Why racing needs a balance of performance
Who wouldn't like to see a race with world class racing brands like Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Porsche, Audi, BMW or Bentley? We all can relate to these cars, and mostly adore them for their beauty. That's probably why the GT3 series has become more and more popular over the last years. The BlancPain Sprint and Endurance series have proven to be successful. It attracts the mayor brands to participate. Most recent BMW with their M6, and Bentley with their GT. Great looking cars, great engine sound and a high level of drivers. Many former open wheel racing champions, like Robin Frijns, have made their way to the top of GT3. And that mixture has made it an appealing series for race fans to watch.
The right balance of performance
Series like DTM and WTCR have also become popular because this same mixture of different manufacturers, a great race weekend setup with multiple races, and a high level professional drivers.
But what makes the biggest difference is the plain field of competition. All cars will have a different performance by the build and design of the car, when put on the track. But for GT3 (and other series) there is a balance of performance. All cars are tested by professional drivers, to compare them in race trim. And based on the performance during a track test, several performance features of the cars are adjusted to be in balance. The FIA does this test, and provides the teams with regulations for their cars. Some of these settings are related to: Weight, Restrictor of the air inflow, and boost pressure. You can find the details on the website of the FIA. By doing so, any manufacturer can build a GT3 car, and participate in a plain level of competition, although their car might have some deviations by nature. That's really appealing for car manufacturers obviously. They car compete from the start.
This is different from racing series like Formula 1, where engines and manufacturers can make the biggest difference in performance based on effort and money. And the winner in case of a balance of performance is also the racing fan. Each car has the same chance of winning because of this, in principle that is.
The beautiful GT3 cars
Formula cars or prototypes are the quickest race cars, but they might not be the prettiest. Looking back at F1 over the last years for example. Remember the ugly wings and noses? In comparison the GT3 cars are real treat for the eyes. Besides the always nice looking Ferrari's and Lamborghini's, my favorites. In order of appearance: BMW M6, AMG GT3, Audi R8, Bentley GT.
Check out this video channel for the live races of the BlancPain series or GT. GT World
You can find the calender of 2018 here.
The right balance of performance
Series like DTM and WTCR have also become popular because this same mixture of different manufacturers, a great race weekend setup with multiple races, and a high level professional drivers.
But what makes the biggest difference is the plain field of competition. All cars will have a different performance by the build and design of the car, when put on the track. But for GT3 (and other series) there is a balance of performance. All cars are tested by professional drivers, to compare them in race trim. And based on the performance during a track test, several performance features of the cars are adjusted to be in balance. The FIA does this test, and provides the teams with regulations for their cars. Some of these settings are related to: Weight, Restrictor of the air inflow, and boost pressure. You can find the details on the website of the FIA. By doing so, any manufacturer can build a GT3 car, and participate in a plain level of competition, although their car might have some deviations by nature. That's really appealing for car manufacturers obviously. They car compete from the start.
This is different from racing series like Formula 1, where engines and manufacturers can make the biggest difference in performance based on effort and money. And the winner in case of a balance of performance is also the racing fan. Each car has the same chance of winning because of this, in principle that is.
The beautiful GT3 cars
Formula cars or prototypes are the quickest race cars, but they might not be the prettiest. Looking back at F1 over the last years for example. Remember the ugly wings and noses? In comparison the GT3 cars are real treat for the eyes. Besides the always nice looking Ferrari's and Lamborghini's, my favorites. In order of appearance: BMW M6, AMG GT3, Audi R8, Bentley GT.
Check out this video channel for the live races of the BlancPain series or GT. GT World
You can find the calender of 2018 here.