2012 GT1 World Championship

Bram Hengeveld · Dec 16, 2011

The global expansion of the FIA GT1 World Championship continues with the addition of new venues on the 2012 calendar announced by the FIA.

GT1 World will have rounds in Europe, supported by the FIA GT3 European Championship, visiting Nogaro and Zandvoort for the first time. There will further rounds outside of Europe, with standalone events in Ordos, Beijing, Argentina and Russia.

The 2012 season will start at Circuit Paul Armagnac near Nogaro on April 8th at the traditional season opener at the circuit situated in south-west France.

Three weeks later the next joint event will take place at Zolder, with the GT1 World Championship returning to the Belgian circuit after a successful event last season.

Navarra in Northern Spain will once again play host to both series at the end of May. The drivers and team return to the Iberian Peninsula in July, racing at the Algarve circuit near Portimao in Portugal which has become firmly established on the calendar.

The first of the non-European rounds will be held in August with GT1 returning to China for back-to-back weekends, first in Beijing then onto Ordos. The cars will return west and head to Moscow where the venue is the 2.5mile/4km Moscow Raceway located 75km from the Russian capital.
Then it’s back to Europe for GT1 World’s first visit to Zandvoort and then the championship finale in Argentina in November.

A tenth round of the FIA GT1 World Championship will be announced next month.
The FIA GT3 European Championship will support GT1. Nogaro and Moscow are two new venues and GT3 returns to Zolder for the first time since the 2009 season finale. GT3 will return to Navarra, Algarve and Zandvoort following highly successful events in 2011.

2012 FIA GT1 World Championship Calendar
8th April FRA Nogaro
22nd April BEL Zolder***
27th May ESP Navarra
8th July PRT Algarve
26th August CHN Beijing **
2nd September CHN Ordos **
16th September RUS Moscow *
7th October NLD Zandvoort
25th November ARG San Luis *
TBA TBA TBA

2012 FIA GT3 European Championship Calendar
8th April FRA Nogaro
22nd April BEL Zolder***
27th May ESP Navarra
8th July PRT Algarve
16th September RUS Moscow *
7th October NLD Zandvoort
TBA TBA TBA

* Subject to the ASN's confirmation and the FIA homologation of the circuit
** Subject to the confirmation from the ASN and to the contract with the promoter
*** Subject to the homologation of the circuit.

Source

Sérgio Marques · Jan 12, 2012

Vita4One Racing team joins the GT1 World Championship with BMW,

http://www.racer.com/bartels-joins-bmw-for-world-gt1s/article/222869/

Kol Bailey · Jan 30, 2012

That sounds like a good schedule

Bram Hengeveld · Feb 8, 2012

Sweet news. After BMW announced to enter with a Z4 also Ferrari is back in the GT1!

Read it here: http://www.racedepartment.com/2012/02/ferrari-and-pirelli-join-fia-gt1-world-championship/

Tom Van Put · Feb 8, 2012

Can someone explain the difference between GT1 & GT3 for 2012?

I know that old GT1 cars are allowed (but nobody is running them as it seams) if adapted to GT3 specs in GT1. But in essence both championships are going to use the same cars. Or am I missing something?

Hampus Andersson · Feb 8, 2012

I don´t know which one but one class will be modified, i guess GT3 to fit the regulations. So more power and other stuff i presume.

John Robertson · Feb 9, 2012

I thought GT 3 was less power than GT1?

Or do I play too many video games? aha

Bram Hengeveld · Feb 9, 2012

GT1 Technical regulations: here
GT3 Technical regulations: here

Didn't really feel like reading both documents entirely, but the answer should be there somewhere

William Levesque · Feb 9, 2012

I don't know the regulations in FIA but here, might help: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIA_GT_Championship

"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 brakes, wider tires and larger engine admission restrictors."

"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"

Hampus Andersson · Feb 9, 2012

It seems none of you understood his question

Hampus Andersson · Feb 9, 2012

Edit nevermind, they will run the GT3 car is it is GT3 regs for 2012.

Hampus Andersson · Feb 9, 2012

Tom Van Put said:
Can someone explain the difference between GT1 & GT3 for 2012?

I know that old GT1 cars are allowed (but nobody is running them as it seams) if adapted to GT3 specs in GT1. But in essence both championships are going to use the same cars. Or am I missing something?

Just read on their homepage that GT1 will dissappear, GT3 regs will come into play.

Which means GT1 cars will have to fit the GT3 regulations i.e. lower HP and higher weight and some other stuff.

Tom Van Put · Feb 9, 2012

thanks Hampus

I know the difference between the old GT1's & the GT3's, but the 2012 GT1 championship is actually a GT3 championship...

just found this:
http://gt3europe.com/newsitem.php?key=741
So in essence there is a World Championship for pro teams and a European Championship for "amateur" teams

Bram Hengeveld · Feb 9, 2012

@Hampus, where do you see that GT1 cars will disappear?

www.gt1world.com?

Hampus Andersson · Feb 9, 2012

Bram Hengeveld said:
@Hampus, where do you see that GT1 cars will disappear?

www.gt1world.com?

No it was badly written on my part. Essentially the GT1 cars will dissappear as they are today.

There will be two championships, both will be with GT3-regulations. One will be called GT1, the other GT3.

William Levesque · Feb 9, 2012

Well, would have been better if they had taken a 599 instead of a 458...

Hampus Andersson · Feb 10, 2012

William Levesque said:
Well, would have been better if they had taken a 599 instead of a 458...

Based on what? They already have a GT3 version of the 458 so the logical step would be to use that.
Aerodynamically it´s in another league compared to the 599.

Rhys Gardiner · Feb 10, 2012

My head hurts now...

I've noticed a pattern over the years. The cars classified as GT1 have progressively been getting slower...
In the late 90s/early 2000s, GT1 cars were closer to what LMP cars are today, and what was GT2 then became GT1 after about 2002. Now, GT1 is what used to be classified as GT3.

Aaaaaargh.

Hampus Andersson · Feb 10, 2012

Rhys Gardiner said:
and what was GT2 then became GT1 after about 2002.

Are you sure? I know Corvette basically dominated GT1 for a very long time. I think 2009 they scrapped the true GT1 cars in order for GT2 cars like in ALMS.
Took 5 straight titles or something insane like that. Then we have the Maserati which took many titles as well but in FIA GT1 Championship. Those cars were quite a lot faster then the GT2 machines they ran from 2010 in ALMS and Le Mans.

In iRacing we have a GT2 Ford and a GT1 Vette and it´s around 10 seconds in laptime difference.
It has 590 horses while the GT2 have around 500 and weighs more.

Rhys Gardiner · Feb 10, 2012

Hampus Andersson said:
Are you sure?

Check this out. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sportscar_racing#Technology_Escalation_and_Control_in_FIA_GT_Racing

I may have to correct that date to about 1998. GT2 cars before 1998 became GT1 cars after 1998. This spec of GT1 (which was known as GTS in the ALMS for a time) lasted until 2011. It's to that category that the Corvette and the Maserati you speak of belong.
And now, here we are in 2012. GT1 as we knew it no longer exists, and GT1 cars are now recognised under the former GT3 regulations.