While the annual press conference held by SRO was held later than usual, along with the FANATEC GT World Challenge Europe finale at Barcelona, Stéphane Ratel promissed some good things for the series under the French promoter's wing.
Starting with the Intercontinental GT Challenge, a return of the Bathurst 12 Hours was confirmed after a year away, with a March date established so the teams and the organization can work on their final preparations. With the 24 Hours of Spa, the Indianapolis 8 Hour and the Kyalami 9 Hours also confirmed, the only absence is still the Suzuka 10 Hours, as Japan's arrival policy would be too bureaucratic to overcome.
Worth reminding that even being later than planned, the realization of the Bathurst 12 Hour is still subject of how will be the situation regarding the COVID-19 in Australia
2022 IGTC Calendar
20 March – Bathurst 12 Hour
30-31 July – 24 Hours of Spa
9 October – Indianapolis 8 Hour
27 November – Kyalami 9 Hours
In the FANATEC GT World Challenge America front, the only change from the initial sketch that SRO presented is the addition of Ozarks International Raceway as the second event in May, after the Missouri-based venue generated interest from SRO America way earlier in 2021, while the other slots stayed as initially announced, except VIR, which was moved a week later to avoid a clash with the Journée Test at Le Mans.
2022 GTWC America calendar
16-17 April – Sonoma
21-22 May – Ozarks
18-19 June – Virginia
23-24 July – Watkins Glen
20-21 August – Road America
24-25 September – Sebring
9 October – Indianapolis 8 Hour (Endurance - IGTC Round)
In the FANATEC GT World Challenge Europe calendar, the only meaningful change is the Nürburgring moving away as the series will go to Hockenheim for the penultimate Endurance Cup round, while the other tracks remain with only date changes, such as Brands Hatch returning to early May, but now not doing the once traditional UK double with Silverstone.
Another traditional GTWC venue with its future in question is Monza, as the Endurance Cup opener may be moving to another track inside Italy, according to Ratel himself, but at the moment this is just a study that SRO is still doing.
2022 GTWC Europe calendar
10 April - Monza (Endurance - subject to alteration)
30 April/1 May - Brands Hatch
14/15 May - Magny-Cours
5 June - Paul Ricard 1000 (Endurance)
18/19 June - Zandvoort
2/3 July - Misano
30/31 July - 24 Hours of Spa (Endurance - IGTC round)
4 September - Hockenheim
17/18 September - Valencia
2 October - Barcelona
Along the calendar, a GPS-based 3D track limit control will be employed, with the class structure and driver ratings also suffering a shakeup, as the Gold Cup, for Gold-rated drivers with fast Silvers will be introduced, compensating to a point for the loss of the Am Cup.
A proposal was filed to FIA regarding a new rating system for 2023, where newcomers with racing background would go straight to Silver, the Bronze class would be left to gentleman drivers only, experienced youngsters making their way to occupy the Gold class and the Platinum class being formed by any factory or pro driver in the market.
Moving to Oceania, the youngest of the FANATEC GT World Challenge series has some venues confirmed, but at the moment no dates announced, as Phillip Island, Bathurst, Sydney and Sandown are certain in FANATEC GT World Challenge Australia, with only two empty slots left to complete the 2022 schedule, located at the final half of the season.
The FANATEC GT World Challenge Asia situation is even recognized by Ratel as the most complicated of all four GTWC series, as it will depend of the countries opening borders to allow international competition again, which is why a sketch of the 2022 calendar was made with a start in the second half of the year, likely spanning until October and with a possibility to start in May at best if the COVID situation improves enough in Asia.
The chosen venues are mostly the same and most of them are already hosting national events not related with SRO, although the Chinese round doesn’t have a certain location at the moment, so if the planned Shanghai 888 event is discarded, the Asian series will be the only one without and endurance round.
2022 GTWC Asia planned calendar (subject to modifications)
16/17 July - Suzuka
23/24 July - Fuji
27/28 August - Buriram
17-18 September (or 21/22 May) - Sepang
TBC October - TBC China
PHOTOS: SRO/Dirk Bogaerts, Patrick Hecq
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