Page 8 - Bespoke Issue

STÉPHANE RATEL
ON THE COMING SEASON
This is an exciting time for the Blancpain GT Series. The season ahead will see 11 manufacturers competing at Europe’s best circuits, represented by highly accomplished teams and an extremely competitive group of drivers. In particular, the number of globally-signi cant brands attached to the series is a real source of pride.
The Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup continues to boom, with 50 quality full-season entries con rmed for 2018. All 11 manufacturers are represented by a minimum of two cars, with each elding at least one Pro entry.
Ahead of the 2018 season, we took steps to strengthen the Pro-Am ethos on which the Blancpain GT Series was founded by capping the number of fully professional line-ups. I am pleased to say that this has been respected without affecting the quality of our grid. Indeed, the eld now has perfect balance, with 25 all-Pro cars complimented by a further 25 entries across the Pro-Am, Silver Cup and Am classes.
We anticipate an even more competitive eld for our marquee event, the Total 24 Hours of Spa, with 60 cars expected to be on the starting grid as the iconic race celebrates its 70th edition.
The Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup will feature 20 full-time competitors, with a number of well-known and highly-professional out ts among them. Further one-off entries at selected rounds will bring us closer to the ideal number for Sprint races, which we have previously estimated at 24.
On a different note, I am very excited about the news that the Blancpain GT Series is to join the world of sim racing with the release of our rst of cial game, Assetto Corsa Competizione. This will allow our fans the chance to compete with extremely high standards of simulation, as well as bringing us into contact with a new set of followers. The development teams at Kunos Simulazioni and 505 Games have all the skills required to do a fantastic job and I am eager to see the nished product.
In 2018 we want to remain true to the founding principles of the series: placing equal emphasis on professional and non-professional drivers to ensure full grids and a high standard of competition. We believe that we have achieved this, though our drive to improve even further will continue throughout the year ahead.”
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WORDS STÉPHANE RATEL IMAGE JENNIFER SCHAUERTE