NEWS // SRO CANCELS 2010 FIA GT2 CHAMPIONSHIP

The 2010 FIA GT2 European Championship has been canned by organisers SRO, after weeks of speculation surrounding poor entry numbers and competition from other series. With GT Open, the Le Mans Series GT2 class and SRO’s GT3 all taking entries away from the series, it was a task that could not be completed to bring together a full field. Though the FIA GT Championship had a thriving GT2 class in 2009, it seems that the splitting of the classes has harmed the production based GT field. The good news is that we may now see GT1 cars in the field for the Spa 24 Hours... [read more]

The full statement reads:

"After the successful launch in Paris last week of the FIA GT1 World Championship, which has a full grid of 12 teams and 24 cars, and the continuing strong support for the FIA GT3 European Championship, with 40 cars expected to be on the grid at Silverstone for the first race in May, SRO has proposed to the FIA to postpone the FIA GT2 European Championship for 2010.

"The thundering development of the GT3 category, with 13 models from 12 brands homologated to date and the likely arrival of three additional ones in 2012, offering cars more affordable with performances equal to those of the GT2 category, has forced SRO to redefine its plans for the GT2 category.

"A proposition has been made to FIA, which will be heard by the FIA World Motor Sport Council on Thursday 11 March, to postpone the introduction of the GT2 European Championship, to be re-launched once the future orientation of the GT2 class has been agreed with a minimum of four manufacturers, possibly around the introduction of Hybrid technologies in GT racing.

"In the meantime, SRO has proposed to the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium (RACB), promoters of the 24 Hours of Spa, to concentrate its GT2 effort on the blue ribbon event with a FIA GT2 European Cup to be awarded to the best placed GT2 car at the event. The similar performances of the GT2 and GT3 categories promise an epic competition between many different brands.

"SRO has a long and successful history of revitalising championships and we are now working hard with everyone involved to re-launch GT2 as a full championship as soon as possible."

Photo/Editorial: Jake Yorath