The FIA’s top GT motor racing series will become a World Championship with a global race calendar from next year.

The news follows an agreement between the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile and the promoter SRO.

The series was granted world championship status at a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council last week. SRO convinced the WMSC that it could provide a calendar of 12 events in 12 countries, spanning five continents.

SRO is currently promoter of two FIA-sanctioned GT (Grand-Touring) championships – the FIA GT Championship – since 1997 – and the FIA GT3 European Championship – since 2006.

The new GT series will be the fourth major FIA World Championship, after World Rally, World Touring Car and Formula One. It will be the first World Championship aimed entirely at independent teams rather than manufacturers.