Red Bull Ring Replaces Zolder for 2019

Photo: Olivier Beroud Images

The Blancpain GT Series will head to the Red Bull Ring for the first time next year while the rest of the ten-round schedule remains largely unchanged.

The calendar was released during the SRO’s annual press conference at Spa on Friday afternoon.

The Austrian circuit replaces Zolder on the schedule, with a late May date and the Monza Endurance Cup round becoming the season opener on April 13-14.

The Endurance Cup finale has been moved back to the Nürburgring while Barcelona will hold the final Sprint Cup round.

Test days at Paul Ricard in March and Spa in June are unchanged, while the rest of the schedule mirrors the 2018 calendar.

A cap of 26 cars has been placed on the Sprint Cup, in an attempt to reduce accidents on narrower tracks like Brands Hatch and prevent the “pendulum effect” with the ADAC GT Masters.

Twenty-two cars are competing in the championship this season while the German national series has grids in excess of 35 entries.

2019 Blancpain GT Series Schedule:
March 13-14 — Paul Ricard Tests
April 13-14 — Monza (Endurance)
May 4-5 — Brands Hatch (Sprint)
May 11-12 — Silverstone (Endurance)
May 25-26 — Red Bull Ring (Sprint)
June 1-2 — Paul Ricard (Endurance)
June 29-30 — Misano (Sprint)
July 2 — Spa Test Day
July 27-28 — Total 24 Hours of Spa (Endurance)
Aug. 31 – Sept. 1 — Nürburgring (Endurance)
Sept. 7-8 — Budapest (Sprint)
Sept. 28-29 — Barcelona (Sprint)

Jake Kilshaw

Jake Kilshaw is a UK-based journalist. He is a graduate of Politics and International Relations.