The World Endurance Championship has a strange two-year-long season next year as it transitions to a winter schedule that ends with Le Mans. Now they’ve the final date on that calendar: the 6 Hours of Silverstone will return on August 29, 2018.

The WEC also moved the 6 Hours of Fuji date to avoid a clash with IMSA’s Petit Le Mans and the 6 Hours of Shanghai date to allow more time to ship teams’ items from Fuji. Thus, its bizarre transitional years’ schedule now looks like this:

• 6 & 7 April: The Prologue, Circuit Paul Ricard (FRA) **

• 5 May: WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BEL)

• 16 & 17 June: 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA)

• 19 August: 6 Hours of Silverstone (GBR)

• 21 October: 6 Hours of Fuji (JPN)

• 18 November: 6 Hours of Shanghai (CHN)

• 16 & 17 March 2019: 12 Hours of Sebring (USA) *

• 4 May 2019 WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BEL)

• 15 &16 June 2019: 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA)

Sadly for North American fans, the “to be confirmed” February date was removed when Silverstone was added, thus removing a good opportunity to make an earlier appearance somewhere else in the continent before Sebring.

The WEC noted that the many UK-based drivers and teams as well as British manufacturer Aston Martin influenced where the final race date went in their announcement.

Further changes, such as how the LMP1 class will be reworked, are expected later.