Blancpain – The 2016 calendar and new features revealed

It is on the occasion of the final of Endurance Series, contested this weekend on the German Nürburgring track, SRO Motorsports, via the voice of its boss Stéphane Ratel, revealed the main lines of the 2016 Blancpain championship season.

If on the Endurance side, the calendar will not change, with the same tests as in 2015, namely Monza, Silverstone, Paul Ricard (six hour race), the 24 Hours of Spa and the Nürburgring, it is the Sprint scene which will be modified.

From seven rounds this year, the 2016 calendar will be reduced to five races, France in particular losing its meeting of Nogaro in the Gers. The inaugural event will take place in Italy (venue to be confirmed) before the series heads to Brands Hatch in England, the Nürburgring in Germany, Hungary and Barcelona in Catalonia.

On the sporting regulations side, several new features are to be noted. The eligibility of a car in the Pro Cup category in the Blancpain GT Series has been modified, and two examples must be entered in all ten events of the season to meet the new criteria.

As on the model of the Bronze Test in the Endurance Series, a Bronze/Silver Test will be organized in the Sprint Series next year (with a reduction in driving time during the first free practice session). This championship will also be one of the links in the Silver Cup which will combine the five rounds on the calendar, plus two events of the British GT Championship. 2014 cars in 2015 configuration will be authorized, driven by Silver drivers. The Sprint Series will also host an Am Cup, reserved for two Bronze drivers.

Concerning the categorizations of drivers, some changes should be noted. At Spa, a Pro-Am crew should at best consist of one Platinum driver, two Silvers and one Bronze. In Pro-Am in the Sprint Series, the crews will be composed of a maximum of two Silvers (no age limit) or one Platinum and one Bronze.

On the technical side, Pirelli has also been renewed as a partner of SRO. Competitors will use Endurance tires from the Italian manufacturer in both series. Please note that in the Endurance championship, a minimum pit stop time will be introduced. The total mass of the cars will now include the weight of the drivers, which will be calculated with the average of the drivers concerned.

The financial rewards at each round will be increased to €150 for eleven classified (the first six in the general, the first three in the Pro-Am and the first two in the Am Cup) and for year-round entrants only and whose cars have a budget that is not mostly supported by a brand. Entry fees will be reduced in the Sprint Series and for entrants throughout the calendar.

2016 Blancpain GT Series Calendar:

March 8-10: Test days: Paul Ricard

Sprint Series 2016:

April 8-10: Italy (location to be confirmed)
May 7-8: Brands Hatch
July 1-3: Nürburgring
August 28-30: Budapest
October 1-2: Barcelona

Endurance Series 2016:

April 23-24: Monza
May 14-15: Silverstone
June 24-25: Paul Ricard
July 5: Test day of the 24 Hours of Spa
July 28-31: 24 Hours of Spa
September 17-18: Nürburgring