Back to the Future: Everything you need to know about the first-ever GT3 Revival Series weekend
Opening round supports GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS
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The cars that started a racing revolution will return to action next weekend (11–12 April) when the GT3 Revival Series stages its debut event at Circuit Paul Ricard.
Created by SRO Motorsports Group and Peter Auto, the new championship caters for the first generation of GT3 cars and coincides with the 20th anniversary of the category’s inaugural race at Silverstone in May 2006.
But this is not a museum display. A highly competitive 31-car field will contest the opening round, with a wide variety of machinery tackling a pair of 50-minute races. Here's everything you need to know about the inaugural event.
Who can compete in the GT3 Revival Series?
All of this weekend’s entries were homologated between 2006 and 2013. The field is split into two classes, with seven Pro-Am entries and a massive 24-car Am grid.
The Pro-Am crews are largely composed of one professional (classified Gold or Silver by the FIA) alongside an amateur (classified Bronze). There is also one solo Bronze+ driver competing in Pro-Am. The Am field consists of eight two-driver crews and 16 solo drivers.
In addition to class honours, 19 cars will be eligible for the Iron Cup. This will be awarded to the best-finishing crew with a combined age of 100 and over, or to the best solo driver aged 60 and over.
Which cars will be on-track at the opening round?
GT3 has always been about diversity, and that tradition has been maintained with nine manufactures set to feature at Circuit Paul Ricard.
The Audi R8 is the most popular with seven entries. This model is synonymous with GT3, achieving more GT World Challenge victories than any other manufacturer and claiming four wins at the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa between 2011 and 2017.
There will be five examples each of the Aston Martin V12 Vantage and the Porsche 997 GT3 R. Ferrari is another popular choice among Revival racers with five cars: four 458s and one F430.
The grid also features three BMW Z4s – a model that won Spa in 2015 – and two examples of the Ford GT. Solo entries for Corvette (Z6), Lamborghini (Gallardo) and Mercedes (SLS AMG) complete the first-ever field.
Who’s driving at Circuit Paul Ricard?
There are plenty of experienced campaigners on the grid this weekend. Pierre Hirschi will compete in the same BMW Z4 that he raced in GT World Challenge and the FFSA GT Championship (below) along with son Pierre, while Jean-Luc Beaubelique brings his Ferrari 458 to share with regular co-driver Jim Pla.
Other familiar names include British GT race winner Adam Balon, GT4 Europe class champion Pascal Huteau, and Spark Models founder Hughes Ripert. There are also a handful of family pairings such as Michel and Anne-Sophie Nourry, Benjamin and Mauro Ricci, and Jacques and Emil Caumes.
As for the pro drivers, Alvaro Parente is well known for a career that included several major GT3 wins. The same can be said for Phil Keen, who is among the all-time greats of British GT. And, in her first season outside North America, Lindsay Brewer will form an all-female line-up with Iron Dame Célia Martin.
What’s the schedule for the opening event?
The weekend will begin with two 45-minute sessions. Free Practice runs at 18:30 on Friday evening, while Pre-Qualifying takes place at 11:10 on Saturday. The latter can be used to set the grid if Qualifying cannot run.
Qualifying is scheduled for 16:40 on Saturday and will be split into two 15-minute sessions. In two-driver crews, each driver must qualify once and will start the corresponding race; solo drivers will qualify twice and start both races. Each class polesitter earns a point towards their respective championship.
Both races take place on Sunday. Each will last 50 minutes with a mandatory pit stop between the 20th and 30th minute during which there must be a driver change (except in the case of one-driver entries). Cars must meet a minimum pit stop time, while the top three finishers from the previous race will be required to serve an additional success penalty
Each race will award points on the standard basis of 25 for the winner down to one point for 10th spot. You can expect to see a similar format at each round, though the session timings will vary. Check the GT3 Revival Series website for the latest timetables.
What else is coming up this season?
This is the first of five rounds. The opener is followed by appearances at two major historic events: Spa Classic (22–24 May) and Le Mans Classic (3–5 July). The final two meetings take place as part of GT World Challenge Europe weekends, with the Nürburgring playing host on 29–30 August, followed by the finale at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on 3–4 October.
Where can we watch the races?
Very simple: every race will be streamed live on the GT World YouTube channel. As with all things GT World, this is free to view and available wherever you are. As an added bonus, the series’ first-ever Qualifying will also be streamed live from Circuit Paul Ricard.
