
Photo: GruppeC Photography/SRO
The long-term success of Intercontinental GT Challenge will rely on the support of local GT3 teams according to SRO Motorsports Group founder and CEO Stephane Ratel, who has specifically targeted the Indianapolis 8 Hour presented by AWS and Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour as events that could see improvement in car counts.
The globe-trotting GT3 series, which is in its tenth season this year, has bounced back to a five-round championship with the return of Suzuka, as a 1000km race that’s set to take place in September.
While the 2026 schedule is set to again feature an unchanged calendar, Ratel stressed the importance to grow both the U.S. and Australian markets to have larger grids, instead of relying on international teams that has dwindled post-pandemic.
Last year’s IGTC season-ending Indy 8H saw a 23-car grid, while this year’s Bathurst 12H featured only 18 GT3 cars.
By comparison, last weekend’s CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa featured a sold-out GT3 grid of 75 cars, which was largely comprised of GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup entrants.
“Let’s not forget that the principle of IGTC is to always to grow [with local teams],” Ratel told reporters at Spa.
“We need more Australian teams. Porsche won it [in 2024] with [four local] teams on four races and they won the Intercontinental [GT Challenge].
“From day one, we’ve said it’s more cost effective to fly engineers and drivers than it is to fly equipment, cars and full personnel.
“The success of IGTC will come from having more teams in Australia that can be supported for the 12 Hour in Bathurst and more teams in America that can be supported for the Indianapolis 8 Hour.
“That’s what we want, rather than flying and the teams [pay for it].”
Ratel said he isn’t concerned about car count for Suzuka, which he expected to feature between 25-30 GT3 cars in its first year back on the IGTC calendar since 2019 when it was run as an ten-hour race.
“Suzuka is relatively easy because of the success we have in Asia, when we have 45 GT3s,” he said. “When you have so many cars, it’s easy to fill the Suzuka 1000km.
“The success of IGTC comes from the success of GT3 where it is being held.”
He admitted the current economic situation, and the launch of the LMGT3 class in the FIA World Endurance Championship, has impacted the level of manufacturer support some OEMs are providing in IGTC.
“Let’s face it. We know the automotive situation at the moment, particularly of the European manufacturers, which has been difficult,” said Ratel.
“They don’t have expanding budgets, and I’m not going to lie that WEC having GT3, means that some of these budgets have been directed, of course to Hypercar and [also] to GT3 in WEC.
“We have to navigate and try to make it as cost-effective as possible.”
Ratel: No Consideration for Sixth IGTC Round in Short-Term
The IGTC will remain a five-round championship for the time being according to Ratel, who ruled out an expansion to South America or a return to Africa for the foreseeable future.
“For the moment we stay at five,” he said. “My dream, I would love for Kyalami to come back. With a budget, we could help the teams and have a good grid. But for the moment it’s not the case yet.
“That’s the only one place I’d like to go back. And [also] one in South America, but only Potrero de los Fueros, if it still exists, in San Luis. They are the iconic places. But for the moment, let’s be realistic.
“We have these five races. To grow the Suzuka 1000km, to have a crowd, to make it financially viable, it’s already a big undertaking. Japan is expensive. We need a lot of spectators to make it work. We’re working on it.”
