A nighttime final and other sporting changes for 2020

Don't call it Blancpain GT Series anymore! The championship reserved for GT3 in Europe, launched by Stéphane Ratel Organization (SRO) on the basis of the FIA ​​GT Series and Blancpain Endurance Series at the beginning of the previous decade, is renamed GT World Challenge Europe from 2020.  

The competition, which will still include the Sprint and Endurance versions, has announced several changes concerning the format of its events for the coming season. On the Endurance side, the final scheduled for the Nürburgring (Germany, September 4-5) will begin at 18:45 p.m. and end at nightfall three hours later. This will be a first for the German track and the championship, in line with the Paul-Ricard event (May 29-30).

Furthermore, on the side of Sprint, the format of two races per weekend is extended, with a common start at 14 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. Before the first race, a 20-minute morning qualifying session will be conducted, with only one driver per car authorized. He will then have to start Race 1.

On Sunday, the same format will be repeated, but it will be the No. 2 driver who takes the wheel during the qualifying session and then at the start. The only exception will be the opening of the campaign, in Brands Hatch (Great Britain), which will take place over two days (May 2-3).

Finally, pit stops will no longer be as restrictive in Endurance. Until now, the time to change tires could not be within a limited period. Now, teams will be able to replace wheels faster, because this regulation has been skipped. SRO thus seeks to “create new strategic opportunities”.