Only a few top level categories in the motorsport World aren’t ruled by driver categorization, and this is even more valid for sportscar racing. SRO relies totally in this system for its competitions, and presented a new system of criteria to be used in the FIA Driver Rankings, set to be in action from 1 January, 2023, which means it will affect even those competitions outside Stéphane Ratel’s umbrella.
This purpose was sent by SRO to the FIA and had at least one year of discussions to get approved, with the OK being given on 29 July, 2022, switching the current milestone-centered criteria for a broader one, based on age of the first license and karting and open wheel experience, while the concept of working in motorsport in a professional manner will still be a factor. Another factor that will still be around is the rating decrease according to the driver’s age, although this part also received changes.
The ranking names won’t be altered, but the base criteria for each ranking will go as followed:
Platinum - Full time professional drivers;
Gold - Professional drivers with at least 3 high-level karting seasons and/or 2 high-level single seater seasons, whose career started before being 20 years old;
Silver - Drivers below 30 years old in their first year with a license and motorsport career around the same age, with no high-level karting or single seater experience;
Bronze - Drivers who got their first license above 30 years old.
Upon monitoring of average times during selected race, the ranking can be changed, and the same goes depending of a driver’s milestones. Also, the age-based ranking downgrade that started at 50 years old will start at 55 years old upon the new regulations.
Along with the new ranking criteria, SRO also presented a revamp in its classes, in terms of naming and lineup ranking, being as followed:
Overall replaces Pro Cup - No grade limitation, so all classes are present in this one by default;
Gold Cup replaces Silver Cup - replaces its 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze limit with a 3 Gold driver barrier;
Silver Cup gets Gold Cup rule - 1 Platinum or Gold, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze;
Bronze Cup replaces Pro-Am Cup and Am Cup - 1 Pro (Platinum/Gold) and 2 Am drivers (Silver/Bronze).
The Bronze ranked Am Cup is eliminated from SRO GT3 racing after the 2022 season, with SRO reallocating the fully amateur lineups to the GT2 class, which will become part of GT World Challenge and Intercontinental GT Challenge next year. Ratel even justified the change by the fact that GT2 machinery, which has less aero dependence and more straightline speed, will be more straightforward for newcomer amateurs, which he mentioned he knows by his on-track experience.
PHOTO: SRO/Jules Benichou
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