FIA GT Championship
Encyclopedia
The FIA GT Championship was a sports car racing
series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation
(SRO) at the behest of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
(FIA). The championship was mostly concentrated in Europe
, but throughout the years has visited other continents including Asia
and South America
. At the end of 2009, the championship was replaced by the FIA GT1 World Championship
.
with the top two specifications being GT1, or Grand Touring Cars, and GT2, or Series Grand Touring Cars. Each category has an annual driver champion, team champion, and manufacturer champion. Both categories are based on production road car designs, which must be produced in a minimum quantity of 25 examples
to qualify. Both types may undergo significant modifications from the road car they are based on, but GT1 allows the use of exotic materials, better aerodynamics
, larger brake
s, wider tire
s and larger engine admission restrictors.
For the 2006 season, the FIA created a new class called GT3. GT3 cars are even closer to their production counterparts and are very simply racetrack prepared with the essentials (rollcages for safety, stripped interiors, race spec fuel tanks, etc.). All cars are performance balanced together via different weights, restrictors, tyre pressures etc. Prestigious motorsports makes such as Aston Martin
, Chevrolet
, Dodge
, Lamborghini
, Ascari and Maserati
take part in FIA GT3 European Championship
, a support series in some rounds of the main championship.
The FIA defines a GT car
as "an open or closed automobile which has no more than one door on each side and a minimum of two seats situated one on each side of the longitudinal centre line of the car; these two seats must be crossed by the same transversal plane. This car must be able to be used perfectly legally on the open road, and adapted for racing on circuits or closed courses."
All races in the FIA GT Championship were of endurance type, a full race distance lasting a minimum of 500 km or a maximum of three hours, with the exception of the Spa 24 Hours
and the exhibition Mil Milhas Brasil
eiras, which is run over a thousand miles and was planned to be a round of the championship in 2007. However, with the release of the 2007 FIA GT Championship season
schedule and rules, the FIA GT series becomes more of a sprint race event, with all races being a maximum of 2 hours with the exception of the Spa 24 Hours
.
In 1997, due to increasing interest from manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz
, Porsche
and Panoz
, the FIA took over control of the expanding BPR Global GT Series
, standardizing the race-length at 500 km instead of the usual four hours, liberalizing the technical regulations and leaving commercial exploitation in the hands of one of BPR's founders, Stéphane Ratel, who managed to get TV support from the pan-European TV station Eurosport
. The new manufacturers built "homologation specials", racing-bred cars that took full advantage of the new rules, to build quasi-prototypes with very limited production runs of 25 cars. Chrysler, Lister and Marcos, not wanting to accompany the cost escalation, moved down to the GT2 class.
This proved to be the wisest move, as Mercedes completely dominated the new category and the other manufacturers pulled out after the end of the 1998 season. This left Chrysler's Viper
to become the dominating car in the series, with the aging Porsche 993 GT2 and the Lister Storm providing a certain degree of competition.
However, there was no lower inexpensive category for amateur drivers, and this led to the creation of the N-GT class in 2000. While the manufacturer field in the main class blossomed, the new category became swamped with Porsches and Ferraris, but lower running costs meant both classes enjoyed a balanced number of entries. In order to boost the championship's status, the SRO added the 24 Hours of Spa, previously a touring car race
, to the calendar, where it became the series' most important race. The FIA also banned official manufacturer involvement, although certain teams had preferential treatment, with Porsche establishing a "round robin" system.
After the end of the 2004 season, the FIA renamed the classes GT1 and GT2, and somewhat liberalized the GT1 regulations, allowing "supercars". While this was made to accommodate the Saleen S7
, the biggest beneficiary was the purpose-built Maserati MC12
, which lead the FIA to impose aerodynamic limitations on the Italian car. However, thanks to a weight penalty system, the fight for the championship is protected from more domineering cars. The level of competition remains tight, with gentlemen drivers managing to fight for the wins with professional drivers, some of them with Formula One
experience.
Following the 2009 season, the SRO
announced that the FIA GT Championship's two categories, GT1 and GT2, would break-off into separate series. The GT1 category will become a World Championship with rounds across the world. Cars which fit the GT1 class will be eligible to race only in the FIA GT1 World Championship
. The GT2 class was planned to have a separate championship having rounds held only in Europe
, known as the FIA GT2 European Championship, but this series was cancelled. A lone GT2 event was held in 2010 at the Spa 24 Hours
with the winners being awarded the FIA GT2 European Cup.
A new Blancpain Endurance Series
was announced for 2011 which will re-establish some of the endurance format of the former FIA GT Championship, although this series will only utilize the FIA's GT3, GT4, and Supersports categories. However, this series will not be an FIA sanctioned championship.
, Vitaphone Racing Team have won their fifth consecutive Teams' Championship in the GT1 category, while AF Corse
earned their fourth consecutive title. Michael Bartels
and Andrea Bertolini
, both driving for Vitaphone, earned their third Drivers' Championship titles in the past four seasons. Richard Westbrook
of Prospeed Competition successfully won the GT2 Drivers' Championship. Chris Niarchos won the Citation Cup while Ferrari
won the returning Manufacturers' Championship for the GT2 category.
Sports car racing
Sports car racing is a form of circuit auto racing with automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built or related to road-going sports cars....
series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation
Stéphane Ratel Organisation
The Stéphane Ratel Organisation is a motorsports organization founded by French driver Stéphane Ratel in 1995. Currently based out of London, the company is involved in the promotion, support, and organization of various national and international auto racing series around the world...
(SRO) at the behest of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile is a non-profit association established as the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users...
(FIA). The championship was mostly concentrated in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, but throughout the years has visited other continents including Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. At the end of 2009, the championship was replaced by the FIA GT1 World Championship
FIA GT1 World Championship
The FIA GT1 World Championship is a world championship sports car racing series developed by the SRO Group and regulated by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . It features multiple grand tourer race cars based on production road cars and conforming with the GT1 regulations competing in...
.
Regulations
FIA currently defines several categories of GT carsGrand tourer
A grand tourer is a high-performance luxury automobile designed for long-distance driving. The most common format is a two-door coupé with either a two-seat or a 2+2 arrangement....
with the top two specifications being GT1, or Grand Touring Cars, and GT2, or Series Grand Touring Cars. Each category has an annual driver champion, team champion, and manufacturer champion. Both categories are based on production road car designs, which must be produced in a minimum quantity of 25 examples
Homologation
Homologation is a technical term, derived from the Greek homologeo for "to agree", which is generally used in English to signify the granting of approval by an official authority...
to qualify. Both types may undergo significant modifications from the road car they are based on, but GT1 allows the use of exotic materials, better aerodynamics
Aerodynamics
Aerodynamics is a branch of dynamics concerned with studying the motion of air, particularly when it interacts with a moving object. Aerodynamics is a subfield of fluid dynamics and gas dynamics, with much theory shared between them. Aerodynamics is often used synonymously with gas dynamics, with...
, larger brake
Brake
A brake is a mechanical device which inhibits motion. Its opposite component is a clutch. The rest of this article is dedicated to various types of vehicular brakes....
s, wider tire
Tire
A tire or tyre is a ring-shaped covering that fits around a wheel rim to protect it and enable better vehicle performance by providing a flexible cushion that absorbs shock while keeping the wheel in close contact with the ground...
s and larger engine admission restrictors.
For the 2006 season, the FIA created a new class called GT3. GT3 cars are even closer to their production counterparts and are very simply racetrack prepared with the essentials (rollcages for safety, stripped interiors, race spec fuel tanks, etc.). All cars are performance balanced together via different weights, restrictors, tyre pressures etc. Prestigious motorsports makes such as Aston Martin
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...
, Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
, Dodge
Dodge
Dodge is a United States-based brand of automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles, manufactured and marketed by Chrysler Group LLC in more than 60 different countries and territories worldwide....
, Lamborghini
Lamborghini
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian car manufacturer. The company was founded by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1963, with the objective of producing a refined grand touring car to compete with established offerings from marques like...
, Ascari and Maserati
Maserati
Maserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The company's headquarters is now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993...
take part in FIA GT3 European Championship
FIA GT3 European Championship
The FIA GT3 European Championship is a sports car racing series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation and regulated by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . It is a championship derived from the international FIA GT1 World Championship, but meant to provide competition for more...
, a support series in some rounds of the main championship.
The FIA defines a GT car
Grand tourer
A grand tourer is a high-performance luxury automobile designed for long-distance driving. The most common format is a two-door coupé with either a two-seat or a 2+2 arrangement....
as "an open or closed automobile which has no more than one door on each side and a minimum of two seats situated one on each side of the longitudinal centre line of the car; these two seats must be crossed by the same transversal plane. This car must be able to be used perfectly legally on the open road, and adapted for racing on circuits or closed courses."
All races in the FIA GT Championship were of endurance type, a full race distance lasting a minimum of 500 km or a maximum of three hours, with the exception of the Spa 24 Hours
Spa 24 Hours
The Total 24 Hours of Spa is an endurance racing event held annually in Belgium at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. Conceived by Jules de Their and Henri Langlois Van Ophem just one year after the first 24 Hours of Le Mans, the race was run under the auspices of the Royal Automobile Club Belgium...
and the exhibition Mil Milhas Brasil
Mil Milhas Brasil
The Mil Milhas Brasil is a sports car endurance race held annually in Brazil since 1956....
eiras, which is run over a thousand miles and was planned to be a round of the championship in 2007. However, with the release of the 2007 FIA GT Championship season
2007 FIA GT Championship season
The 2007 FIA GT Championship season was the 11th season of FIA GT Championship. It was a series for Grand Touring style cars broken into two classes based on power and manufacturer involvement, called GT1 and GT2. Invitational G2 and G3 classes were also allowed to participate, but did not count...
schedule and rules, the FIA GT series becomes more of a sprint race event, with all races being a maximum of 2 hours with the exception of the Spa 24 Hours
Spa 24 Hours
The Total 24 Hours of Spa is an endurance racing event held annually in Belgium at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. Conceived by Jules de Their and Henri Langlois Van Ophem just one year after the first 24 Hours of Le Mans, the race was run under the auspices of the Royal Automobile Club Belgium...
.
History
- For information on the earlier series, see BPR Global GT SeriesBPR Global GT SeriesThe BPR Global GT Series was a grand tourer-based sports car racing series which ran from 1994 to 1996 before becoming the FIA GT Championship in 1997...
.
In 1997, due to increasing interest from manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
, Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
and Panoz
Panoz
Panoz Auto Development is an American manufacturer of high-performance automobiles founded in 1989 by Dan Panoz, son of pharmaceutical and motorsport mogul Don Panoz. The company is located in Braselton, GA. Panoz products have included the Panoz Roadster and AIV Roadster, and the Panoz Esperante...
, the FIA took over control of the expanding BPR Global GT Series
BPR Global GT Series
The BPR Global GT Series was a grand tourer-based sports car racing series which ran from 1994 to 1996 before becoming the FIA GT Championship in 1997...
, standardizing the race-length at 500 km instead of the usual four hours, liberalizing the technical regulations and leaving commercial exploitation in the hands of one of BPR's founders, Stéphane Ratel, who managed to get TV support from the pan-European TV station Eurosport
Eurosport
Eurosport is a pan-European television sport network operated by French broadcaster TF1 Group. The network of channels are available in 59 countries, in 20 different languages providing viewers with European and international sporting events...
. The new manufacturers built "homologation specials", racing-bred cars that took full advantage of the new rules, to build quasi-prototypes with very limited production runs of 25 cars. Chrysler, Lister and Marcos, not wanting to accompany the cost escalation, moved down to the GT2 class.
This proved to be the wisest move, as Mercedes completely dominated the new category and the other manufacturers pulled out after the end of the 1998 season. This left Chrysler's Viper
Dodge Viper
The first prototype was tested in January 1989. It debuted in 1991 with two pre-production models as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500 when Dodge was forced to substitute it in place of the Japanese-built Stealth because of complaints from the United Auto Workers, and went on sale in January...
to become the dominating car in the series, with the aging Porsche 993 GT2 and the Lister Storm providing a certain degree of competition.
However, there was no lower inexpensive category for amateur drivers, and this led to the creation of the N-GT class in 2000. While the manufacturer field in the main class blossomed, the new category became swamped with Porsches and Ferraris, but lower running costs meant both classes enjoyed a balanced number of entries. In order to boost the championship's status, the SRO added the 24 Hours of Spa, previously a touring car race
Touring car racing
Touring car racing is a general term for a number of distinct auto racing competitions in heavily-modified street cars. It is notably popular in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Scandinavia and Britain.-Characteristics of a touring car:...
, to the calendar, where it became the series' most important race. The FIA also banned official manufacturer involvement, although certain teams had preferential treatment, with Porsche establishing a "round robin" system.
After the end of the 2004 season, the FIA renamed the classes GT1 and GT2, and somewhat liberalized the GT1 regulations, allowing "supercars". While this was made to accommodate the Saleen S7
Saleen S7
The Saleen S7 is a limited-production, hand-built, high-performance American supercar developed jointly by Steve Saleen for the initial concept and direction, Hidden Creek Industries for resources and initial funding, Phil Frank for the body and interior CAD design and development, and Ray Mallock...
, the biggest beneficiary was the purpose-built Maserati MC12
Maserati MC12
The Maserati MC12 is a two-seater sports car produced by Italian car maker Maserati to allow a racing variant to compete in the FIA GT Championship. The car entered production in 2004 with 30 cars produced...
, which lead the FIA to impose aerodynamic limitations on the Italian car. However, thanks to a weight penalty system, the fight for the championship is protected from more domineering cars. The level of competition remains tight, with gentlemen drivers managing to fight for the wins with professional drivers, some of them with Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
experience.
Following the 2009 season, the SRO
Stéphane Ratel Organisation
The Stéphane Ratel Organisation is a motorsports organization founded by French driver Stéphane Ratel in 1995. Currently based out of London, the company is involved in the promotion, support, and organization of various national and international auto racing series around the world...
announced that the FIA GT Championship's two categories, GT1 and GT2, would break-off into separate series. The GT1 category will become a World Championship with rounds across the world. Cars which fit the GT1 class will be eligible to race only in the FIA GT1 World Championship
FIA GT1 World Championship
The FIA GT1 World Championship is a world championship sports car racing series developed by the SRO Group and regulated by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . It features multiple grand tourer race cars based on production road cars and conforming with the GT1 regulations competing in...
. The GT2 class was planned to have a separate championship having rounds held only in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, known as the FIA GT2 European Championship, but this series was cancelled. A lone GT2 event was held in 2010 at the Spa 24 Hours
2010 24 Hours of Spa
The 2010 Total 24 Hours of Spa was the 63rd running of the Spa 24 Hours. Following the break-up of the FIA GT Championship, the 2010 running of the Spa 24 Hours served as part of the FIA GT2 European Cup, with cars from the GT3, GT4, and national-level GT categories also being allowed to participate...
with the winners being awarded the FIA GT2 European Cup.
A new Blancpain Endurance Series
Blancpain Endurance Series
The Blancpain Endurance Series is a sports car racing series developed by the SRO Group and the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium with approval from the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile...
was announced for 2011 which will re-establish some of the endurance format of the former FIA GT Championship, although this series will only utilize the FIA's GT3, GT4, and Supersports categories. However, this series will not be an FIA sanctioned championship.
Champions
As of the end of the 2009 season2009 FIA GT Championship season
The 2009 FIA GT Championship season was the thirteenth season of the FIA GT Championship for grand tourer cars competing in the GT1 and GT2 categories. The season began 3 May, and ended 25 October after eight races...
, Vitaphone Racing Team have won their fifth consecutive Teams' Championship in the GT1 category, while AF Corse
AF Corse
AF Corse is an Italian auto racing team founded by former racing driver Amato Ferrari in 2002 in Piacenza. Strongly linked to the Maserati and Ferrari brands, AF Corse currently competes in the Le Mans Series and International GT Open, and are currently four-time champions of the GT2 class of the...
earned their fourth consecutive title. Michael Bartels
Michael Bartels
Michael Bartels is a professional racing driver. He is a multiple FIA GT champion and former Grand Prix driver who failed to qualify for 4 Formula One races with Lotus.-Career:...
and Andrea Bertolini
Andrea Bertolini
Andrea Bertolini is an Italian race car driver currently driving for Swiss Team in the Superstars Series. He is the official test driver of the Maserati factory....
, both driving for Vitaphone, earned their third Drivers' Championship titles in the past four seasons. Richard Westbrook
Richard Westbrook
Richard Westbrook is an English racing driver from Islington in London notable for his success in racing Porsche cars. As a boy he attended St Joseph's College, Ipswich...
of Prospeed Competition successfully won the GT2 Drivers' Championship. Chris Niarchos won the Citation Cup while Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
won the returning Manufacturers' Championship for the GT2 category.
See also
- FIA GT1 World ChampionshipFIA GT1 World ChampionshipThe FIA GT1 World Championship is a world championship sports car racing series developed by the SRO Group and regulated by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . It features multiple grand tourer race cars based on production road cars and conforming with the GT1 regulations competing in...
- FIA GT3 European ChampionshipFIA GT3 European ChampionshipThe FIA GT3 European Championship is a sports car racing series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation and regulated by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . It is a championship derived from the international FIA GT1 World Championship, but meant to provide competition for more...
- GT4 European CupGT4 European CupThe GT4 European Cup is a sports car championship created and organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation and sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . It is an amateur championship which follows a formula similar to the FIA GT3 European Championship, which is itself derived...
- GT Endurance Series
- GTR EuroseriesGTR EuroseriesThe GTR Euroseries was a short-lived auto racing series which ran in 1998. It was created as an alternative to the international FIA GT Championship, while combining elements of the former BPR Global GT Series...