| A meeting held in Brussels yesterday between current, returning and prospective GT1 team owners, the FIA and championship organiser SRO, saw the 2012 FIA GT World project take a significant step towards the ultimate goal of bringing together ten teams, representing ten different brands with two cars each. Such a diversity of prestigious brands in a single category would make the FIA GT World Championship completely unique in international motorsport. The meeting in Brussels came at the end of a week-long series of talks involving the FIA, teams, manufacturers and SRO, where it was been agreed that the 2012 World Championship will be based on the highly successful GT3 category, with current GT3 cars being upgraded to a newly-defined GT World specification. Current GT1 cars would be eligible, with their performance aligned to that of the GT World specification. The most recent GT3 cars, including the BMW Z4, Ferrari 458, McLaren MP4-12C and Mercedes SLS, and the 2012 evolutions of the Audi R8 and the Porsche 911, would allow for a higher level of Balance of Performance (BOP), which would be specific to the FIA GT World Championship. GT World specifications will include – · 2012 GT3 homologation forms · Carbon brakes · No ABS · GT1 noise level · Specific GT World Balance of Performance Stephane Ratel said: “The meetings held over the past week have been extremely encouraging and today we have a clear goal of what we can achieve in 2012. Using regulations adapted from the ultra-successful GT3 category is the correct way to go. It has been agreed with the teams and manufacturers that rather than bringing GT3 cars up to GT1 levels of performance, we will adopt a GT World level, to which the current GT1 cars adhere, reducing development costs significantly.” “GT3 is the most successful GT category in the world and almost all of the major manufacturers are building cars to these specifications,” Ratel continued. “This allows us to have a grid of ten two-car teams, each representing a different model, while keeping costs under control. Using the FIA Balance of Performance, the current GT1 cars would be able to race with restrictions on their performance to bring them into line with the 2012 GT World specification. It has also been decided that GTE cars will not be eligible as every manufacturer currently involved in GTE also makes a GT3 model. Stephane Ratel concluded: “2012 will be a transition year, with the current GT1 cars able to compete alongside the new cars. In 2013 every car on the grid will be a GT World car, which will reflect the growing demand for GT3 cars in National and International motorsport around the world. In light of the current economic climate, GT World specification is the correct solution to secure the future of the FIA GT1 World Championship.” Pre-entries to the 2012 Championship will close in October, while work will continue on an ambitious, wide-ranging calendar for the next season. As for 2011, the season will conclude in San Luis, Argentina, on November 4th – 6th, with ten drivers and four teams still in contention for the World Championship titles.
Jeff Carter Media Delegate, | 
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