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The GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup, officially known as Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS for sponsorship reasons, formerly the FIA GT Series, is a sports car racing series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation (SRO) with the approval of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). It was sponsored by Blancpain from 2014 to 2019, when it was variously branded as the Blancpain Sprint Series in 2014 and 2015, the Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup in 2016 to 2018, and the Blancpain GT World Challenge Europe in 2019. In 2020, AWS was named 'Official Presenter' and the series was branded as "GT World Challenge Powered by AWS". Fanatec later joined as title sponsor in 2021, giving the series its current name.
| Category | Grand tourer |
|---|---|
| Country | International |
| Tyre suppliers | Pirelli |
| Drivers' champion |  Lucas Auer Maro Engel |
| Teams' champion |  Team WRT |
| Official website | www |
 Current season | |
The championship now exclusively races in Europe, but had in previous years visited other continents, including Asia. The series continues the sprint format for GT-cars carried out by the defunct FIA GT1 World Championship.[1]
Regulations
editThe GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup is contested with GT3-spec cars. Each event consists of two races over a weekend with two drivers per car and a mandatory pit stop.
Races
editThe schedule of the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup consists of races in Europe.
History
editIn 2013, the FIA GT Series was created after the demise of the FIA GT1 World Championship and the FIA GT3 European Championship. The series was supposed to form the FIA GT World Series in conjunction with the GT Endurance Series. This plan was abandoned before the start of the 2013 season.
The name of the FIA GT Series resembles the FIA GT Championship (1997-2009) that was known for its endurance races all over the world. Except for the mandatory driver changes, the two championships differ highly in sporting and technical regulations.
In 2014, the competition changed the name to the Sprint Series.[2]
in 2016 the SRO announced both the Sprint and Endurance Series integrated into the GT Series, putting the emphasis on the overall drivers' and manufacturers' titles causing the Sprint Series name to change from Sprint Series to GT Series Sprint Cup.[3]
On 25 May 2018, the SRO acquired promotional rights to the GT World Challenge America, a North American GT series sanctioned by the United States Auto Club. On 29 September 2018, the SRO changed the names of the GT Asia and Sprint Cup, to adopt the World Challenge name used in North America. The three series together will be known as the GT World Challenge, with each series adding their region to the series name (America, Asia, Europe).[4]
In 2019, SRO announced that sponsorship by Blancpain had come to an end. For 2020, the GT World Challenge Europe was renamed the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup, with the GT Series and GT Series Endurance Cup being renamed the GT World Challenge Europe and GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup respectively.
In 2020, SRO named AWS as the "official presenter" of the series,[5] and the series was branded as "GT World Challenge Powered by AWS". In 2021, Fanatec became the title sponsor of the series.[6] Giving the series its current name of "Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS".
Champions
editDrivers
edit
Teams
edit| Year | Pro Cup | Silver Cup | Pro-Am Trophy | Gentlemen Trophy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Belgian Audi Club Team WRT
|
Not awarded |  HTP Gravity Charouz
|
HTP Gravity Charouz
|
| 2014 | Belgian Audi Club Team WRT
|
Belgian Audi Club Team WRT
|
Phoenix Racing
|
Not awarded |
| 2015 | Belgian Audi Club Team WRT
|
Bentley Team HTP
|
 GT Russian Team
| |
| Year | Overall | Silver Cup | Pro-Am Cup | Am Cup |
| 2016 | Team WRT
|
Not awarded |  Kessel Racing
|
 AF Corse
|
| 2017 | Belgian Audi Club Team WRT
|
HTP Motorsport
|
Rinaldi Racing
|
Kessel Racing
|
| 2018 | Belgian Audi Club Team WRT
|
Not awarded |  Saintéloc Racing
|
Boutsen Ginion Racing
|
| 2019 | Mercedes-AMG Team AKKA ASP
|
AKKA ASP Team
|
 Orange1 FFF Racing Team
|
HB Racing
|
| 2020 | Belgian Audi Club Team WRT
|
Saintéloc Racing
|
 Sky - Tempesta Racing
|
Not awarded |
| 2021 | Team WRT
|
Emil Frey Racing
|
Barwell Motorsport
|
Not awarded |
| 2022 | Team WRT
|
AF Corse
|
AF Corse
|
Not awarded |
| Year | Overall | Gold Cup | Silver Cup | Bronze Cup |
| 2023 | Tresor Orange1
|
Boutsen VDS
|
Haupt Racing Team
|
 Pure Rxcing
|
| 2024 | Team WRT
|
Liqui Moly Team Engstler by OneGroup
|
Team WRT
|
Paradine Competition
|
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "FIA GT SERIES IS GO FOR 2013". gt1world.com. Stéphane Ratel Organisation. 2013-01-10. Archived from the original on 2013-01-13. Retrieved 2013-01-10.
- ^ "Official Site of Blancpain Endurance Series". Archived from the original on 2013-12-30. Retrieved 2013-12-30.
- ^ "About Blancpain GT Series". Blancpain GT Series. Archived from the original on 27 April 2014. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
- ^ "Stephane Ratel outlines exciting 2019 season plans for SRO Motorsports Group". blancpain-gt-series.com. SRO Motorsports Group. 29 September 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
- ^ "SRO Motorsports Group names Amazon Web Services (AWS) official presenter of GT World Challenge". Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS. 2020-01-20. Retrieved 2022-07-10.
- ^ "Fanatec named title sponsor of GT World Challenge Powered by AWS and GT2 European Series". Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS. 2021-01-22. Retrieved 2022-07-10.