Ratel Suggests “New” GT3 Class to go “Back to the Fundamentals”

Photo: JEP/SRO

Stephane Ratel has suggested the creation of a new GT3 class that would “go back to the fundamentals” amid continued discussions, including with the FIA, on the future direction of various GT platforms.

The SRO Motorsports Group founder and CEO, known as the architect of GT3 racing, has raised concerns over the category’s direction, with low-volume sports cars such as the GR GT3 and all-new Mercedes-AMG GT3, which have been designed as race cars first, along with escalating costs among the worrying trend.

Ratel previously suggested that the “four pillars” of GT3 have not been universally respected, that being the use of true production cars, the participation of exclusive brands, cost-effectiveness and strong customer support provided by manufacturers.

Speaking with Sportscar365 for the first time since proclaiming his concerns at the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa in June, Ratel admitted that a change to GT3’s current philosophy would alienate several manufacturers with soon-to-be-launched or in-development models.

“I know the FIA are making proposals and we’re progressing but it’s not an overnight change,” he said. “You have new cars being presented.

“You’re not going to tell Toyota, ‘Thank you very much for your car and three years we kick you out.’ My view has never been that.

“But I continue to believe that GT3 has gone to a level where there needs to be a restructure and we should think of going back to what GT3 was with the FIA.”

Ratel believes a re-ordering of the current GT platforms could be in the cards, although stressed that GT1 should remain for the highest-end road-based hypercars.

“We can’t define the name GT1 is especially, since President Ben Sulayem has been saying he wants to do GT1 (with a time-attack format),” he said.

“You can find interviews of mine from years ago, and we still have GT1 Sports Club. We have a little project in Australia to put these cars together.

“When people told me, ‘Now the cars should be named GT1.’ I said, ‘We know what GT1 is. It’s the Ferrari F80, Pagani Huayra R, McLaren whatever… The cars don’t [race] but they exist. So the category should be that so we should keep the name [open].”

Instead, he suggests current and upcoming GT3 cars should be known as GT2, a category that currently bears its name on SRO’s high-horsepower, low-downforce cars aimed for FIA Bronze and Silver-rated drivers.

“The GT3s of today could be like the GT2s, if you follow the names,” said Ratel. “Then you could have the new generation cars, the new Toyota and the current GT3s, be GT2s.

“Then at some horizon, a new GT3 category that would go back to the fundamentals.”

Ratel wouldn’t give a timeframe for when he believes a reborn GT3 platform should launch but said he’s “certain” the market will demand for it.

“Everything comes in cycles and it’s happened in GT already,” he said. “We had GT2, they became GT1, GTE. Even in Formula 1, look at the history of F1. You had F2 becoming F1s. It happens.

“One thing is sure, the global market of GT3, at some point, needs a car that will be more cost effective, I’m certain.

“GT4s are not doing bad. Look at the grids in GT4, both in IMSA, SRO America and now also in Australia. It’s a category that shows that you need a cost-effective class.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John