2024 GT World Challenge calendars released at SRO press conference

Even Stéphane Ratel stated during the SRO press conference at Spa-Francorchamps that the calendar presentations for the next season were the thing that people were expecting the most, with basically all FANATEC GT World Challenge series facing some sort of change, in particular the European one.

In GTWC Europe, while most of the venues remain, their spots were changed primarily due to maintenance work to be done at Monza during the first half of 2024. The traditional number of 10 races remain in place, but the Paul Ricard 1000 becomes the season opener right after the pre-season tests, while Monza will appear way later. Two Sprint Cup venues leave the schedule as Valencia and Zandvoort give place to Magny-Cours and the Endurance Cup race at Jeddah, with the European series racing for the first time outside of the continent with full support from SRO, in both financial and logistical aspects, as all teams will go to Saudi Arabia via a mix or terrestrial and marine transportation, thus dispensing the need to use a plane.

2024 GTWC Europe calendar:

7 April - Paul Ricard 1000 (Endurance)

4-5 May - Brands Hatch (Sprint)

18-19 May - Misano (Sprint)

29-30 June - Crowdstrike 24 Hours of Spa (Endurance)

20-21 July - Hockenheim (Sprint)

28 July - Nürburgring (Endurance)

24-25 August - Magny-Cours (Sprint)

22 September - Monza (Endurance)

12-13 October - Barcelona (Sprint)

23 November - Jeddah 1000 km (Endurance)

Test days:

5-6 March - Paul Ricard

21-22 May - Spa-Francorchamps

For GTWC Asia, the idea was expansion outside Japan, so the Japan Cup section lost Motegi in detriment of a season finale in China with venue to be confirmed. Chinese teams and drivers came back to the series in force this year, so having a place back in the calendar would be very welcoming for SRO in Asia, although as the example of Japan, it will be down to the COVID-induced safety measures imposed in the country.

The calendar itself was reorganized to have southeast Asia starting the season to then move to the Japan Cup, unlike this year where the Japan rounds split Buriram and Sepang, but still keeping the number of six rounds without an endurance race, especially after losing the Suzuka 10 Hours and after Asia losing their spot in the Intercontinental GT Challenge with the exit of the Gulf 12 Hours.

2024 GTWC Asia calendar:

April - Sepang

May - Buriram

June - Fuji

July - Suzuka

August - Okayama

October - China TBC

The calendar that will suffer less changes will be in GTWC America, with practically all the races from 2023 remaining in the same places except for Sebring, with SRO leaving a spot to be filled in early September. If it can be considered an extra, a Winter Test is set to be held before the season rolls out, as it is usually the case with the European series.

2024 GTWC America calendar:

6-7 April - Sonoma

27-28 April - NOLA Motorsports Park

18-19 May - Circuit of the Americas

15-16 June - VIRginia International Raceway

17-18 August - Road America

7-8 September - To be confirmed

6 October - Indianapolis 8 Hour (IGTC round)

All calendars remain provisional for the moment as date and venue agreements are finalized. GTWC Australia will confirm the 2024 schedule at a later date.

PHOTO: SRO/TWENTY-ONE CREATION/Jules Benichou