The opening round of the 2021 FIA World Endurance Championship, which was due to be held in Portimão (Portugal) in early April, has been postponed until June. Spa-Francorchamps will now host the Prologue, as well as the WEC season-opener.

The decision, approved at today's FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting, has been made following the uncertainty surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic including travel restrictions from different Governments in various countries, meaning travel to and from Portugal is heavily compromised. Furthermore, it is hoped that the new date for Portimão will increase the possibility of fans being able to attend the race.

For the 100th anniversary of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, the Official Prologue will now take place in Belgium from 26-27 April – the first time that the WEC’s pre-season test has been staged in Belgium. The season-opening TOTAL 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps will get underway a few days later (1 May). The 8 Hours of Portimão will slot into the WEC calendar in the original 24 Hours of Le Mans weekend (12-13 June).

The 6 Hours of Monza will remain in mid-July with Le Mans scheduled from 21-22 August – the ACO announcing earlier this week that it will move to August when there will be a higher chance of spectator attendance.

All changes to the 2021 WEC calendar have been made in accordance with the ACO, the FIA and the circuit organisers. 

The final two rounds of WEC Season 9, which will take place in Fuji (Japan) and Bahrain, will remain unchanged.

Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest: “Due to the ongoing pandemic situation, we have to be extremely flexible in our decision-making. We are continually adapting to government decisions, especially restrictions on travel between different countries. Following discussions with WEC competitors, we have no choice but to delay the start of the season. We have, however, managed to keep all the rounds on the calendar which is our number one priority. We now look forward to the opening race at Spa in May and to seeing the Hypercars do battle on track for the first time.”

Richard Mille, President of the FIA Endurance Commission: “In the reality affected by the global health crisis, all sporting calendars have to be considered fluid and nothing is set in stone. Having said that, I’m full of praise for the efforts of the promoter of the FIA World Endurance Championship for their flexibility and reactive approach. Delaying the start of the season should be beneficial for everyone involved, from the competitors to the fans.”

Frédéric Lequien, CEO of the FIA WEC: “I would like to thank our teams, suppliers, partners, the FIA, the Portimão and Spa-Francorchamps circuit organisers, the LMEM team and many others for their cooperation in what continues to be a difficult time for everyone. The new date for Portimão will give us a better chance of allowing fans to attend and we are certain that the change in schedule is more favourable for all concerned.”

Portimão shifted to June; Spa-Francorchamps set to host FIA WEC season-opener

• FIA WEC Pandemic World Motor Sport
• At 3/05/2021 11:28:00 p.m.
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Four weeks to go until WEC season-closer in Bahrain

In only one month’s time, the FIA WEC family will be together in Bahrain for the final race of the 2019 / 2020 season – the 8 Hours of Bahrain (14 November).

A number of championship titles are still to be determined in Bahrain next month including the LMP FIA World Endurance Drivers’ Championship title which will be closely fought between the No. 8 and No. 7 Toyota Gazoo Racing entries - currently only separated by seven points. It will also form the final event for the legendary LMP1 category before it is replaced by next year’s top-tier Hypercars. 

The drivers’ championship in GTE Pro is also still to be decided, as well as the teams’ and drivers’ championship titles in the Pro Am category. TV and streaming details will be released closer to the time revealing how fans can tune in from home.

Toyota, WEC Season 8: the story so far… As the WEC prepares for its final round, the 8 Hours of Bahrain, we take a look back at how Season 8 has fared for Toyota Gazoo Racing so far… It all started back at Silverstone in September last year when the No. 7 Toyota Gazoo Racing trio of Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway and José María López took the season-opening win after a race which saw sunshine, rain and two safety car periods. The threesome finished just 2 seconds ahead of their team-mates in the No. 8 car.  The story so far in LMGTE Pro... In LMGTE Pro, all eyes are on the 8 Hours of Bahrain where there will be a three-way title fight for the LMGTE FIA World Endurance Drivers’ Championship between the No. 95 and No. 97 crews, as well as the No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari. Elsewhere, it is still possible for the No. 92 Porsche to finish runner-up in the GTE Drivers’ Championship should either the No. 97 Aston Martin or the No. 51 Ferrari encounter difficulties. Christensen and Estre in the Porsche 911 RSR currently have a total of 109 points, 18 points behind AF Corse Ferrari in third.

Four weeks to go until WEC season-closer in Bahrain

• Bahrain FIA WEC Sport
• At 10/16/2020 10:04:00 p.m.
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MotorTrend will lead the coverage of the 1000 Miles of Sebring (15 March) in Florida this weekend with full live coverage of the race in North America. 

The sixth round of the Super Season marks the WEC’s highly anticipated return to Sebring Raceway, one of America’s greatest and oldest continuously-operating race tracks. The 1000 Miles of Sebring will air live in the USA and Canada on the MotorTrend App, and in the US on MotorTrend TV starting at 3:30 pm ET on Friday March 15, 2019. In Canada, linear TV viewers can watch the race on Velocity. 

Commentary in English will be available worldwide on all live transmissions and official WEC highlights shows, with Super Sebring Grand Marshal Allan McNish giving his expert insights on FIA WEC. The 2013 World Endurance Champion will be joined by Martin Haven, with additional support from Graham Goodwin and Louise Beckett. Live coverage on the FIA WEC App is available worldwide except for North America where it is geo-blocked. 

Follow the 1000 Miles of Sebring wherever you are!

• FIA WEC MotorTrend Raceway
• At 3/11/2019 05:00:00 p.m.
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Super Season title fights hot up After an action-packed and absorbing 6 Hours of Fuji last weekend the latest FIA WEC provisional points standings have seen all of the four categories develop interesting plot twists! After taking their first Super Season win of the year, Mike Conway, José María López and Kamui Kobayashi have leapt into second position in the FIA World Endurance LMP Drivers’ Championship. The trio now sit just 13 points behind the No.8 trio Le Mans victors Fernando Alonso, Sébastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima.  The FIA World Endurance LMP1 championship sees Toyota stretch its lead to 14 points over the Rebellion Racing squad which claimed third place in Japan but only had one of its cars finish the race.  In the GT FIA World Endurance Drivers’ Championship, Fuji winners Kevin Estre and Michael Christensen extend their lead to a healthy 31 points over the No.66 Ford GT duo of Stefan Mücke and Olivier Pla. Porsche hold a 52-point cushion over Ford in the GT Manufacturers FIA World Championship with Ferrari in third place a further 16 points back.  The FIA World Motor Sport Council approves the 2019-2020 WEC calendar The FIA World Motor Sport Council convened for a meeting in Paris on Friday 12 October, and approved the calendar for the 2019-2020 World Endurance Championship (WEC) season. The World Motor Sport Council went on to discuss the regulations set to go into effect from September 2020 that will see the top class of competitors dedicated to "hypercar" prototypes. An estimate of the necessary budget was presented.

FIA WEC title battles hot up; 2019-20 calendar confirmed by World Motor Sports Council

• Championship FIA WEC Motor Sports Pilots
• At 10/17/2018 04:13:00 p.m.
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Conway, Lopez and Kobayashi win for Toyota Toyota Gazoo Racing took a home 1-2 finish at the 6 Hours of Fuji today with the No.7 Toyota TS050 HYBRID driven by Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and José Maria Lopez taking the victory today. It is a second victory at Fuji for Conway and Kobayashi following success in 2016, and it is a first WEC win for Lopez.  Despite starting the race from the back of the LMP grid after being penalised in qualifying, the No.7 Toyota TS050 HYBRID executed a thrilling race to carve its way through and take the winner’s trophy and maximum points.  The No.8 Toyota of Fernando Alonso, Sébastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima took the flag in second place but kept their championship points lead today. Kazuki Nakajima started and finished the race which saw Toyota score a sixth victory in seven Fuji FIA WEC races.  52,800 spectators enjoyed the WEC action at Fuji Speedway this weekend.

Porsche climbs to the top of GTE mountain in Fuji The battle was fierce throughout and there were four different manufacturers in the first four places in LMGTE Pro, but ultimately it was Porsche’s day as they took victory in both the LMGTE Pro and Am categories at the conclusion of the 6 Hours of Fuji.  Porsche GT Team’s No.92 911 RSR of Kevin Estre and Michael Christensen secured the German marque’s first WEC victory with the current model, finishing 12 seconds ahead of BMW, while 2018 WEC newcomer Team Project 1’s Porsche secured victory in LMGTE Am.  After starting the fourth round of the FIA WEC Super Season in mixed weather and track conditions, the race settled into a rhythm but there was plenty of action in GTE to keep the spectators entertained.

Jackie Chan DC Racing celebrate another 1-2  LMP2 witnessed a faultless display by the Jackie Chan DC Racing squad of the all-Malaysian line-up of Jazeman Jaafar, Weiron Tan and Nabil Jeffri. It was the first ever win for the Malaysian line-up who dominated proceedings.  They led for the majority of the race and led home the sister Jackie Chan DC Racing car of Ho-Pin Tung, Stéphane Richelmi and Gabriel Aubry in what was the second consecutive win for the Chinese-entered squad.  Completing the podium was the Signatech Alpine Matmut trio of Nicolas Lapierre, Pierre Thiriet and André Negrão. The French squad, which was confirmed as 24 Hours of Le Mans LMP2 champions last week, saw their standings lead cut to just one point.

Conway, Lopez and Kobayashi win for Toyota; Porsche climb to top of GTE mountain in Fuji

• 6 Hours of Fuji FIA WEC Fuji Speedway Racing
• At 10/14/2018 02:37:00 p.m.
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The headlines from qualifying at Fuji, round four of the FIA WEC Super Season The No.8 Toyota Gazoo Racing LMP1 car of Fernando Alonso, Kazuki Nakajima and Sebastien Buemi will start from pole position for tomorrow’s 6 Hours of Fuji.  Alonso and Buemi initially qualified their car in second position after the No.7 Toyota TS050 HYBRID driven by José Maria Lopez and Kamui Kobayashi set the fastest combined time of 1m23.437s.  Lopez exceeded the pit lane speed limit during the session and his lap times were deleted meaning that they dropped to the back of the field.  This elevated the No.8 car to a third pole position of the 2018 FIA WEC Super Season.  Starting from second position on the grid will be the No.1 Rebellion Racing R13-Gibson car driven by André Lotterer and Neel Jani in qualifying.  Now in third position is the the No.3 Rebellion car of Mathias Beche, Thomas Laurent and Gustavo Menezes. LMP2 pole goes to Anthony Davidson and Roberto Gonzalez for DragonSpeed Anglo/Mexican pair set an average of 1m28.906 to claim first pole for American team  Second and third in LMP falls to Jackie Chan DC Racing as No.37 heads No.38 ORECA 07  Qualifying times can be found HERE

Aston Martin on top in GTE LMGTE Pro pole goes to No.95 Aston Martin Racing Vantage of Nicki Thiim and Marco Sørensen – first for AMR in Pro since Shanghai last season and also maiden P1 for new model  Thiim sets fastest time of session on a 1m35.884s and Sørensen ensures unbeatable average of 1m36.093s  BMW Team MTEK complete best ever qualifying with Tom Blomqvist and Antonio Felix da Costa securing second position in No.82 M8 GTE  The British/Portuguese alliance combines to set an average of 1m36.275s • Good day for Aston Martin as they also take third with Maxime Martin and Alex Lynn setting an average of 1m36.362s  LMGTE Am sees second pole position of Super Season for Dempsey Proton Porsche as Matteo Cairoli and Satoshi Hoshino average 1m38.366s – the Japanese driver’s first race in the WEC No.98 Aston Martin Racing car places second with Pedro Lamy and Paul Dalla Lana just 0.064s off pole  No.77 Dempsey Proton Porsche is third with Matt Campbell and Christian Ried qualifying 6 Hours of Fuji scheduled to start at 11.00 local time tomorrow

Fans of tomorrow visit the WEC in Fuji Drivers Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button, Bruno Senna, Nyck de Vries, Antonio Felix da Costa and Giancarlo Fisichella with 40 children from a local school who attended the official pre-event press conference, contributing several questions.

Toyota clinch pole at Fuji

• 6 Hours of Fuji FIA WEC Sport
• At 10/14/2018 01:49:00 p.m.
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The FIA World Endurance Championship is delighted to announce it will make a welcome return to the spiritual home of Brazilian endurance racing, Autódromo José Carlos Pace (Interlagos) in São Paulo, from the 2019-2020 season. 

Announced today (22 March 2018) at a packed and enthusiastically received press conference in the Brazilian city, the 6-hour race will form part of a calendar which is due to be revealed this summer. A date for the 6 Hours of São Paulo will be communicated in due course, and it will mark a return for the WEC to the popular South American venue for the first time since 2014. 

The announcement regarding the multi-year deal to stage the 6 Hours of São Paulo was made by WEC CEO Gérard Neveu and the new local promotion agency, N Duduch Motorsports, led by CEO Nicholas Duduch. 

It was also announced that 2017 LMP2 Champion Bruno Senna, present at the press conference, will become an ambassador for the event. His deep involvement, together with the WEC race participation of other South American champions such as José María López from Toyota Gazoo Racing and Augusto Farfus of BMW Team MTEK, will help to ensure a successful and well-attended race weekend. 

Photo caption below:  Seated either side of Gerard Neveu of the WEC (centre) are Nicholas Duduch and Bruno Senna, also present are Mr Dadai, President of the CBA (Brazilian Motorsport Federation) and Joao Amaral representing the São Paulo Tourism department.

Jean Todt, President of the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile: “The return of the FIA World Endurance Championship to São Paulo is very good news for the many Brazilian motor sport fans and is fully supported by the FIA. The history and heritage of this great country, which is so passionate about all forms of motor sport, has always included the discipline of endurance racing. A return by the FIA WEC to Brazil enables us to continue to bring our sport to audiences around the world.  “I would like to send my best wishes to the CBA, the City of São Paulo, Nicholas Duduch and the local promoter agency, my good friend Bruno Senna, Gérard Neveu and the whole WEC organisation including all the competitors. We are all now very much looking forward to the start of what promises to be a very strong 2019-2020 season. I am sure you will join me in wanting to see a Brazilian driver winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and why not an FIA World Championship title in the same season as well?”  Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest: “The confirmation of the return of the WEC to São Paulo is very welcome news. Brazilian fans have always shown a genuine passion for the 24 Hours of Le Mans and for endurance racing in general. Who can forget the marvellous race which took place at our last visit to Brazil in 2014? We are very happy to go back to Interlagos from the 2019-2020 season to share our passion for motorsport with our Brazilian friends.”  Gérard Neveu, CEO of the World Endurance Championship: “This is very good news not only for the huge number of extremely passionate and loyal Brazilian fans of the WEC, but also for the championship’s competitors who love to race on the legendary Interlagos circuit.  “Our return to South America has been something we’ve been working towards for several years now, and our thanks must go to Nicholas Duduch and his organisation for their hard work to make it happen, with the support of the city of São Paulo. Having Bruno Senna as our WEC race ambassador in Sao Paulo is a real honour; he is undoubtedly one of the best drivers from the FIA WEC. Together with the whole FIA WEC paddock and our partners, we’re now looking forward to being back in Brazil in 2019-2020 and for a great event.”  Nicholas Duduch of N Duduch Motorsports: “We are honored to be part of this huge project. In partnership with the FIA WEC, we want to offer a complete experience for motor sport fans. The culture of endurance racing goes beyond the race itself, and our desire is to make the public get used to it, to understand it better and enjoy the best of what the FIA WEC has to offer.”

Le FIA WEC revient à São Paulo pour la saison 2019-2020 Le Championnat du Monde d'Endurance FIA (WEC) est très heureux d'annoncer son retour sur l'Autodromo José Carlos Pace (Interlagos) à São Paulo, berceau de l'endurance brésilienne, pour la saison 2019-2020.  Officialisée ce jeudi 22 mars 2018 lors d'une conférence de presse qui s'est tenue dans la cité brésilienne dans l'enthousiasme général, cette course de 6 heures fera partie intégrante du futur calendrier qui sera révélé l'été prochain. La date de ces 6 Heures de São Paulo sera dévoilée en temps et en heure et marquera, pour la première fois depuis 2014, le retour du WEC sur cette piste légendaire du sport automobile sud-américain.  Cette annonce, inscrivant ces 6 Heures de São Paulo dans la durée, a été faite par Gérard Neveu, Directeur Général du WEC, et la nouvelle agence brésilienne qui sera le promoteur de cet événement, N Duduch Motorsports, représentée par son dirigeant Nicholas Duduch.  Il a été également annoncé que Bruno Senna, champion LMP2 2017, également présent lors de cette conférence de presse, sera l'ambassadeur de cet évènement. Sa totale implication, ainsi que la présence en Championnat du Monde de grands champions sud-américains comme Jose Maria Lopez (Toyota Gazoo Racing, catégorie LMP1) ou encore Augusto Farfus (BMW Team MTEK, catégorie LMGTE Pro), seront incontestablement une aide précieuse pour assurer un beau succès et une forte affluence des fans brésiliens pour ce week-end de course à venir.  Jean Todt (Président de la Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) : "Le retour du Championnat du Monde d'Endurance FIA à São Paulo est une très grande nouvelle pour les nombreux fans brésiliens de sport automobile et bénéficie du soutien total de la FIA. L'Endurance a toujours eu sa place dans l'histoire et le patrimoine de ce grand pays, si passionné de toutes les formes de sports mécaniques. Le retour du FIA WEC au Brésil nous permet de montrer notre sport à tous les publics du monde entier.  "Je voudrais adresser tous mes vœux de réussite à CBA, à la ville de São Paulo, à Nicholas Duduch le promoteur brésilien, à mon grand ami Bruno Senna, à Gérard Neveu et toute l'organisation du WEC, ainsi qu'à tous ses concurrents. Nous avons déjà hâte de voir débuter ce qui promet d'être une grande saison 2019-2020. Je suis sûr que vous désirez tout comme moi voir un pilote brésilien remporter les 24 Heures du Mans, et pourquoi pas un titre mondial FIA à la fin de cette même saison ?" Pierre Fillon (Président de l'Automobile Club de l'Ouest) : "La confirmation du retour du WEC à São Paulo est une nouvelle que nous accueillons avec enthousiasme. Les fans brésiliens ont toujours fait preuve d'une authentique passion pour les 24 Heures du Mans et les courses d'endurance en général. Comment oublier la magnifique course qui s'est déroulée lors de notre dernière visite au Brésil en 2014 ? Nous sommes très heureux de revenir à Interlagos pour la saison 2019-2020 pour partager notre passion du sport automobile avec nos amis brésiliens."  Gérard Neveu (Directeur Général du WEC) : "C'est une très bonne nouvelle, non seulement pour les très nombreux et toujours fidèles fans brésiliens du WEC, mais aussi pour les concurrents de notre championnat, qui adorent venir rouler sur le légendaire circuit d'Interlagos.  "Nous travaillons depuis déjà plusieurs années sur notre retour en Amérique du Sud, et il faut remercier Nicholas Duduch et son organisation pour l’important travail réalisé qui a rendu cette course possible, avec le support de la ville de São Paulo. Avoir Bruno Senna comme Ambassadeur du WEC à São Paulo est une grande chance, il est sans aucun doute un des meilleurs pilotes du championnat du monde. Tout le paddock du FIA WEC, ainsi que tous nos partenaires, sommes d'ores et déjà très impatients de revenir au Brésil pour ce fantastique évènement."  Nicholas Duduch (Directeur de N Duduch Motorsports) : "Nous sommes très honorés de participer à cet important projet. En partenariat avec le FIA WEC, nous voulons proposer une expérience globale aux fans de sport automobile. La culture de l'endurance va bien au-delà de la course elle-même, et notre souhait est de fidéliser le public, de lui permettre de mieux comprendre cette discipline et de lui faire apprécier le meilleur de ce que le FIA WEC peut lui offrir."

FIA WEC to return to São Paulo in 2019-20 season

• Autódromo José Carlos Pace Brazil Endurance Championship FIA WEC São Paulo
• At 3/22/2018 05:35:00 p.m.
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On the occasion of the official FIA WEC ‘Rookie’ test in Bahrain, the day after the final round of the 2017 season, one of the most experienced ‘rookies’ of them all successfully completed his first laps in a Le Mans Prototype.  Following a total of 113 laps / 611 km in the No.8 Toyota TS050 HYBRID, the two-time Formula One World Champion Fernando Alonso – who has for several years expressed a strong interest in endurance racing and has indeed visited the WEC paddock more than once – pronounced himself very happy with the experience. He set a best lap of 1:43.013. “It was a great day. Testing an LMP1 car is always a nice thing for any racing driver because these cars are amazing to drive. They are very consistent throughout a stint which is a positive thing. I have wanted to test a car like this for a long time now and today I could achieve that so I am happy.” Retrouvez ICI tous les articles de notre site en version française

Also testing today with Toyota was the Promoter’s choice for emerging talents, Jackie Chan DC Racing’s Thomas Laurent who yesterday finished second in the FIA World Endurance Drivers’ Trophy title chase. He completed 31 laps, recording a fastest time of 1:43.273.  The 19-year-old Frenchman said afterwards, “I’m really happy about how this morning went and to drive in an LMP1 car with Toyota was just a dream come true.  “The car is just amazing, the downforce, the braking, the acceleration with the boost, is all super impressive. It’s a real weapon. I have been doing my ‘homework’ each night to learn about the car and had some time to adapt to it in the Toyota simulator in Cologne.”

Driving today in the LMP1 category was newly crowned World Series Formula V8 3.5 champion Pietro Fittipaldi. He completed 32 laps on what was the 919 Hybrid’s last appearance in a WEC event and was congratulated by Porsche LMP Team Principal Andreas Seidl for doing a solid performance.  A total of 14 cars ran during the five hours of track time, with three LMP1, six LMP2, four LMGTE Pro and one LMGTE Am. Among the LMP2 cars was the championship-winning Vaillante Rebellion which gave second placed World Series driver Matevos Isaakyan 30 laps, while Jackie Chan DC Racing tested two young drivers and carried out some development work for Cosworth. Also carrying out development work were the two 911 RSRs from the Porsche GT Team. The test closed at 16:00 local time, and the 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship is now officially over.  See you all in 2018, and stay tuned to FIA WEC and its social media channels for all the latest news.

Fernando Alonso completes successful WEC test in Bahrain

• Bahrain Fernando Alonso FIA WEC FIA World Endurance Drivers’ Championship Toyota
• At 11/19/2017 02:44:00 p.m.
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Following the second round of the 2017 FIA WEC, here's a roundup of who is leading which points table as the competitors head towards the double-points-scoring 24 Hours of Le Mans.

LMP1 – Toyota takes the lead 

Toyota’s success at the WEC 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps last weekend has not only given the Japanese manufacturer the lead in the Manufacturers’ World Championship standings, 8.5 points ahead of Porsche, but also a very positive boost as the team goes forward to the third round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. 

The win for the No.8 Toyota TS050 HYBRID crew of Sébastien Buemi-Anthony Davidson-Kazuki Nakajima means they now have a 17-point lead in the World Endurance Drivers Championship over the No.2 Porsche line up of Brendon Hartley-Timo Bernhard-Earl Bamber. Third in the standings are Porsche’s André Lotterer-Neel Jani-Nick Tandy on 28 points. 

World Championship and class points classifications after Spa

• 24 Hours of Le Mans 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps Championship FIA WEC FIA World Endurance Championship Porsche Toyota’s
• At 5/12/2017 09:31:00 p.m.
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