WEC HEAD TO FUJI SPEEDWAY

MEDIA RELEASE/Rolex – Images: Rolex

The penultimate round of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) will commence at the famous Fuji Speedway, Japan at 11.00 a.m. local time on Sunday 28 September. After six rounds of racing action, the global series reaches Japan with both the Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ championships finally poised. As the Official Timepiece of the FIA World Endurance Championship since 2016, Rolex has supported technical innovation and human performance for nearly a decade.

Situated at the foothills of Mount Fuji, offering a picturesque backdrop for competitors and spectators, the 4.563-kilometre (2.83-mile) Fuji Speedway is known for its long straights and challenging high-speed corners, demanding precision from teams and drivers. Rolex Testimonee Mark Webber, who secured victory at Fuji ahead of winning the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship, says: “The 6 Hours of Fuji always provides good racing. The Japanese love motor sport so the crowd is always brilliant. It’s a unique track – quite short with a super long straight and a very technical final sector, so it’s tough to get the set-up right to suit all the drivers in your team and be in sync together on such a short track.”

The Swiss watchmaker’s association with endurance racing dates back to the 1960s, with its clocks bearing witness to defining moments and achievements on track. Earlier this month the championship travelled from Austin, Texas where the #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport secured its first victory of the season, while the #51 Ferrari AF Corse, which currently sits at the top of the Drivers’ standings with 115 points, finished fifth at the Lone Star Le Mans.

Rolex Testimonee Jenson Button is competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship with the #38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA. Button and his teammates continue to go from strength to strength after impressive results in the Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo and a sixth-place finish in Austin. The British driver, who has contested two full seasons in the series, has recently announced he will step away from full-time racing in 2026. Button reflects: “These next couple of races will be very emotional. I’ve had a very long career in professional racing and definitely didn’t think I’d still be racing at 45 years old. The final two races will be exceptional with Fuji being the highlight – Japan is a great place with some of the best fans in the world – they’re knowledgeable, enthusiastic and passionate. With 18 cars fighting for the win, you never know what will happen, and that’s what makes the WEC so special.”

Following the action this weekend, the series will return to the Middle East in early November for the season-finale in Bahrain, where the championship winning drivers will be awarded a specially engraved Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona in recognition of their dedication and quest for excellence. Reflecting on the significance of the winners’ watch, Button adds: “Rolex has had such an influential impact on motor sport and endurance racing over the years. It’s very special to own a Rolex but to win one and have it engraved, it’s always going to have an incredibly special place in a driver’s heart.”

ROLEX AND MOTOR SPORT

Rolex celebrates human achievement, recognizing the journey marked by milestones and emotions that culminates in defining moments – determined by a path followed, not just a trophy. In motor sport this association started in the 1930s when Sir Malcolm Campbell set World Land Speed Records on Daytona Beach with a Rolex on his wrist. Since then, the brand’s support has grown, extending to the sport’s most esteemed figures, revered endurance championships and other leading events. This relationship encompasses the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) and the contests that together form the Triple Crown of Endurance Racing – the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA, the Twelve Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. For almost three decades, Rolex has also supported classic automotive events steeped in elegance, beauty and tradition, including the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering , the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion and the Goodwood Revival. Rolex welcomed motor sport legend Sir Jackie Stewart into its family of Testimonees in 1968 and he has since been joined by fellow high achievers: Tom Kristensen, the record nine-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans; Mark Webber, the 2015 FIA World Endurance Champion and multiple Grand Prix^™ winner; Jenson Button, the 2009 FIA Formula 1® Drivers’ World Champion who is currently competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship; and Jamie Chadwick, a pioneer for women in motor sport who this year is contesting the European Le Mans Series.

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