WESS Promotions, the organisers of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship, has announced its withdrawal from the series due to financial difficulties, casting doubt over the running of the 2025 season.

The FIM and WESS Promotions, which has been the HEWC promoter since 2021, issued joint statements today, February 28, confirming that “despite their best efforts, they have not been able to secure the necessary support to move forward with their plans for this season following the withdrawal of its main partner late last year.”

That main partner was inevitably KTM—a fact that Enduro21 reported last year when WESS revealed that the Austrian manufacturer’s exit had directly impacted their finances and, consequently, the season ahead.

Efforts to Save the Championship Fall Short

Over the past two months, WESS has made extensive efforts to secure new partners and funding. However, having set a self-imposed deadline of the end of February, they have now informed the FIM that they are unable to continue promoting the 2025 HEWC season.

No News is Bad News?

While this announcement doesn’t come as a huge surprise, it confirms what many suspected—running a world championship is not cheap, and without the financial backing of a major player like KTM, the series was always in jeopardy.

Some may argue, however, that this could be an opportunity for the championship to move forward independently, free from KTM’s influence, and establish a new future.

What Happens Next?

The FIM has stated that they are now “making every possible effort” and are “actively seeking and exploring alternative options” to ensure the 2025 HEWC can still take place. However, they acknowledge that amendments to the original schedule may be necessary.

At this stage, whether the championship will go ahead remains uncertain. While individual events could still take place independently, bringing them together under the HEWC umbrella, with official FIM rules and structure, is another challenge altogether.

FIM President Jorge Viegas addressed the situation: “Since we received the news in December, we have been in constant contact with WESS, and we understand the efforts they have made during the start of this year in order to continue their good work. Unfortunately, that is now not the case, and we cannot move forward without thanking them for the incredible job they have done with this series. The FIM Hard Enduro World Championship is a great championship, so we are determined to find a solution that can allow it to continue this year and long into the future.”

The FIM say they will provide further updates as soon as possible.

We’ll keep digging and bring you the latest on this developing story…