The FIA GT Championship, a prominent sports car racing series for Grand Touring (GT) cars, was established in 1997 as a successor to the BPR Global GT Series. Administered by the Féderation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and promoted by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation (SRO), it marked the third motor racing championship to carry the FIA name. The series was designed to showcase high-performance GT vehicles, with its class structure undergoing
several significant transformations throughout its operational years, reflecting changes in racing technology, costs, and competitive balance. These adjustments were crucial in shaping the championship's identity and its eventual evolution into new racing formats.
Initial Categories and Early Adjustments
When the FIA GT Championship launched in 1997, it featured two primary classes: Grand Touring 1 (GT1) and Grand Touring 2 (GT2). The GT1 category was intended for the most advanced and often purpose-built racing machines, while GT2 accommodated cars that were closer to their production counterparts. However, the GT1 category faced challenges early on due to escalating costs, leading to its discontinuation after the 1998 season. This decision prompted a rebranding of the GT2 class, which became simply "GT" in 1999, simplifying the championship's structure for a brief period.
Further diversification occurred in 2000 with the introduction of the N-GT category. This new class served as a secondary tier to the main GT class, aiming to provide a more accessible and less expensive option for amateur drivers and teams. The N-GT class quickly became popular, particularly with Porsche and Ferrari entries, and helped balance the number of participants across the championship. This period saw a blossoming of manufacturer involvement in the main class, indicating the success of the championship's efforts to attract diverse competition.
Reintroduction of GT1 and GT2, and the Rise of GT3
By 2005, the class names reverted to GT1 and GT2, signaling a return to a more traditional nomenclature for Grand Touring racing. Concurrently, the FIA liberalized GT1 regulations, allowing for "supercars" to compete. This move was initially intended to accommodate vehicles like the Saleen S7, but it significantly benefited purpose-built cars such as the Maserati MC12. To maintain competitive balance, the FIA implemented aerodynamic limitations on the Maserati and introduced a weight penalty system to prevent any single car from dominating the championship. This system ensured tight competition, allowing both professional and gentleman drivers to contend for victories.
In 2006, the FIA introduced an entirely new class, GT3, which was even closer to production cars than GT1 or GT2. GT3 cars were essentially racetrack-prepared versions of road vehicles, equipped with essential safety features like roll cages, stripped interiors, and race-specific fuel tanks. To ensure fair competition among diverse manufacturers such as Aston Martin, Chevrolet, Dodge, Lamborghini, Ascari, and Maserati, all GT3 cars were performance-balanced through various adjustments like weights, restrictors, and tire pressures. The FIA GT3 European Championship was subsequently established as a support series for some rounds of the main championship, further expanding the reach of GT racing.
The Championship's Transformation and Legacy
The FIA GT Championship continued with its GT1 and GT2 categories until the end of the 2009 season. At this point, the Stéphane Ratel Organisation announced a significant restructuring: the GT1 and GT2 categories would separate into distinct series. The GT1 category evolved into the FIA GT1 World Championship, featuring races across the globe. However, this new world championship faced challenges, including declining car counts and the aging of existing GT1 machinery, leading to its eventual switch to GT3 cars in 2012. The 2011 season's San Luis round marked the final international motorsport appearance for dedicated GT1 cars.
The GT2 class was also slated for its own European championship in 2010, the FIA GT2 European Championship, but this series was ultimately canceled. A single GT2 event was held at the Spa 24 Hours in 2010, with winners receiving the FIA GT2 European Cup, marking the last time GT2-spec cars competed in an SRO-sanctioned series. The legacy of the FIA GT Championship, particularly its endurance format, was later re-established with the Blancpain Endurance Series in 2011, which primarily utilized GT3, GT4, and Supersports categories, though it was not an FIA-sanctioned championship. The evolution of these classes demonstrates the dynamic nature of sports car racing and the continuous effort to balance performance, cost, and accessibility within the sport.
