YMC Motorsports - FIA GT Heritage

A prestigious heritage

Grand Touring races first came to the fore in the 1950s, with the first FIA GT Cup for drivers and manufacturers awarded in 1960. That year, Ferrari took the manufacturers’ honours, with Olivier Gendebien triumphant among the drivers. After a period of recession, a new series of endurance GT races was created by BPR (Barth – Peter – Ratel) in the nineties. With an average entry of 50 cars per event, it soon became the world’s leading sportscar series. Featuring a breathtaking grid of world-famous GT cars, headlined by the battle between the Ferrari F40 LM, the McLaren F1 GTRs and the Lotus V8s, the series enjoyed a resounding success with spectators and media alike.

The FIA GT is born

In 1997, the FIA – motorsport’s world governing body – created an officially sanctioned GT series to be promoted by SRO. The first year saw a direct confrontation between five manufacturers in GT1 and four in GT2, with an average grid of 45 cars. The breathtaking contest between Mercedes and BMW continued right up to the last race, offering one of the best shows ever seen in long distance racing. However, manufacturer participation sent the costs of racing soaring and heavily hindered the competitiveness of privateer teams.

Rebirth of the privateer

With the departure of the last manufacturer after the 1999 season, by 2000 the FIA GT Championship had evolved into a Championship led by privateer teams, with manufacturer support. The racing rebuilt itself around the GT and N-GT categories, including makes such as Chrysler, Lamborghini, Lister, Porsche and Ferrari.

Growth and stability

In 2001, the 24 Hours of Spa was introduced, becoming a mandatory event for all FIA GT teams the next year. Its success was immediate, establishing the race as one of the leading blue-ribbon motorsport endurance events. Between 2002 and 2004, the FIA GT Championship was part of the Super Racing Weekend multi-series platform, ensuring steady development and growing media coverage.

Performance balancing

From 2005, the GT1 and GT2 categories re-established themselves in the FIA GT Championship, thanks to the implementation of the FIA’s Balance of Performance system. This guaranteed a level playing field across the different architecture of brands such as Aston Martin, Corvette, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and Saleen. In 2006, the FIA GT celebrated its centenary race at the French circuit of Dijon-Prenois.

The Next Stage

2010 marks the next stage of this story with the birth of a new World Championship, with six manufacturers, twelve teams, twenty-four of world’s most iconic sportscars and forty-eight of the leading sportscar drivers from across the globe racing on four continents. With the continued success of the FIA GT3 European Championship, the future of GT racing is looking very good indeed.