Blancpain GT World Challenge Details Revealed

Photo: Dirk Bogaerts/SRO

Details of the SRO Motorsports Group’s Blancpain GT World Challenge title have been announced, with the organization’s three major sprint series being linked together under new names. 

The concept, which was initially announced with few details at the Total 24 Hours of Spa in July, sees the existing Pirelli World Challenge GT class, Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup and Blancpain GT Series Asia renamed and brought together.

The series will be named Blancpain GT World Challenge America, Europe and Asia, respectively.

Manufacturers will compete for the overall Blancpain GT World Challenge title each with a total of 12 drivers competing in 18 races between the three series.

Each manufacturer will have one driver of each grading (Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze) racing on each continent, while the overall title will combine all races from each of the three championships.

Manufacturers won’t be automatically entered for the cup, but instead they will have to pay an entry fee, similar to the one currently used in the Pirelli World Challenge, Ratel explained.

“Because the name, the trademark World Challenge, is part of the U.S. company, in fairness for my partners in America, you will get the entry by entering the American [series],” he told Sportscar365.

“In America, they have the manufacturer championship fee that they used to pay. By paying this fee, they will have [entries] in the U.S. series like it is now, and it will also cover [this].

“It’s not to get money out of the manufacturer, the intention is to get them interested.

“We offer something completely global. Now, we have to see manufacturers that will say it’s a good idea.

“It’s not really [just] the manufacturers, but we hope that teams or drivers will say, ‘Wow, that’s cool. I want to be part of that’.”

The branding change align all three of SRO’s premier GT3-based championships under a single name, although the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup continues separately.

Jake Kilshaw

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