FIA GT Series – A grand finale in Baku

Last year, with spectacular races, the Baku City Challenge was unanimously appreciated by all participants. The fact remains that this event did not count towards any championship of notoriety. This year, Stéphane Ratel, the boss of SRO, has simply decided to make it the final of the FIA ​​GT Series which he is responsible for promoting. The event will be held from October 18 to 20, and will be billed as the first “Baku World Challenge.” This leads to the move of the penultimate round, to Navarra in Spain, which will no longer take place on October 12 and 13 but a week earlier, namely September 28 and 29. Not ideal for Sébastien Loeb who will then have to go directly to Alsace for reconnaissance of the Rally of France which takes place from October 3 to 6.

With a 4 kilometer urban circuit traced along the Caspian Sea, the spectacle promises. “The circuit of this first Baku World Challenge will be a fast urban circuit with a very particular charm for the competitors, affirm in heart, Jean-François Chaumont and Renaud Jeanfils, the promoters of the Baku World Challenge. Part of the circuit will pass near the famous Crystal Hall, which hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in 2012. It is in this very distinctive building that a concert will also be organized on Sunday evening with an international artist, to be announced very soon. »

Invitations to the Baku World Challenge will be strictly limited to 30 cars selected in order of priority as follows:
– Two cars invited at the discretion of the event promoter.
– All cars taking part in the final three FIA ​​GT Series events before Baku (namely Zandvoort, Slovakia Ring and Navarra).
– The winning team of the Gentlemen Trophy in Blancpain Endurance Series 2013*.
– The winning team of the 2013 British GT*.
– The winning team of the 2013 Blancpain Endurance Series in Pro Am*.
– The winning team of the Blancpain Endurance Series 2013 in Pro*.
*: Unless already selected.

“Ending the first season of the FIA ​​GT Series with such an event will be a well-deserved reward for our competitors, rejoices Stéphane Ratel. We are also happy to offer the opportunity for winners of other series promoted by SRO to join the Series entrants for this new event. The entire SRO team is enthusiastic about discovering this rapidly developing city but also working together with Jean-François Chaumont, our partner for many years now in the Total 24 Hours of Spa, as well as with his partner and his team. »

The teams participating in the first Baku World Challenge will be in the running to win a prize totaling €175 distributed by the city of Baku and distributed as follows: €000 for the team which wins the general classification of the race main event, €100 for the second ranked team and €000 for the third. Each team will also receive a starting bonus of €50 in addition to covering costs related to air freight, plane tickets, hotel and catering.

During this race weekend, engines from F1 with a field bringing together single-seaters that took place between 1966 and 1985.