[FIA GT] FIA GT3 2009

[jaybond]

Next year with the arrival of Alpina & Audi, it'll bring the total marques competing up to 12 different brands, with the possibility of 13th & 14th!

Looks like the FIA GT3 is the healthiest sportscar (to some extent production-based car) racing championship of all, and we are talking about a huge variety in one single class .

Hopefully BMW M3 & Nissan GT-R, to come out also in this series.

[Tim the Grey]

Great racing too. Though I'm not sure about the 'equalising' really working, as we do seem to get the 'usual suspects' up front, and at the back...

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by Tim the Grey

Great racing too. Though I'm not sure about the 'equalising' really working, as we do seem to get the 'usual suspects' up front, and at the back...

The funny thing is: There are usual suspects, yes, but they vary from championship to championship. Here in Germany the Lambos and the Porsches are pretty dominant, whereas in Brazil it's the Ford GTs and in Great Britain the Vipers and in Belgium, I think, a Ferrari team won the championship.

[helgi]

I like that variety to. But there's a huge problem - I can't know whether the best car has won,or it just had some handicap. It's unfair.

[Dauer 962]

Originally Posted by helgi

I like that variety to. But there's a huge problem - I can't know whether the best car has won,or it just had some handicap. It's unfair.

The idea behind GT3 racing is to bring the cars on an equal level. There will always be circumstance that favour one car, but at the end the performance should be on the same level. The idea behind GT3 racing is not to figure out the best GT car – so the handicap is not unfair, it’s part of the whole thing.

[old man]

What exactly is the rule on who can drive please?

Does this vary in National championships or FIA European races?

[Tim the Grey]

Retired F1 drivers are Gold. Over 50 they are Silver. If you have a Gold driver, you need a Bronze co driver. A complete amateur. You can team a pair of Silvers. So in theory a rich guy could hire Schumi... Though he likely still counts as Platinum!

[Dauer 962]

Originally Posted by old man

What exactly is the rule on who can drive please?

Does this vary in National championships or FIA European races?

Originally Posted by Tim the Grey

Retired F1 drivers are Gold. Over 50 they are Silver. If you have a Gold driver, you need a Bronze co driver. A complete amateur. You can team a pair of Silvers. So in theory a rich guy could hire Schumi... Though he likely still counts as Platinum!

Retired F1 drivers count as platinum and are not allowed to compete in the FIA GT European championship, though they may race in national series along with a amateur (bronze or category D) driver. If they are over 55, they count as gold and may race in FIA GT3.

Currently FIA and SRO are working on some minor changes in the definition of each category for next year.

[old man]

So how would say winners from FIA or LMS GT1 or 2 be rated, Gold?

Is there a list somewhere?

[Dauer 962]

Originally Posted by old man

So how would say winners from FIA or LMS GT1 or 2 be rated, Gold?

Is there a list somewhere?

That´s all depending on their racing cv.

Check the download section on fiagt3.com, there are numerous documents about that including the sporting regulations.

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by helgi

I like that variety to. But there's a huge problem - I can't know whether the best car has won,or it just had some handicap. It's unfair.

It's not unfair because before the start of GT3 class the rules (= performance balanced series) were clear. In these difficult times GT3 is great because you don't need to spend millions to be able to win.

[helgi]

I think,the major thing is - there're no works teams. So, it 'psychologically' more suitable for manufacturers: they only sell their cars.
As my friend says, if (for example) F430 gt3 wins then everybody says Ferrari has won. But if F430 finishes fifth,then everybody says, the CRS were not good this weekend.
So,it's not manufacturer's busines to race the car. It's an advantage for them.
And I'm sure,real Sport is alive only at national level - GT and F3. Everything,that positioned higher is a show.
Of course,as an automobile engineer,I'd like to see machinery and engineers competition too. It's pity,that LMS has few events...
I know,that there're some diffedrences in design philosofy for different cars.
So,I'd like to thank Motors TV BGT commentators - it's more interesting to watch racing,if you know something about cars.Not only drivers.

[Félix]

But what is Audi going to do to the category with a car developed by the factory over almost a year and using drivers from their DTM-LM stable? And the car is pretty much like the Ford GT that's dominated things lately... but developed by the Le Mans winners this past 10 years!

[helgi]

They are only to sell it. And there's no matter for them whether it's going to win or loose.
It'll be very interesting if Audi wins, Porsche finishes second, and Lambo third. VW should be glad..
So,even that fight between neighbours doesn't matter. They only sell cars. In any case they have more advantages than works teams.
Of course,R8 LMS is going to be one of the best cars. But you need the best team and the best drivers to win. Or some handicap?

[Dauer 962]

Originally Posted by Félix

But what is Audi going to do to the category with a car developed by the factory over almost a year and using drivers from their DTM-LM stable? And the car is pretty much like the Ford GT that's dominated things lately... but developed by the Le Mans winners this past 10 years!

Also Audi has to do the balance of performance test and the FIA will check their data. The FIA did a good with the balance of performance this year and in the meantime they are gathering data about car’s performance not only from the European Championship but also from national championships like the German ADAC GT Masters, so I’m not so worried about this.

Audi can bring drivers from their Le Mans stable to national series, but they have to be paired with an amateur driver.

[Tim the Grey]

I was chatting to the guys from Apex, re the Jaguars in GT3, and they stated there was NO point in engineering it as well as they could, as it would just get restricted/ballasted/reined in!

So matters not how well Audi build it, or how fast it COULD go, the idea is, SRO should then slow it down, to match everyone else.

TBH, GT3 is fantastic racing, but no technical interest as in GT1.

[Dauer 962]

Originally Posted by Tim the Grey

So matters not how well Audi build it, or how fast it COULD go, the idea is, SRO should then slow it down, to match everyone else.

Rules and equalisation are made by the FIA and not by the SRO. SRO is the promoter of the championship only.

[Tim the Grey]

Sorry, I got my race organisers and administrators mixed up...

[old man]

DSC is hinting that we are to see CRS and Trackspeed with "important" new entries to the long list of cars in GT3. The possibilities are the Alpina BMW the Audi and the Jag, any more unplaced new cars for what could be the most diverse field in the world?

Could make for good racing

[Dauer 962]

Originally Posted by old man

DSC is hinting that we are to see CRS and Trackspeed with "important" new entries to the long list of cars in GT3. The possibilities are the Alpina BMW the Audi and the Jag, any more unplaced new cars for what could be the most diverse field in the world?

Could make for good racing

Newly homologated Ferrari F430 Scuderia for CRS according to projectlemans.de

http://www.projectlemans.de/rennseri...n-ferrari.html

[rich07]

Wonder what difference there is between the existing 430 GT3 and the Scuderia based GT3? Cosmetically the front bar would be different but underneath?

[iconic]

from looking at the laptimes at silverstone across the past few years, pole position has been reduced by around 2 seconds each year.. i guess each year the goal posts for the balancing moves forward..

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by old man

DSC is hinting that we are to see CRS and Trackspeed with "important" new entries to the long list of cars in GT3. The possibilities are the Alpina BMW the Audi and the Jag

Sorry to paraphrase your post old man but I really hope we see more of the Jaguar this year, I don't care how competitive it is, it's just nice to see the car out there!!

Are Apex still going and will they continue to run a couple of cars?

[rich07]

Endurance Info has pics of new 'Scuderia GT3' that CRS will campaign this year in FIA GT3.

http://www.endurance-info.com/2009_F...T3_Kessel4.jpg

http://www.endurance-info.com/2009_F...T3_Kessel3.jpg

[911 GT1]

Some more pics:
http://www.gtmasters.org/gallery.php...54&season=2008