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GT Racing
GT: Ratel Outlines Future Of BES, Launches GT Sprint Concept
Stephane Ratel, Founder and CEO of the SRO Motorsports Group, today outlined a vision for a new GT world series in 2013...
Stephane Ratel outlined the future of his GT championships during SRO's annual press conference at Spa. (Photo: Markus Berns/SRO)
Stephane Ratel, Founder and CEO of the SRO Motorsports Group, today outlined a vision for a new GT world series in 2013 at his traditional media briefing at the Total 24 Hours of Spa.
The series would bring together manufacturers, teams and drivers from a new GT sprint series and the hugely successful Blancpain Endurance Series.
Ratel said that a “rapidly degrading economic environment” made it impossible to fulfill the financial and regulatory obligations of an official FIA World Championship in 2013.
“We have proved in the last three years that a professional racing series could be promoted with GT cars in a sprint format,” he said.
“It has not been an easy journey but over the last three seasons we have initiated a shift away from the traditional amateur racing format to build a professional business model where revenues from sponsors, event promoters and broadcasters could be distributed to the teams.
“Unfortunately in a house that was constantly on fire, we had not been able to distribute evenly as we had to help the teams more in need but in a more stable environment we will be able to establish a professional partnership with the teams.
“There were several other commercial and sporting factors which have made our task more difficult. It has been a harsh lesson and it is time to turn the page.
“I want to say very publicly thanks to the FIA and to FIA President Jean Todt for all his assistance over the past few seasons and particularly this year to enable the world championship to continue.
“We will no longer promote the FIA GT1 World Championship and the FIA GT3 European Championship but we are fully committed to ending the 2012 season in style and will continue to work towards a professional, international GT sprint series in 2013.”
2012 end of season FIA Championships calendars announced
Meanwhile, revised calendars for the existing for the remainder of the 2012 FIA GT1 World Championship and the FIA GT3 European Championship were also revealed.
“We want to conclude the 2012 FIA GT1 World Championship and GT3 European Championship season in a professional manner respecting our commitment to teams, drivers, manufacturers, promoters, broadcasters and the FIA.”
As part of the season’s climax, the GT1 and GT3 grids will be merged at two of the three final European rounds in Russia and Nurburgring.
The two events originally planned for China will be replaced by European rounds, while the lack of transport constraints has allowed for a more favourable date in Moscow, avoiding potential weather issues.
The dates are: August 17-19: Slovakia, Slovakia Ring; Sept. 1-2: Russia, Moscow (with GT3); September 21-23: Germany, Nurburgring (with GT3); Nov. 30 - Dec. 1: India, New Delhi.
GT Sprint Series concept
The new GT Sprint Series concept has been inspired by Ratel’s experience of running and supporting teams as a championship promoter. It will be linked to the Blancpain Endurance Series to provide cost benefits for teams.
“The championship needs to be fitted to the existing teams and driver budgets. We need teams to be able to amortize the fixed costs over two series and we need to reduce the number of events per series and we have to arrange a calendar that allows a minimum of two weeks between all the races,” he said.
“If you have two weeks in between, the same team with the same cars, the same truck and equipment can run two series in parallel.”
The proposal is for the calendar to be reduced from 10 to seven races, which combined with the amortization over two series, will amount to about a 40 percent cost saving.
In order to secure seven events in time for the October presentation of the professional sprint series calendar to the FIA, SRO is working on nine potential events – Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina), France (Nogaro), Belgium (Zolder), Spain (Navarra), Zandvoort (Netherlands), Slovakia (Slovakia Ring), Russia (Moscow Raceway), Portugal (Algarve) and India (New Delhi). The existing GT sprint format will remain.
The series would bring together manufacturers, teams and drivers from a new GT sprint series and the hugely successful Blancpain Endurance Series.
Ratel said that a “rapidly degrading economic environment” made it impossible to fulfill the financial and regulatory obligations of an official FIA World Championship in 2013.
“We have proved in the last three years that a professional racing series could be promoted with GT cars in a sprint format,” he said.
“It has not been an easy journey but over the last three seasons we have initiated a shift away from the traditional amateur racing format to build a professional business model where revenues from sponsors, event promoters and broadcasters could be distributed to the teams.
“Unfortunately in a house that was constantly on fire, we had not been able to distribute evenly as we had to help the teams more in need but in a more stable environment we will be able to establish a professional partnership with the teams.
“There were several other commercial and sporting factors which have made our task more difficult. It has been a harsh lesson and it is time to turn the page.
“I want to say very publicly thanks to the FIA and to FIA President Jean Todt for all his assistance over the past few seasons and particularly this year to enable the world championship to continue.
“We will no longer promote the FIA GT1 World Championship and the FIA GT3 European Championship but we are fully committed to ending the 2012 season in style and will continue to work towards a professional, international GT sprint series in 2013.”
2012 end of season FIA Championships calendars announced
Meanwhile, revised calendars for the existing for the remainder of the 2012 FIA GT1 World Championship and the FIA GT3 European Championship were also revealed.
“We want to conclude the 2012 FIA GT1 World Championship and GT3 European Championship season in a professional manner respecting our commitment to teams, drivers, manufacturers, promoters, broadcasters and the FIA.”
As part of the season’s climax, the GT1 and GT3 grids will be merged at two of the three final European rounds in Russia and Nurburgring.
The two events originally planned for China will be replaced by European rounds, while the lack of transport constraints has allowed for a more favourable date in Moscow, avoiding potential weather issues.
The dates are: August 17-19: Slovakia, Slovakia Ring; Sept. 1-2: Russia, Moscow (with GT3); September 21-23: Germany, Nurburgring (with GT3); Nov. 30 - Dec. 1: India, New Delhi.
GT Sprint Series concept
The new GT Sprint Series concept has been inspired by Ratel’s experience of running and supporting teams as a championship promoter. It will be linked to the Blancpain Endurance Series to provide cost benefits for teams.
“The championship needs to be fitted to the existing teams and driver budgets. We need teams to be able to amortize the fixed costs over two series and we need to reduce the number of events per series and we have to arrange a calendar that allows a minimum of two weeks between all the races,” he said.
“If you have two weeks in between, the same team with the same cars, the same truck and equipment can run two series in parallel.”
The proposal is for the calendar to be reduced from 10 to seven races, which combined with the amortization over two series, will amount to about a 40 percent cost saving.
In order to secure seven events in time for the October presentation of the professional sprint series calendar to the FIA, SRO is working on nine potential events – Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina), France (Nogaro), Belgium (Zolder), Spain (Navarra), Zandvoort (Netherlands), Slovakia (Slovakia Ring), Russia (Moscow Raceway), Portugal (Algarve) and India (New Delhi). The existing GT sprint format will remain.
FIA GT Nogaro
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