According to reports from multiple publications, Honda is looking to join the FIA World Endurance Championship, perhaps as early as next year.
Now, we've heard this before since the LMDh ruleset, of which the Acura ARX-06, as it is known in the North American IMSA Sportscar Championship, aligns to. But this time it seems it may well actually happen.
The reports all suggest that, if this programme gets confirmed, that Honda will team up with top LMP2 team Inter Europol Competition, for a factory-backed entry into the WEC Hypercar class.
It is believed this entry is only possible as Inter Europol Competition would provide the majority of the funding should the programme go ahead.
According to German publication, Motorsport aktuell, HRC US (Honda Racing Corporation United States) president David Salters said in Daytona, 'If the budget were available, one could do it. If the budget is not available, one cannot – that is the central aspect of this question.'
A factory-backed but privately-funded operation is not unusual in sportscar racing. Aston Martin's WEC and IMSA programmes, with the Valkyrie race car, are largely privately funded by partner team The Heart of Racing, but is fully factory-backed by Aston Martin and manufacturer partner Multimatic.
The reports also suggest this could happen as early as 2027. Grid space will be at a premium next year, with this putting 40 cars on the grid, the first time WEC will have a grid in the 40s.
Only Endurance contacted both HRC US and Inter Europol, but both had no comment to make, "at this time" or "at the moment", respectively.
Phil Oakley
Acura a known force in IMSA
Honda, or rather HRC US, already compete in IMSA, as Acura Meyer Shank Racing, as a two-car factory operation. One car is operated my Meyer Shank, with the other operated by HRC US.
The Acura ARX-06 has competed in IMSA since 2023, originally with a single car from Meyer Shank Racing and another from Wayne Taylor Racing. After the cheating scandal with Meyer Shank Racing emerged in mid-2023, the partnership fell apart and Meyer Shank took a year out of sportscar racing in 2024, leaving just Wayne Taylor Racing competing with Acura, albeit with two cars instead of one.
WTR switched to a factory-supported Cadillac programme for 2025, with Meyer Shank Racing returning to run Acura's programme, with grudges swept away in light of a new two-car partnership and programme, which continued into 2026.
Inter Europol the current LMP2 super team
Inter Europol, on the other hand, are one of the current crop of LMP2 super teams.
They ran in WEC from 2021-2023, winning their first race at Le Mans in 2023, by all accounts a great place to win your first race!
With LMP2 cut from the full WEC season for 2024, amid increasing amounts of Hypercar entries, Inter Europol partnered with IMSA team PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports to race a single-car campaign there.
The team won the Teams' and Drivers' championships that year, with Tom Dillmann and bronze-rated Nick Boulle.
This became a fully Inter Europol-operated programme in 2025. The team is back in IMSA for 2025, again with the regular full-season #43 car, alongside an extra #343 car for Daytona, where they finished with a double podium, 2nd and 3rd.
The Polish team also race in the European Le Mans Series, and have done since 2016, when they started in the series, racing in LMP3. This year they will race two cars in the LMP2 class, alongside one in LMP3.
Only Endurance's thoughts
Phil
Finally! After years of will they/won't they, it seems we're finally on the cusp of seeing a Honda prototype in WEC and at Le Mans. Interestingly this will be the first time the Japanese manufacturer will have raced in the top class at Le Mans. Regardless, the ARX-06 is a strong car and a known quantity, with a strong base car in the Oreca chassis.
Inter Europol are strong too, having increasing expanded their operations from a single car in WEC to a full two car programme in IMSA. I remember their joy and delight first-hand when they won at Le Mans in 2023 – Fabio Scherer racing with a broken foot – so I can't wait to see them back in WEC, providing the partnership with Honda happens.
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Tim
It is, and has been since the start of the LMDh formula, an absolute no-brainer for Honda. The car was developed somewhat externally but run under their name, and now with the growth of HRC USA and the global efforts this makes total sense.
Operational costs can be taken up by a team, and there are many that would love the chance to run in Hypercar. Honda can transfer knowledge and understanding from the great foundations they’ve laid in IMSA.
Better late than never, but I am surprised it’s taken this long to reach this point. Push the button Honda!