FIA GT World Championship 2012

[rich07]

Originally Posted by urdragon

If they had been even at the GTOpen on 2012, it would seem strange that AFCorse are not present in such a small GT world.

Well AF Corse did multiple GT championships simultaneously this year so I cant see why they wont do that next year. Maybe with one gun like Vilander and the rest pay drivers like this year. Must be a good source of money with all the gentlemen drivers they race, in all probability helps fund the WEC GTE programme.

Originally Posted by urdragon

Prodrive should enter themselves, as have done with Young driver.

Cant see Prodrive entering themselves, they'd only do that to show off the car to prospective customers and people have already started buying and racing the car so theres no need to do that. Young Driver have gone to ADAC GT Masters so cant see them leaving that unless its a semi works deal like previous years in FIA GT1 with Turner, Mucke, Enge etc

Originally Posted by urdragon

Ratel claims they will return, as it's a Spanish team, I must question this every moment, since here things are very complicated like will happen with HRT.

I question this too with the state of the Spanish economy I really cant see anything on this front (unless Ratel pays them to race again).

Originally Posted by urdragon

GT3 racing now is cheap for Audi, they will enter sure.

Well they didnt win the title this year which is one they didnt win amongst many so Im sure they'll be back hopefully with Ortelli.

Originally Posted by urdragon

I don't count on Albert Von Thurn und Taxis after the withdrawal at mid season, he had better do full BES maybe with a second Reiter car, unless he takes very seriously Sprints, neither Hayek as a Driver, but a Full Blancpain support as with my avatar did, would provide a nice livery sure, like Reiter at BES does.

IMHO Hayek prefers endurance so BES for him, unsure of VTT, why did he pull out mid season? Was it something to do with Reiter or was he just too busy business wise?

[urdragon]

Originally Posted by rich07

Cant see Prodrive entering themselves, they'd only do that to show off the car to prospective customers and people have already started buying and racing the car so theres no need to do that. Young Driver have gone to ADAC GT Masters so cant see them leaving that unless its a semi works deal like previous years in FIA GT1 with Turner, Mucke, Enge etc

It would be in my view a perfect way to promote the Vantage V12 GT3 that Semi-work team, I hope they ever consider this option (Wthout Enge which is suspended in this case).

Originally Posted by rich07

IMHO Hayek prefers endurance so BES for him, unsure of VTT, why did he pull out mid season? Was it something to do with Reiter or was he just too busy business wise?

In case of Hayek i think is more a wise marketing strategy, he is undoubtfull an AM cause his main work is being the CEO of Blancpain, and maybe is one of the best AM's of his series with a good pro codrivers he opts to win the series he promotes, its a perfect combination, and with difference with AVTUT he trully seems to be a Busy person, since AVTUT probably has lots of advisors to manage his wealth, and Hayek looks like he does it himself, he can't do both series together.

[rich07]

Originally Posted by urdragon

It would be in my view a perfect way to promote the Vantage V12 GT3 that Semi-work team, I hope they ever consider this option (Wthout Enge which is suspended in this case).

Forgot about Enge . I think Young Driver would be a perfect fit for this but they're preoccupied with ADAC GT Masters (well this year-not sure about next) and without Aston's support like they had in FIA GT1 then I dont think they would switch. At least with the Stuck brothers racing for them they fit the wording of 'Young Driver' a bit more then in previous years

Originally Posted by urdragon

In case of Hayek i think is more a wise marketing strategy, he is undoubtfull an AM cause his main work is being the CEO of Blancpain, and maybe is one of the best AM's of his series with a good pro codrivers he opts to win the series he promotes, its a perfect combination, and with difference with AVTUT he trully seems to be a Busy person, since AVTUT probably has lots of advisors to manage his wealth, and Hayek looks like he does it himself, he can't do both series together.

Hayek surprised me with his skill behind the wheel and he seems to really enjoy himself, I think we'll see him racing again next year, its just a matter of with which series. I enjoy having Von Thurn und Taxis around, he's a prince, he brings money to Reiter so they (through him) can race and he provides moments of entertainment like last year at Spa

I hope we see Reiter in either series next year, they were a last minute addition to World GT so maybe if they concentrate on one series they might go better.

[urdragon]

Originally Posted by rich07

Hayek surprised me with his skill behind the wheel and he seems to really enjoy himself, I think we'll see him racing again next year, its just a matter of with which series. I enjoy having Von Thurn und Taxis around, he's a prince, he brings money to Reiter so they (through him) can race and he provides moments of entertainment like last year at Spa

That's the key about Albert, he is one of the wealthiest non Royal fortunes of the world, the amount of expectation about him is impressive, you only 've got to see when he had the serious accident all the motorsport media around the world commented that, for sure that was the most seen video of the GT World media and that remembers me why the media calls a "circus" to F1, Just navigate throught the GT1 Youtube video channel and just see, the AVTUT accident is the most seen video and the second video is the funny how many girls can you get in the Reiter Lamborghini. Believe me, to reach the F1 audience a little of circus is needed.

Originally Posted by rich07

I hope we see Reiter in either series next year, they were a last minute addition to World GT so maybe if they concentrate on one series they might go better.

I expect reiter to enter sure, in fact what i've heard is that they've left the ADAC GT and they told Ratel they were interested in international champs, to promote the Lamborghini racing cars, logically if they have recently launch their Chinese version of their site.

[rich07]

Originally Posted by urdragon

.
I expect reiter to enter sure, in fact what i've heard is that they've left the ADAC GT and they told Ratel they were interested in international champs, to promote the Lamborghini racing cars, logically if they have recently launch their Chinese version of their site.

I believe there is (or plans for) a Asian Super Trofeo Gallardo challenge like the one in Europe. And theres plans for a series in the U.S also. A good money maker for Reiter.

[Nic_O]

Last week, Sébastien Loeb said to Auto Hebdo that he was looking at the SRO sprint series, because he wants to share a car with a pro driver.
And this week, he says that he will be in a GT next year, with his team and a "Platinum" teammate. It would be a great addition to the series, and I suppose it may be with the McLaren.

[urdragon]

Wow, Loeb on GT Racing!! I though mclaren had a quite a succesful team with 2012 group, Maybe Parente or Mako leave hexis.

[urdragon]

Or maybe there are two mclaren teams.

[rich07]

Thats quite possible. Dont know Hexis plans but hopefully they dont go to International GT Open and stay with SRO series, which ever series, sprint or endurance. Its great to have someone of Loebs stature want to race there, look at the extra attention Rossi grabs when he races in BES.

Read in Autosport also that WRT will do both Sprint and BES.

[urdragon]

Motorpasion, points towards GT Open and cites Loeb claiming a championship of 8 Rounds, GT world has 7* Rounds.

http://www.motorpasionf1.com/pilotos...xima-temporada

Confused



*http://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/20...f-gt1-chapter/
*http://www.motorsport.com/business/n...lans-for-2013/

[trickyd]

Originally Posted by rich07

hopefully they dont go to International GT Open and stay with SRO series, which ever series, sprint or endurance.

Why?

[urdragon]

Originally Posted by trickyd

Why?

Cause they (Fairly or unfairly) mix GTE with GT3 I suppose? For me apart from that actually they are copy and paste.

[NightStalk3r]

Originally Posted by urdragon

Cause they (Fairly or unfairly) mix GTE with GT3 I suppose? For me apart from that actually they are copy and paste.

They don't though, GT Open have GTE cars in the Super GT class and GT3 cars in the GTS class

[Rodger Davies]

could be something like 7 sprint races + Spa 24 or something along these lines.

[urdragon]

Originally Posted by Rodger Davies

could be something like 7 sprint races + Spa 24 or something along these lines.

So you suggest (They are planning) both GT world and BES may merge at the Spa event?

[Nic_O]

Originally Posted by urdragon

Motorpasion, points towards GT Open and cites Loeb claiming a championship of 8 Rounds, GT world has 7* Rounds.

http://www.motorpasionf1.com/pilotos...xima-temporada

Confused



*http://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/20...f-gt1-chapter/
*http://www.motorsport.com/business/n...lans-for-2013/

Loeb doesn't say how many rounds he will be doing this year in the original article.
I think it may be the SRO Sprint Series because that's the only thing he talked about a week ago ( With WTCC testing ).

[Marcel ten Caat]

Originally Posted by rich07

A good money maker for Reiter.

Not really...as Reiter doesn't build the Super Trofeo cars...

[Rodger Davies]

Originally Posted by urdragon

So you suggest (They are planning) both GT world and BES may merge at the Spa event?

sorry, not quite sure what you mean but not saying that's their plan, just that 8 races (if it is 8 races!) wouldn't mean GT Open necessarily.

[urdragon]

Originally Posted by Rodger Davies

sorry, not quite sure what you mean but not saying that's their plan, just that 8 races (if it is 8 races!) wouldn't mean GT Open necessarily.

Okay i don't mind MP logics, but apart from that has anyone seriously said that GT World or SRO sprint series will have spa? i think that would be impressive for the spa event mainly, so it is remmarkable if this is true.

[urdragon]

Originally Posted by Marcel ten Caat

Not really...as Reiter doesn't build the Super Trofeo cars...

Lamborghini themselves?

[rich07]

Originally Posted by trickyd

Why?

I'd rather them stay with sro and race in BES, a really strong McLaren team is needed there. Look at what happened at Navarra this year.

Originally Posted by Marcel ten Caat

Not really...as Reiter doesn't build the Super Trofeo cars...

Doh! How long has that been the case?

[FLORENT MOULIN]

Originally Posted by rich07

Righto, I understand now. Its a shame JRM dont have the funding to run the GTR GT3 in Blancpain or even BGT but on the other hand it means we see another quality petrol powered privateer in LMP1 and we all the privateer LMP1 entries we can find right now.



Dont worry Ratel will start up another GT revival series in the next decade or so and the first meeting will have a good grid and then it'll just die out.

In all seriousness I would dearly love to see the same thing happen, there are plenty of Vipers, Saleens and Corvettes around along with the odd Lister so we'll see them out in historic racing yet. I see one of the beautiful Oreca Vipers was out at HSR at Daytona, I think its owned by a tenther.

Hi

Yes was there with C27, good fun http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eS2OrWOTv9Y

Keep the passion burning

Florent

[Marcel ten Caat]

Originally Posted by urdragon

Lamborghini themselves?

Correct, built in Sant'Agata Bolognese

Originally Posted by rich07

Doh! How long has that been the case?

Since the first season of Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo ;-)

[urdragon]

Then, if we are strict, their museum is incomplete, there is no Gallardo Supertrofeo (I think) and should be there xD.

[GTKers]

Loeb already contested in the GT Open with Dani Sordo in 2010....
And personally, GT Open is way better than the ipotetic sprint series which till now has no interest at all even on the same old gt1 teams.......