Rolex’s partnership with the FIA World Endurance Championship marks a seminal moment in the watchmaker’s history with motorsport.

I t was the best I had ever driven,” says Rolex Testimonee and racing legend Mark Webber reflecting on his performance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2016. Discipline, commitment and a passion for speed saw the Australian set a then lap record of 3:21.816 in his final appearance at the iconic twice-around-the-clock contest, the most anticipated event on the FIA World Endurance.

In the last decade, Rolex has been a partner of the FIA World Endurance Championship as Official Timepiece. From that milestone in the watchmaker’s history, a legacy was forged to encompass the world’s greatest races, organizations and championships since the early 1960s.

Webber, who became an FIA World Endurance Champion in 2015, has seen the series evolve into the leading endurance racing competition since this association began.

“With high level manufacturers committed and partners like Rolex present, the credibility and overall experience among drivers, teams and spectators as grown significantly,” the Rolex Testimonee says. “While bringing prestige to the WEC, they have played a key role in elevating the quality of the championship. Wheel-to-wheel racing has reached an exceptional level, keeping fans on the edge of their seats at every race.”

Over the last ten years, many of the championship’s defining moments have shaped the current Golden Era of endurance racing. Notably, the introduction of the Hypercar class in 2021 transformed the series’ global appeal, attracting new high-profile manufacturers and elevating the overall spectacle for fans. This was further amplified by the historic transatlantic alignment of regulations – enabling the world’s most advanced prototype cars to compete across the FIA World Endurance Championship and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship from 2023 – and Ferrari’s first endurance constructors’ championship in 53 years at the close of the 2025 season.

Rolex Testimonee Jenson Button added his own landmark moment at the centenary edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in 2023, when he competed for Hendricks Motorsports in their specially modified Garage 56 Nascar. These moments at Circuit de la Sarthe led to Button discovering a love for endurance racing, a passion he pursued full-time with Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA in the FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar class across the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

Renowned for his pace and consistency at the highest level, the Rolex Testimonee understands better than most the importance of time in motor sport, where a split second can determine the outcome.

“This sport is all about timing. It’s about miniscule details and moments that, as a driver, you feel even more in endurance racing,” says the Brit. “Many teams have won races over the last few seasons by the smallest of margins, which have made for a very exciting championship.”

From delivering Cadillac’s maiden one-two at the 2025 Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo to setting one of the fastest laps (1:33.677) at the 6 Hours of Imola the year before, he showcased his ability to deliver when every second counts.

Five years since the inception of the Hypercar, the championship continues to experience wheel- to-wheel racing throughout the field, on every lap, demanding determination until the final seconds of each race. Nyck de Vries, who recently joined the Rolex family of Testimonees, enters the 2026 season looking to continue his strong momentum, following a dominant victory with Toyota Racing at the 2025 season-finale in Bahrain.

Taking over in the final stint from teammate Kamui Kobayashi with only 32 minutes of the race remaining, de Vries showed composure under pressure to seal victory by more than 19 seconds.

“The championship has really gained momentum over the past few years, especially since the introduction of the new Hypercar and LMDh regulations,” says the Dutchman. “A lot of manufacturers have joined, which makes the competition incredibly strong – it’s probably more competitive than ever and that makes it more challenging, but also more rewarding when you succeed.”

The Hypercar grid reaches new heights of competition this season with the arrival of Genesis Magma Racing, who have named Rolex Testimonee Jamie Chadwick as Reserve Driver for their inaugural campaign. Eight thrilling rounds across multiple continents will define the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship, a celebration of Rolex’s 10-year dedication to the series. The Swiss watchmaker recognizes that time is the ultimate standard in this sport, the measure that separates champions from the contenders. From every lap to every pit stop and every decisive moment on track, the Rolex Pit Lane Clock is set to witness more remarkable achievements on track in the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship.