor, having partnered the event since 2001
- 2016 – FIA World Endurance Championship – Rolex named as Official Timepiece
- 2025 – International Motor Sports Association – the brand marks its inaugural year as Official Timepiece.
Looking ahead
The quest for excellence never stops in motor sport, and the clock is already counting down to the 2026 season, when Rolex will celebrate 10 years as the Official Timepiece of the FIA World Endurance Championship. Next June, the Swiss watchmaker will also mark a quarter of a century as the Official Timepiece and Exclusive Major Partner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. These anniversaries highlight the brand’s almost century-long journey with motor sport, reflecting a shared commitment to continuous innovation and celebrating outstanding achievements on tracks around the world.
Above contents © 2025 Rolex, reviewed and edited by Rex McAfee , @rexmcafee
