Andrea Bertolini was one of three drivers to win three FIA GT Championship Drivers' titles
The FIA GT Championship was a sports car racing series for Grand Touring (GT) cars administered by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), motor sport's regulatory body, and promoted by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation (SRO).[1][2] It was founded in 1997 by the SRO and FIA vice-president Bernie Ecclestone as the successor to the BPR Global GT Series, and it was the third motor racing championship to bear the FIA name.[3][4][5] There were two classes when the series was launched in 1997: Grand Touring 1 (GT1) and Grand Touring 2 (GT2). The GT1 category was dropped following the 1998 season because of rising costs and GT2 was re-branded as GT in 1999.[2] In 2000, the N-GT category was introduced as a secondary category to the GT class.[1] For 2005, both categories reverted to the GT1 and GT2 titles, and the series was superseded by the FIA GT1 World Championship at the end of the 2009 season.[2][6]
The series awarded international championships or cups to the most successful drivers, teams, and manufacturers in each of the series' categories over the course of a season. Points were awarded based on individual race results, with the highest tally of points winning the respective championship or cup.[7] Points were awarded to the top six finishers from 1997 to 2002.[8][9] This was modified in 2003 to allow the top eight finishers to earn points.[10] Bonus points were awarded to participants who had completed six and twelve hours of the Spa 24 Hours race from 2002 until 2008.[11][12] The highest awards in the series were the FIA GT1 Drivers' Championship and the FIA GT1 Teams' Championship, both of which centered around participants in the GT1 category.[7] The champions were not officially crowned until the FIA Prize Giving Ceremony held in Monaco in December following the conclusion of the season.[13]
At the end of the 2009 season, 31 drivers had won an FIA GT title. There were 16 drivers who had won a Drivers' Championship in either of the GT1 or GT2 categories and there were 17 racers who had won titles in either of the GT2 or N-GT classes.[14]Michael Bartels, Andrea Bertolini and Christophe Bouchut were the most successful FIA GT Championship drivers with three championships each.[15][16] German drivers had won more titles than any other nationality with eleven, followed by Italian racers with ten and French drivers with six.[14][16]Vitaphone Racing Team had won the most Teams' Championships in any category with five and AF Corse were in second place with four championships. Ferrari were the most successful car manufacturer in the series with three Manufacturers' Cup titles, ahead of Maserati with two.[15]
A Manufacturers' Cup was introduced for the 2005 season and was awarded in both the GT1 and GT2 categories except for in 2008 and it was limited to the GT2 class in 2009.[1][29]
The Citation Cup was introduced by the SRO in partnership with Cessna Citation in 2007 for non-professional racing drivers participating in the GT1 category over a series of eight rounds.[36][37] The cup was not formally awarded in 2008 due to a lack of eligible non-professional drivers throughout the season, thus the FIA moved it to the GT2 class for seven races in 2009.[38][39]
^Michael Bartels and Timo Scheider were declared provisional champions after Gardel's car was disqualified by the stewards from the season-ending round in Bahrain. An appeal by Larbre Compétition was upheld by the FIA, reinstating Gardel's GT1 Drivers' Championship win.[18]
^Both JMB Competition and RWS Motorsport were tied on points at the end of the 2001 season. JMB were declared champions because it had won five races to RWS's two.[28]
References
^ abc"Frequency Asked Questions". FIA GT Championship. Archived from the original on 3 January 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
^ abcStritzke, Heiko (11 February 2024). "Langstrecken-ABC: Alle Abkürzungen im Sportwagensport erklärt" [Long-distance ABC: All abbreviations in sports car racing explained] (in German). Motorsport-Total.com. Archived from the original on 10 December 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
^Lovell, Terry (2004). Bernie's Game: Inside the Formula One World and Bernie Ecclestone. London, England: Metro Publications. pp. 295–296, 308. ISBN 1-84358-086-1 – via Internet Archive.
^Goodwin, Graham (30 January 2015). "20 Years of SRO, At The Core Of The GT Racing Success Story". DailySportsCar. Archived from the original on 25 February 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
^"FIA GT Championship seeks headline sponsor for £5m deal". Marketing Week. 23 June 2005. Archived from the original on 25 February 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
^"FIA GT 2005 Update". DailySportsCar. 28 December 2004. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
^ ab"FIA GT Championship" (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 1 April 2008. pp. 2, 4–5, 42. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 October 2008. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
^ abcde"FIA GT Championship Standings 1997". Motorsport Stats. p. 2. Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024. "FIA GT Championship – Season 1997". Speedsport Magazine. pp. 2, 3, 4. Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
^ abcde"FIA GT Championship Standings 2002". Motorsport Stats. p. 2. Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024. "FIA GT Championship – Season 2002". Speedsport Magazine. pp. 2, 3, 4. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
^ abcde"FIA GT Championship Standings 2003". Motorsport Stats. p. 2. Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024. "FIA GT Championship – Season 2003". Speedsport Magazine. pp. 2, 3, 4. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
^"Spa 24 Hours – Points Changes". TotalMotorSport. 9 August 2001. Archived from the original on 14 March 2024. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
^"FIA GT And FIA GT3 Championship Changes". DailySportsCar. 20 December 2008. Archived from the original on 14 March 2024. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
^Mercier, Laurent (16 December 2008). "SRO Motorsports Group récompense les lauréats 2008" [SRO Motorsports Group rewards the 2008 winners]. Endurance-Info (in French). Archived from the original on 17 December 2008. Retrieved 13 March 2024. Mercier, Laurent (14 December 2009). "Les champions GT honorés par la FIA" [GT champions honored by the FIA]. Endurance-Info (in French). Archived from the original on 16 January 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
^ ab"GT W.C. Europa Sprint & FIA GT: Overview of seasons". Speedsport Magazine. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
^ ab"FIA GT Championship Records Championships". Motorsport Stats. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
^ abGalpin, Darren; Young, Rob; Korzan, Nicolás; Costa, Paulo; Ullrich, Andreas; Jones, Mark Alan (16 January 2024). "Lower category champions – FIA GT Championship". 8W. Forix. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
^ abcd"FIA GT Championship Standings 1998". Motorsport Stats. p. 2. Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024. "FIA GT Championship – Season 1998". Speedsport Magazine. pp. 2, 3, 4. Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
^"Gabriele Gardel Is The Champion". DailySportsCar. 9 December 2005. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
^ abcdef"FIA GT Championship Standings 2005". Motorsport Stats. p. 2. Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024. "FIA GT Championship – Season 2005". Speedsport Magazine. pp. 2, 3, 4. Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
^ abcdef"FIA GT Championship Standings 2006". Motorsport Stats. p. 2. Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024. "FIA GT Championship – Season 2006". Speedsport Magazine. pp. 2, 3, 4. Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
^ abcdefg"FIA GT Championship Standings 2007". Motorsport Stats. p. 2. Archived from the original on 22 January 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024. "FIA GT Championship – Season 2007". Speedsport Magazine. pp. 2, 3, 4. Archived from the original on 23 January 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
^ abcde"FIA GT Championship Standings 2008". Motorsport Stats. p. 2. Archived from the original on 22 January 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024. "FIA GT Championship – Season 2008". Speedsport Magazine. pp. 2, 3, 4. Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
^ abcdef"FIA GT Championship Standings 2009". Motorsport Stats. p. 2. Archived from the original on 22 January 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024. "FIA GT Championship – Season 2009". Speedsport Magazine. pp. 2, 3, 4. Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
^ ab"FIA GT Championship Standings 1999". Motorsport Stats. p. 2. Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024. "FIA GT Championship – Season 1999". Speedsport Magazine. pp. 2, 3, 4. Archived from the original on 14 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
^ abcd"FIA GT Championship Standings 2000". Motorsport Stats. p. 2. Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024. "FIA GT Championship – Season 2000". Speedsport Magazine. pp. 2, 3, 4. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
^ abcd"FIA GT Championship Standings 2001". Motorsport Stats. p. 2. Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024. "FIA GT Championship – Season 2001". Speedsport Magazine. pp. 2, 3, 4. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
^ abcd"FIA GT Championship Standings 2004". Motorsport Stats. p. 2. Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024. "FIA GT Championship – Season 2004". Speedsport Magazine. pp. 2, 3, 4. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
^"Estoril – 21/10/2001 – Race Report". TotalMotorSport. 21 October 2001. Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
^ ab"2009 GT2 Manufacturers Championship". FIA GT Championship. Archived from the original on 4 January 2010. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
^"2005 GT1 Manufacturers Cup". FIA GT Championship. Archived from the original on 5 May 2006. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
^"2006 FIA GT1 Manufacturers Cup". FIA GT Championship. Archived from the original on 29 November 2006. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
^"2007 GT1 Manufacturers Cup". FIA GT Championship. Archived from the original on 14 February 2008. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
^"2005 GT2 Manufacturers Cup". FIA GT Championship. Archived from the original on 5 May 2006. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
^"2006 FIA GT2 Manufacturers Cup". FIA GT Championship. Archived from the original on 29 November 2006. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
^"2007 GT2 Manufacturers Cup". FIA GT Championship. Archived from the original on 14 February 2008. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
^"SRO announces the Citation Cup". FIA GT Championship. 3 February 2007. Archived from the original on 21 May 2007. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
^"Stephane Ratel - In His Own Words – Part 1 – FIA GT Championship Grids, TV and Regulations". DailySportsCar. 24 January 2007. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
^"New look for the Citation Cup in 2009". FIA GT Championship. 23 February 2009. Archived from the original on 13 August 2012. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
^Mercier, Laurent (24 February 2009). "La Citation Cup Trouve Refuge En GT2" [The Citation Cup Finds Refuge in GT2]. Endurance-Info (in French). Archived from the original on 11 March 2009. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
^"Ben Aucott Wins The Citation Cup – JMB Maserati Man's Nogaro Win Takes The Cup". DailySportsCar. 13 October 2007. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
^"2007 Citation Cup". FIA GT Championship. Archived from the original on 3 January 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
^"2008 Citation Cup". FIA GT Championship. Archived from the original on 3 January 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
^"FIA GT Teams Titles Settled". DailySportsCar. 4 October 2009. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
^"2009 Citation Cup". FIA GT Championship. Archived from the original on 4 January 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2024.