2012 GT1 World Championship

[Hampus Andersson]

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.

*slaps myself across the face*

I actually forgot completely about those monsters To be honest i had no idea they were considered GT1 cars.
I thought they were the grandfathers of the LMP cars we know today.

Everything is cleared up for me atleast, thanks!

 

[William Levesque]

Would have looked more "GT1" to be honest

Also, V12 !

 

[Hampus Andersson]

Would have looked more "GT1" to be honest

Also, V12 !

True I´ve seen a few 599´s in real life and they are just gorgeous. Not as big as you might think, atleast for me.

 

[William Levesque]

Yep... Although it's quite of a pig on a track in street version !

 

[Kol Bailey]

I have been confused on this matter for a while too lol.

 

[Harry Platt]

From http://gt1world.com/news/article/innovative-plans-for-2012

The FIA GT Commission proposes to harmonize the FIA GT1 World and FIA GT3 European Championship’s regulations as well as their calendars in Europe to guarantee the growth of the FIA GT sprint platform.
With so many GT3 cars having been homologated since SRO first proposed the category in 2005, GT3 is the natural choice for the premier GT sprint series, and with most of the current GT1 generation coming to the end of their homologation period, a move to the GT3 category was the logical step.
“With the difficult economic climate and the ever-growing competition in motorsport we felt that the unification of the GT1 World and GT3 European Championships’ technical and sporting regulations was the best solution to guarantee the growth of the sprint format for GT cars and progress toward the ultimate goal of 10 teams representing 10 brands in the World Championship” said Stephane Ratel, founder and CEO of SRO Motorsports Group.
“We had a fantastic end to the 2011 season, meeting all our objectives in terms of coverage, spectator attendance and grids, with an extremely successful campaign in China, a grand finale in Argentina and an amazing GT3 finale in Zandvoort.”
“As previously announced, the concept for the GT1 World Championship in 2012 is to have each team being the exclusive representative of one particular brand of car.
“By adopting the GT3 technical regulations, we are opening the way for the addition of a host of brands. Such a diversity of prestigious models in a single category would make the FIA GT1 World Championship unique in international motorsport.”
Besides the recent confirmation of World Championship winning team Hexis entering McLaren cars, teams bringing more prestigious brands are set to join the fray. A number of teams are expected to announce their participation shortly.
The unification of the sporting regulations will see the FIA GT3 European Championship adopt the exciting pit-stops and Qualifying/Championship Race format seen in GT1, while retaining the driver categorisation system.
There will be no driver categorisation in GT1, aimed at the top professional teams and drivers, which will move over to the traditional-style qualifying seen in GT3. As always, the cars will be balanced by the FIA to ensure equal performance.
“The FIA GT3 European Championship has remained unchanged since 2006, and has given rise to many national series around the world, which have copied the format,” Ratel explained. “The European Championship needs to regain its own specific nature and be more professional. We have therefore decided to adopt the best of the World Championship, in order to turn the European Championship into the perfect training ground for GT1. The teams and drivers will also benefit from additional media and TV coverage.”
Ratel added that in the event of a worsening economic situation in Europe where a minimum of 20 full-season entrants would not be garanteed in each championship – FIA GT1 World and FIA GT3 European – a merger could be an appropriate solution, made possible by the unified format.
The calendar and revised sporting regulations will be submitted to the World Motor Sport Council in early December for ratification.

The real GT1's died ages ago. The Merc and Porsche GT1's were awesome. In 1999 the GT2 regs became GT1 because Mercedes were the only ones left with the CLK GTR for the original GT1.

 

[Kol Bailey]

Those cars were legendary. I loved how they looked like LMGTP cars and then they turned into LMGTP cars.

 

[Harry Platt]

Yeah and the CLK LM will always be remembered for that nasty flip that Mark Webber had at Le Mans.

 

[Hampus Andersson]

Think Porsche also had a flip but at Road Atlanta i believe
Nasty both of them.

I just watched ´99 Le Mans on youtube, seemed to be a highlight sort of with 10 minute segments, much more fun to watch
GT-Ones´s was just ridiculously quick, BMW was the reliable and quick stopper, Audi was just a baby at the time not knowing what they eventually would accomplish in the years after.

To bad though that everyone sort of left in 99. Porsche, Mercedes, BMW, Toyota, Nissan all left the game.
It left the games open more or less for Audi to cash in title after title..

 

[Hampus Andersson]

Yep... Although it's quite of a pig on a track in street version !

Yea it´s a heavy car
But the 599XX makes up for it, my god that looks like a car the devil would ride around in

 

[William Levesque]

Yeah, indeed

 

[Kol Bailey]

I. want. a. model. of. the. 599. :eek:

 

[Kol Bailey]

in 1999 a lot of cars went flying. It was very bad.

 

[Tom Van Put]

don't be fooled, the GT1 's of the 2000's weren't that much faster than the GT3's of today.

24h op Spa:
2001 pole position time: Chrysler Viper GT-R: 2:24:053
2001 fastest lap: Chrysler Viper GT-R: 2:23:001

2011 pole position time: Ford GT3: 2:24:488

in 2007-2009 the quail times dropped to 2:13: ich

and this is on a 7km track, so differences are smaller on more traditional tracks.

This has always happened. Cars become to fast, to dangerous or to expensive and new rules are born. But eventually the cars that are supposed to be slower catch up with history

 

[Kol Bailey]

don't be fooled, the GT1 's of the 2000's weren't that much faster than the GT3's of today.

24h op Spa:
2001 pole position time: Chrysler Viper GT-R: 2:24:053
2001 fastest lap: Chrysler Viper GT-R: 2:23:001

2011 pole position time: Ford GT3: 2:24:488

in 2007-2009 the quail times dropped to 2:13: ich

and this is on a 7km track, so differences are smaller on more traditional tracks.

This has always happened. Cars become to fast, to dangerous or to expensive and new rules are born. But eventually the cars that are supposed to be slower catch up with history

Yeah. That's an insane amount of time to shave off of your laptime. I wish they were still that fast.

 

[Harry Platt]

don't be fooled, the GT1 's of the 2000's weren't that much faster than the GT3's of today.

24h op Spa:
2001 pole position time: Chrysler Viper GT-R: 2:24:053
2001 fastest lap: Chrysler Viper GT-R: 2:23:001

2011 pole position time: Ford GT3: 2:24:488

in 2007-2009 the quail times dropped to 2:13: ich

and this is on a 7km track, so differences are smaller on more traditional tracks.

This has always happened. Cars become to fast, to dangerous or to expensive and new rules are born. But eventually the cars that are supposed to be slower catch up with history

However the GT1's of '97 and '98 where a lot faster than the GT1's of the 2000's (which where the GT2's of '97 and '98)

At the 1998 500km of Silverstone the fastest time in practice set by a Porsche 911 GT1-98 was 1:39.885. The fastest GT2 time set by a Chrysler Viper GTS-R was a 1:50.668. That is a huge difference.

 

[Tom Van Put]

The GT's of that era where great cars, but had nothing to do with the GT's of today. Can't even compare their street versions. I think most of us would still pick the McLaren of 15 years old over a 2011 Porsche 997 (if you would have the money)

 

[David Gronvalls]

Last race for the GT1's will be in India on december 2nd. Also, the argentina round will now be on november 4th.

Source: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/97509

 

[David Gronvalls]

Now, Aston Martin, Porsche and Ford are confirmed.

Source: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/97994

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

From a SRO press release Ive just received:

SRO Motorsports Group fields three teams to secure the FIA GT1 World Championship 2012 and promote key markets

·Line-up features 18 cars represented by 9 luxury sportscar brands


The entry list for the 2012 FIA GT1 World Championship has been completed with 18 cars representing nine brands on the grid for the first race in France (Nogaro) on 6-9 April.

Besides the six teams that have already announced their participation – AF Corse (Ferrari), All-Inkl Münnich Motorsport (Mercedes), Hexis (McLaren), Reiter Engineering (Lamborghini), Vita4One (BMW), WRT (Audi), the SRO Motorsports Group has engineered the entry of three additional teams to promote the championship in key markets.

China GT1 Team, which campaigned Corvettes as Exim Bank Team China in 2011, will run a pair of Porsches with renowned Belgian team Mühlner Motorsport.
Valmon Racing Team Russia, has entered two Aston Martins and trusted 2011 FIA GT3 European team LMP Motorsport to run the cars in partnership with Aston Martin Racing.
The third team will run Ford GTs, possibly under an Indian license with the technical backing of Spain’s Sunred Engineering.
Stephane Ratel, Founder and CEO of SRO Motorsports Group, said the entry list had come together after months of behind-the-scenes effort.
“I am glad we can finally confirm the 2012 entry list. It is the result of many hours of hard work on the part of a number of people with a desire to ensure the FIA GT1 World Championship maintains its place as the most exciting global GT race series on the motorsport calendar,” he said.
“I am grateful for the original teams which remained loyal to the championship and I am delighted that SRO Motorsports Group was able to orchestrate the establishment of the three additional teams to bring the grid number up to 18.
“Our dream of bringing together the best sportscar brands in two-car teams, competing in a calendar featuring some very important markets for the luxury car industry has come to fruition.”
Ratel reiterated that there were still some approval processes and agreements to be finalized before team structures and final driver line-upscould be officially confirmed.
There will be some star names among the driver line-ups.
The Hexis foursome, charged with defending the teams’ title in the McLaren MP-4-12C includes two regulars Frederic Makowiecki and Stef Dusseldorp and two newcomers Alvaro Parente and Gregoire Demoustier.

At the wheel of the two WRT Audi R8 LMS ultras are the former DTM racer Frank Stippler (Germany) and Audi factory driver Oliver Jarvis (Great Britain), former Le Mans winner Stephane Ortelli (Monte Carlo) and Belgium’s Laurens Vanthoor.

AF Corse have confirmed Francesco Castellacci and Enzo Ide along with Filip Salaquarda as their first three drivers who will pilot their Ferrari 458 Italias.

The make-up of the All-Inkl Münnich Motorsport Mercedes quartet will be revealed in the coming days and is likely to be similar to the 2011 line-up with team principal Marc Basseng leading a strong and experienced combination.

Vita4One team boss Michael Bartels has yet to name the three drivers that will drive alongside him in his new BMW squad.

Reiter Lamborghini will soon confirm Prince Albert von Thurn und Taxis and Tomas Enge in one car and Dutch veteran Peter Kox with a driver yet to be named in theother Lamborghini LP 600.

China GT1 Team will feature Frenchman Mike Parisy, who has a distinguished record in GT racing and was runner up in the FIA GT3 European Championship in 2011. He is likely to be joined by former Formula One driver Antonio Pizzonia of Brazil. Chinese driver Ren Wei will race the second car with a team-mate to be announced shortly.

Valmon Team Russia has rising Russian star Mikhail Aleshin, who has progressed through the open-wheeler ranks with impressive results. In 2010, he was the Formula Renault 3.5 Series champion. His partner will be announced shortly.
The second car is likely to bring together the talented Spaniard Andy Soucek, a former FIA Formula Two champion and the experienced Austrian Andreas Zuber, who drove for Corvette in the 2010 and 2011 FIA GT1 World Championship.
Due to logistical matters, and strong interest from an additional non-European market, there are likely to be some adjustments to the 2012 calendar. Those alterations will be made official shortly.
The first event of the 2012 championship runs over four days as part of the French Easter Cup at Nogaro, France from 6-9 April.