Silverstone Season Finale to Go Ahead under English Lockdown

The Intelligent Money British GT Championship has confirmed that it will stage its Silverstone 500 season finale this weekend under England’s tightened social restrictions.

The final round of the 2020 season will take place behind closed doors, as originally planned, following the verification of motor racing’s status as an ‘Elite Sport’ that can continue through the new COVID-19 control measures that come into effect on Thursday.

A British GT statement issued on Sunday said the SRO Motorsports Group-run series was awaiting the outcome of discussions between Motorsport UK – the British national motorsport authority – and the Department of Digital, Culture, Media & Sport.

Its staging of the three-hour Silverstone race with a mixed grid of GT3 and GT4 machinery has since been confirmed with Elite Sport status guaranteed.

An updated statement from the championship read: “Elite sport – as ratified by the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport – can continue behind closed doors during England’s four-week country-wide lockdown, which is due to begin this Thursday.

“British GT has been granted this elite status by the national governing body, Motorsport UK.

“The Silverstone 500 was already due to take place behind closed doors, while SRO and British GT’s organizing club, the BRSCC, have worked tirelessly throughout the season to implement a COVID-secure environment.”

While the U.K’s national GT series will continue through England’s tightening of social restrictions, the FFSA French GT Championship has canceled its round at Ledenon.

A notice from SRO confirmed that this weekend’s season finale has been called off as a direct consequence of increased national restrictions and local measures set up for the Gard department in the south of the country.

The series is “still keen” to stage a fifth meeting this year while SRO is “actively working” to set up an alternative event for the GT4-only series.

Confirmation has yet to come on the status of the Paul Ricard 1000km which is due to close out the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup season on Nov. 15.

France’s return to a nationwide ‘lockdown’ which started last Friday brought up questions about whether the GT3 enduro could go ahead.

Sportscar365 understands that the Ricard race is currently set to be held with a greatly limited working capacity, although SRO has yet to communicate an official update.