The official game for the 24 hours of Le Mans and World Endurance Championship will soon be getting the final track to complete its line-up of WEC host venues. But what could be added to Le Mans Ultimate in the future?
When Le Mans Ultimate released in early access in February 2024, it featured all the cars and tracks from the 2023 World Endurance Championship. Over the next year, content from the 2024 season was added including new tracks Imola, Circuit of the Americas, Interlagos and set for release in May, the Lusail circuit.
In the most recent update, Studio 397 made the unexpected addition of alternate layouts to the pre-existing circuits in LMU. These included the extended pitlane at Spa to allow for 62 cars, skipping T1 at Monza, many options at Sakhir such as the 2.2-mile outer layout used in F1 back in 2020, and even no chicanes on the Mulsanne straight at Circuit de la Sarthe.
There is still a long way to go for the sim of course, with it still being an early access title after all. But once all the 2024 season content is rolled out and it leaves early access, there are plenty of possibilities for the future. Like Assetto Corsa Competizione, the game has the official licence for a real world racing championship, making it relatively easy to pinpoint what content could be added.
So we began wondering, what other tracks could be interesting and somewhat realistic for inclusion into Le Mans Ultimate in the future?
When WEC last raced at Shanghai during the 2019-20 season, privateer LMP1 outfit Rebellion won overall. It was the second time ever throughout the WEC's existence that a non-manufacturer took victory, as Toyota were the only brand remaining at that point after Audi and Porsche withdrew from the top class a few seasons prior.
From a commercial standpoint, it is rather perplexing that the WEC did not plan to continue racing in China and has not returned since, as it is such a lucrative market for manufacturers. The track itself is of course a known quantity to us racing fans, it may not be the most enjoyable circuit but it is certainly up to the task for hosting multi-class races.
Of course, like the majority of tracks on this list, Studio 397 would need to scan and recreate them. For a bunch of the circuits in LMU, there was already a pre-existing build of the track from rFactor 2. Unless WEC do return to China, mark this one down as unlikely but not impossible, just like the next one on this list.
Both times, it was won by Porsche drivers Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley, with Mark Webber in the 2016 race and Earl Bamber in 2017. The event was made possible by gentleman racer Ricardo González, who won the LMP2 class in 2016 with Filipe Albuquerque and Bruno Senna.
To bring it up to FIA Grade 1 standards to host the F1 Grand Prix, the circuit did go through extensive layout changes. The most prominent change being the Foro Sol corner moving from being a 180 degree sweeper to quite literally a stadium section, running through the old baseball arena.
Like Shanghai, Studio 397 probably do not have the scan data for Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. The circuit is set to get added to iRacing in the not-too-distant future, whether or not Motorsport Games see it fit to follow suit, we will have to wait and see.
When WEC last visited Silverstone, it was - rather predictably - Toyota who came out on top, with home hero Mike Conway and his teammates Kamui Kobayashi and José María López just holding off the sister car and finishing a lap ahead of the Rebellion car.
Unlike the previous two listed, Silverstone has officially been in rFactor 2. It was delisted in late 2022 due to the licence expiring, but in spite of that, there may be a way that Silverstone can be added to LMU. Motorsport Games CEO Stephen Hood has gone on record stating that content derived from other ACO-sanctioned series like the European and Asian Le Mans Series would be a "no brainer" for being added into the game.
It just so happens that on the European Le Mans Series schedule for this year is Silverstone. Just like how in ACC, more than just GT World Challenge Europe tracks were added to the game, and Silverstone is just one of three tracks on the ELMS schedule that would be feasible, the others being Paul Ricard and Barcelona. But there is also the other series' set of tracks to consider.
Most racing fans will know of this circuit from its time hosting the Malaysian Grand Prix in Formula 1 from 1999 to 2017. It became a favourite among many fans for its flowing corners and wide open nature, which makes it ideal for multi class racing.
In the first of two races at Sepang during the AsLMS season opener, the ending saw an incredible battle for the overall win between the RD Limited and AF Corse cars, with the former just coming out on top by 0.055 seconds! WEC may have never been there, but with AsLMS being an ACO-sanctioned series - like the many SRO series having their content in ACC - it is completely feasible.
But we have saved perhaps the biggest stretch for last.
The track in isolation is really enjoyable, some particular highlights being the section from Valvoline-Kurve to the Michael Schumacher S. In all kinds of cars, maintaining the balance and speed in these corners is challenging enough on its own, not even factoring in the added element of multi class traffic.
Of course, it will have not escaped one's notice that when most people hear Nürburgring, they automatically think of the 20km+ Nordschleife. The WEC, in a previous guise if you will, did race on the Green Hell all the way back until 1983 as part of the World Sportscar Championship, but nowadays nothing faster than a GT3 is running in competition there.
ACC only got the Nordschleife in 2024 after SRO took control of the 24 hour event, with many players constantly asking Kunos since the game's release "ACC Nords when?". Therefore, many would assume that LMU would never get Nordschleife unless the ACO took control of the event.
But with the sim adding alternative layouts for all of their pre-existing circuits, the precedent is now set that LMU unlike ACC will go beyond just the configurations that the real events take place on. Ultimately though, this may very well be a pipe dream. Just do not go spamming "LMU Nords when?" to the S397 team, please.
What circuits do you believe have a good chance of being added to Le Mans Ultimate in the future? Let us know in the comments below and join the discussion in our LMU forum!
When Le Mans Ultimate released in early access in February 2024, it featured all the cars and tracks from the 2023 World Endurance Championship. Over the next year, content from the 2024 season was added including new tracks Imola, Circuit of the Americas, Interlagos and set for release in May, the Lusail circuit.
In the most recent update, Studio 397 made the unexpected addition of alternate layouts to the pre-existing circuits in LMU. These included the extended pitlane at Spa to allow for 62 cars, skipping T1 at Monza, many options at Sakhir such as the 2.2-mile outer layout used in F1 back in 2020, and even no chicanes on the Mulsanne straight at Circuit de la Sarthe.
There is still a long way to go for the sim of course, with it still being an early access title after all. But once all the 2024 season content is rolled out and it leaves early access, there are plenty of possibilities for the future. Like Assetto Corsa Competizione, the game has the official licence for a real world racing championship, making it relatively easy to pinpoint what content could be added.
So we began wondering, what other tracks could be interesting and somewhat realistic for inclusion into Le Mans Ultimate in the future?
Shanghai
The home of the Chinese Grand Prix hosted WEC from the inaugural season in 2012 all the way to 2019. But even before the COVID pandemic halted any and all travel to China, the series had planned on their initial 2020-21 season schedule to no longer have a race there. Instead choosing to go to Kyalami in South Africa, which unfortunately never ended up happening.When WEC last raced at Shanghai during the 2019-20 season, privateer LMP1 outfit Rebellion won overall. It was the second time ever throughout the WEC's existence that a non-manufacturer took victory, as Toyota were the only brand remaining at that point after Audi and Porsche withdrew from the top class a few seasons prior.
From a commercial standpoint, it is rather perplexing that the WEC did not plan to continue racing in China and has not returned since, as it is such a lucrative market for manufacturers. The track itself is of course a known quantity to us racing fans, it may not be the most enjoyable circuit but it is certainly up to the task for hosting multi-class races.
Of course, like the majority of tracks on this list, Studio 397 would need to scan and recreate them. For a bunch of the circuits in LMU, there was already a pre-existing build of the track from rFactor 2. Unless WEC do return to China, mark this one down as unlikely but not impossible, just like the next one on this list.
Mexico City
In 2016, the WEC circus headed to the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, the home of the Mexico City Grand Prix only a year after F1 made its return. The event only lasted an additional year before WEC attempted its super-season to transition to a more winter-style season format.Both times, it was won by Porsche drivers Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley, with Mark Webber in the 2016 race and Earl Bamber in 2017. The event was made possible by gentleman racer Ricardo González, who won the LMP2 class in 2016 with Filipe Albuquerque and Bruno Senna.
To bring it up to FIA Grade 1 standards to host the F1 Grand Prix, the circuit did go through extensive layout changes. The most prominent change being the Foro Sol corner moving from being a 180 degree sweeper to quite literally a stadium section, running through the old baseball arena.
Like Shanghai, Studio 397 probably do not have the scan data for Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. The circuit is set to get added to iRacing in the not-too-distant future, whether or not Motorsport Games see it fit to follow suit, we will have to wait and see.
Silverstone
From the inaugural season until 2019, the home of British motorsport played host to WEC, acting as the season opener on five occasions. This track needs absolutely no introduction, a known quantity to pretty much all circuit sim racers, with its high speed sweepers like Maggots, Becketts and Chapel.When WEC last visited Silverstone, it was - rather predictably - Toyota who came out on top, with home hero Mike Conway and his teammates Kamui Kobayashi and José María López just holding off the sister car and finishing a lap ahead of the Rebellion car.
Unlike the previous two listed, Silverstone has officially been in rFactor 2. It was delisted in late 2022 due to the licence expiring, but in spite of that, there may be a way that Silverstone can be added to LMU. Motorsport Games CEO Stephen Hood has gone on record stating that content derived from other ACO-sanctioned series like the European and Asian Le Mans Series would be a "no brainer" for being added into the game.
It just so happens that on the European Le Mans Series schedule for this year is Silverstone. Just like how in ACC, more than just GT World Challenge Europe tracks were added to the game, and Silverstone is just one of three tracks on the ELMS schedule that would be feasible, the others being Paul Ricard and Barcelona. But there is also the other series' set of tracks to consider.
Sepang
The Asian Le Mans Series currently visits three circuits, two in the Middle East in the form of the Dubai Autodrome and the Yas Marina Circuit. But perhaps the track that most sim racers would be eager for is Sepang, which also has the advantage of already being first party content for rFactor 2.Most racing fans will know of this circuit from its time hosting the Malaysian Grand Prix in Formula 1 from 1999 to 2017. It became a favourite among many fans for its flowing corners and wide open nature, which makes it ideal for multi class racing.
In the first of two races at Sepang during the AsLMS season opener, the ending saw an incredible battle for the overall win between the RD Limited and AF Corse cars, with the former just coming out on top by 0.055 seconds! WEC may have never been there, but with AsLMS being an ACO-sanctioned series - like the many SRO series having their content in ACC - it is completely feasible.
But we have saved perhaps the biggest stretch for last.
Nürburgring
From 2015 to 2017, the World Endurance Championship visited Germany and raced on the Nürburgring GP circuit. With both Audi and Porsche in the series around that time, it made commercial sense. All three times, it was won by Porsche drivers Timo Bernhard and Brendon Hartley, with Mark Webber being alongside them in the first two and Earl Bamber in the last.The track in isolation is really enjoyable, some particular highlights being the section from Valvoline-Kurve to the Michael Schumacher S. In all kinds of cars, maintaining the balance and speed in these corners is challenging enough on its own, not even factoring in the added element of multi class traffic.
Of course, it will have not escaped one's notice that when most people hear Nürburgring, they automatically think of the 20km+ Nordschleife. The WEC, in a previous guise if you will, did race on the Green Hell all the way back until 1983 as part of the World Sportscar Championship, but nowadays nothing faster than a GT3 is running in competition there.
ACC only got the Nordschleife in 2024 after SRO took control of the 24 hour event, with many players constantly asking Kunos since the game's release "ACC Nords when?". Therefore, many would assume that LMU would never get Nordschleife unless the ACO took control of the event.
But with the sim adding alternative layouts for all of their pre-existing circuits, the precedent is now set that LMU unlike ACC will go beyond just the configurations that the real events take place on. Ultimately though, this may very well be a pipe dream. Just do not go spamming "LMU Nords when?" to the S397 team, please.
What circuits do you believe have a good chance of being added to Le Mans Ultimate in the future? Let us know in the comments below and join the discussion in our LMU forum!
