A few months ago, SRO announced the creation of the 2017 GT4 European Series Southern Cup. “I believe in the GT4 category,” says SRO President Stephane Ratel. “In the current economic environment, it is clearly the best solution for some specific national series. GT4s are cars that appeal to fans. They are both spectacular and affordable. We have already seen the increasing success of GT4 in two competitions that we promote: the British GT and the Competition 102 GT4 European Series.”
The 2017 GT4 European Series Southern Cup has since been recognised by the Fédération française de l’Automobile as the new French GT Championship. SRO recently released details regarding the calendar and the regulations of this new series.
Season calendar
“I am really pleased with the calendar that we are offering for this first season of the GT4 European Series Southern Cup,” says Ratel. “It includes tracks which drivers love.” Indeed, six race weekends are scheduled, some of which will be held on mythical French tracks:
15–17 April: Nogaro
19–21 May: Pau
30 June–2 July: Dijon
1-3 September or 8-10 September: Magny-Cours
30 September-1 October: Barcelona – Blancpain GT Series
13-15 October: Paul Ricard
GT4 Cars currently allowed to race
The list includes:
Aston Martin Vantage GT4
Chevrolet Camaro GT4
EKRIS BMW M4 GT4
Ginetta G55 GT4
KTM X-Bow GT4
Lotus Evora GT4
Maserati Gran Turismo MC GT4
McLaren 570S GT4
Nissan 370Z GT4
Ford Mustang FR500C GT4
Porsche Cayman Clubsport GT4
Porsche 911 GT4
SIN R1 GT4
That list will most likely expand in the near future.
Race weekend format
Each race weekend will include 4.5 hours of track time including two free practice sessions lasting 60 minutes, two 15-minute qualifying sessions and two 60-minute races. One pit stop will need to occur during each race.
Pro-Am and Am driver categories
Two categories will be accepted: one for Pro-Am driver line-ups and one exclusively for amateurs. Some cars will receive a penalty according to the following principles:
-Bronze/Gold driver combination: ballast weighing 1.5% of the car’s total weight
-Bronze/Silver driver combination: no ballast
-Silver/Silver driver combination: this combination will require a preliminary approval from a committee. Cars will take on a ballast of 2.5% of the car’s total weight.
Amateur line-ups will include bronze drivers only. It is worth mentionning that a single bronze driver is also allowed to race on his own throughout the race week-end.
Balance of Performance
Balance of Performance will be applied by the SRO Motorsports Group. It relies on data gathered during GT4 competitions, including Competition 102 GT4 European Series, British GT Championship, V.L.N., Pirelli World Challenge and IMSA.
Broadcasting
The competition will be broadcast live on SRO’s Web TV (which already covers the Blancpain Endurance Series).
The question that still remains unanswered is whether these elements will guarantee the success of series. Teams who used to be present in the French GT essentially left last season for Blancpain, VdeV or ELMS Championships. So far, only one team has confirmed its presence in 2017 (team Speed Car with 2 Ginettas G55). At best, the public should expect to see the gradual renaissance of French GT Championship over several seasons.
