[FIA GT] GT1 World Championship 2011

[JAG]

Originally Posted by Yakuncha

So sportscar/gt racing is to be kept as a purist activity (in your opinion). More popularity the better, shorter races mean you must push harder rather than biding your time

If purist means expecting the best car/team/driver to win put me in that camp.

If Ratel can make the series pay by all means continue, but come on, this series shouldn't have the World Championship tag.

[mirkob]

As reported in Le Mans rules thread:

Additionally, 2010-spec GT1 cars, such as the Matech Ford GT, Aston Martin DBR9 and Saleen S7R, will be permitted to compete in GTE Am for next year only. It’s unclear what Balance of Performance adjustments, if any, would be given to the already detuned-for-2010 machines.

SOURCE: auto-racing.speedtv.com

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by JAG

If purist means expecting the best car/team/driver to win put me in that camp.

If Ratel can make the series pay by all means continue, but come on, this series shouldn't have the World Championship tag.

But there have been far worse concepts and poorer supported series that have managed the FIA WC tag in the past.

It maybe that the series dies out of its own accord, particularly if big firms keep entering things in GT3, but we really have to wait and see what hardware comes out to replace the 'grandfathered' cars in the next 2 years first.

[WMUCarGuy]

Forgive me for not wanting to look through 24 pages worth of this thread, but who is confirmed for next year and who does it look like will leave/come in?

[I Rosputnik]

So far the only teams that I'm aware that has said they will do next year are Sumo Power and one half of Mad Croc. In the interviews that Hexis have done with Endurance Info, Philippe Dumas has said that they will do next year, but in another interview he says that they might do the Blancpain Endurance series. However in the second interview, it is suggested that Hexis might convert a GT3 Vantage to GT1 spec to continue in GT1. I'm guessing Vitaphone will stay to defend their title, in a MC12.

The Leuxs rumour was never confirmed and their has not been enough Alpina B6's built to satisfy the holologation requirements.

[I Rosputnik]

Changes in regulations for 2011 (It's from Endurance Info, so it's in french)

Some notes: You can now get more points in the qualifying race; 8 points for 1st, 6 points for 2nd, 4 points for 3rd, 3 points for 4th, 2 points for 5th and 1 points for 6th, there can now be six cars per brand and teams also get more tyres to race with.

Also, how good is the entry fee compared to other championships? It costs 120,000 euros per team to enter the championship. I'm curious to see how it compares to the ILMC...

[Speed-King]

Also, how good is the entry fee compared to other championships?

Grand Am is 8000$ per race for a DP, less for GTs...

GT1 would be 12.000€ per race, so that's quite a significant difference. Not sure about ALMS, LMS or ILMC, though.

[Dani Filth]

could it be that it also covers the transport costs ? cause otherwise it does sound a bit much

[DavyC412]

last year 2010 was my first year watching GT1, picked up about mid season. i enjoyed it but i always feel the races should be longer. the racing is good but the 1 hour race format is just so meh.

[Speed-King]

Looks like Marc VdS will be back (en francaise)

[I Rosputnik]

Originally Posted by Speed-King

Looks like Marc VdS will be back (en francaise)

That's great, at least there will be Ford GT racing next year. I wonder if then, Marc VDS could not sell the cars.

[Tim the Grey]

Or they've got Phoenix to join in as a 'Belgian' Team...

Either way, good news. Now I need Matech to sign up, with Westbrook and Muetch, again...

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by Tim the Grey

Or they've got Phoenix to join in as a 'Belgian' Team...

Either way, good news. Now I need Matech to sign up, with Westbrook and Muetch, again...

Yes that would be good, I sometimes think it's better to have the really quick guys in the cars that have to be driven that bit harder for the pace, makes things even more interesting, like when we had Bouchut in the Lambo as few years back.

Mind you Bouchut didn't do very much last year did he?

[Speed-King]

Mind you Bouchut didn't do very much last year did he?

Apart from his yet to be explained craziness at Interlagos? No.

[Yakuncha]

What other teams have yet to confirm? Vitaphone!

Also will there be a launch day this year?

[rich07]

From the sounds of it Vitaphone havent confirmed what they'll be doing in 2011 whether it be FIA GT1 or something else.

Good to hear that the Ford GT will be back next year but hopefully someone will pick up Matech's cars-what are Phoenix racing next year if they've sold their Corvettes?

[dj4monie]

Originally Posted by I Rosputnik

That's great, at least there will be Ford GT racing next year. I wonder if then, Marc VDS could not sell the cars.

Seems all that spilled milk was just Bas blowing off steam after getting punted in several events.

[dj4monie]

Originally Posted by I Rosputnik

Ah, but unlike the WWE, GT1 doesn't have a story line and the racing is real. If it did become like the WWE then we could have behind the behind the scenes moments where someone rigs someone else's car or two drivers squaring up to each other demanding a one on one race!


...And that sounds stupid. F1 could be considered sports enterainment with all of the things that happen behind the scenes.

***

I have to say for my first year properly watching sportscars (GT1 and the Le Mans 24 hours) and from coming from a touring car background, I'm enjoying this more then I ever did with the WTCC. It's like the Supertourers I fell in love with during my childhood. I'll also be following the ILMC next year, so I can't see whats wrong with two sportscar championships. More racing to watch!

There is a story line; The Championship! Often times its about the individual races (Sebring, Le Mans, Petit, etc) not the LMS Championship, which is very secondary.

I also find the WTCC a bit tedious and still watched it, only because there was a question of who was going to win the championship this year, until Japan anyway.

I'll be watching WTCC because I like racing...

The series did pretty well even if some purist want try and dig a grave for it.

[Yakuncha]

Vitaphone is now slowly looking dodgey, if the amount of staff leaving for other teams is anything to go by sadly - info gained from personal facebook pages of team staff

[Tim the Grey]

I'm getting worrying noises about GT1 cars going up for sale, not being entered. I really hope it's just flapping in the wind, and not for real. I liked the GT1 Championship. Some seriously quick cars, on some great tracks, with decent coverage.
Hopefully it will be the same in 2011.

[I Rosputnik]

Originally Posted by Tim the Grey

I'm getting worrying noises about GT1 cars going up for sale, not being entered. I really hope it's just flapping in the wind, and not for real. I liked the GT1 Championship. Some seriously quick cars, on some great tracks, with decent coverage.
Hopefully it will be the same in 2011.

And then what happens to the cars? If you buy a GT1 car, the only place you have to race is in the World Championship or as an overpriced track day car...

It's the Achilles’ heel of GT1. Maybe a World Championship with GT3's would of made more sense?

[JAG]

If the ACO have found a way to allow GT1's to race in GTE-Am in 2011 there must be the possibility to allow them to compete for longer, inparticular new cars like the Nissan GT-R and Ford GT.

[I Rosputnik]

Good news! GT1 will be one of the first to use the new pits at Silverstone.

[Speed-King]

Not a big fan, but still good news: Vitaphone will be back.

So we have:
- Vitaphone
- Marc VDS
- Young Driver
- Sumo Power
- Hexis (I think)

Gone are:
- Matech

Lacking confirmation:
- Reiter (Hans Reiter rather happy with the series in general)
- All Inkl (Looked good, than a little worse)
- Phoenix (Corvettes have suppossedly been sold, may still be back)
- Mad Croc (rumors of DKR going it alone)
- Swiss Racing (also was the team behind Jet Alliances pro-efforts, might go back there?)
- Hegersport (30% ??)

[chunterer]

It was great to have the 2 extra Maserati's last year with Hegersport (first time since 2007 with Playteam IIRC), so what are the chances of anyone else picking them up if Altfrid decides to leave it?