GT World Challenge Europe once again underlines its status as the most competitive GT3 championship in the world by revealing the entry lists for the 2024 season.
Nine manufacturers will compete in both the Sprint Cup and Endurance Cup, with 38 cars confirmed for the shorter race series and 55 committed to the long-distance events. Further race-by-race registrations are expected, in particular for the 24 Hours of Spa (26-30 June), on the occasion of its Centenary.
Four distinct classes – Pro, Gold Cup, Silver Cup and Bronze Cup – make up the entry lists for the entire season. As has been the case for over a decade, every car complies with the same set of GT3 regulations, with the teams and drivers making the difference on the track.
The grids for next year have been revealed ahead of next week's traditional Prologue, which takes place at the Circuit Paul Ricard on 5/6 March. All nine brands of the season will participate in the event, with teams representing Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Ford, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche.
Departure
Photo by: SRO
ASTON MARTIN – VANTAGE AMR GT3 EVO
– 4 Sprint Cup entries | 7 Endurance Cup entries
– Teams: Comtoyou Racing, Walkenhorst Motorsport.
This year Aston Martin opens a new chapter: the latest generation Vantage AMR GT3 has proven very popular, with record numbers for the entire season in both Sprint and Endurance.
The British brand's four Sprint Cup cars will be run by Comtoyou Racing, which will also field a quartet of Endurance Cup cars.
Walkenhorst Motorsport will participate in the Endurance races, while both teams have announced Pro crews as part of their plans.
#34 Walkenhorst Motorsport, Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 EVO
Photo by: Paragraph5-4Pros
AUDI – R8 LMS GT3 EVO II
– 7 Sprint Cup entries | 7 Endurance Cup entries
– Teams: Concept Sport Automobile Racing, Saintéloc Racing, Tresor Attempto Racing.
Audi remains a force to be reckoned with these days. It tops the Sprint Cup entry list with seven cars, each of which will also run the Endurance races.
Reigning Sprint Cup champions Tresor Attempto Racing expands to four R8 LMSs, while Audi Saintéloc Racing fields two and fellow French team Concept Sport Automobile Racing keeps just one car.
#40 Tresor Orange 1, Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO II, Ricardo Feller, Mattia Drudi, Dennis Marschall
Photo by: AG Photo
BMW – M4 GT3
– 4 Sprint Cup entries | 6 Endurance Cup entries
– Teams: Century Motorsport, ROWE Racing, Team WRT.
BMW can count on another strong lineup this year. Team WRT has confirmed three cars for the full season, as well as a further Sprint Cup entry for Brands Hatch and Misano.
British GT leader Century Motorsport will make its debut in the series with a full programme, while ROWE Racing will defend its victory at the 24 Hours of Spa with two cars in Endurance.
#46 Team WRT, BMW M4 GT3: Valentino Rossi, Augusto Farfus, Maxime Martin
Photo by: AG Photo
FERRARI – 296 GT3
– 6 Sprint Cup entries | 7 Endurance Cup entries
– Teams: AF Corse, Emil Frey Racing, Kessel Racing, Racing Team Turkey, Rinaldi Racing, Sky Tempesta Racing.
Hopes are high for the second year of the Ferrari 296 GT3. AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors maintains a line-up of two Pro cars in Endurance, while Sky Tempesta Racing returns to the Maranello brand for a full season.
Other participations in Endurance include Kessel Racing, AF Corse and Rinaldi Racing. In the Sprint Cup, Emil Frey Racing returns with a pair of Pro cars, while AF Corse and Racing Team Turkey will field their 296s.
#51 AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors Ferrari 296 GT3: Alessio Rovera, Robert Shwartzman, Nicklas Nielsen, #71 AF Corse-Francorchamps Motors, Ferrari 296 GT3: Daniel Serra, Davide Rigon, Antonio Fuoco
Photo by: Ferrari
FORD – MUSTANG GT3
– 1 Sprint Cup member | 1 Endurance Cup member
– Team: Proton Competition.
Among the most anticipated aspects of the 2024 season is the arrival of Ford with its brand new weapon: the Mustang GT3.
The Dearborn manufacturer will be present in all 10 events this season, with a Pro car fielded by the Blue Oval brand and managed by Proton Competition. This will be the American manufacturer's first appearance in GTWC Europe since the 2012 24 Hours of Spa.
Ford Mustang GT3
Photo by: Ford
LAMBORGHINI – HURACÁN GT3 EVO2
– 5 Sprint Cup entries | 5 Endurance Cup entries
– Teams: Barwell Motorsport, Grasser Racing, GSM, Imperiale Racing, Iron Lynx, Liqui Moly Team Engstler by OneGroup.
Lamborghini remains a strong competitor in multiple classes. There are Pro cars in Endurance thanks to series champions Iron Lynx and Grasser Racing, while Liqui Moly Team Engstler by OneGroup will lead the field in Sprint.
Barwell Motorsport has a pair of Bronze Cup cars, joined by cars from GSM and Imperiale Racing in Sprint and a further crew from Grasser Racing in Endurance.
#58 Grasser Racing Team, Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2: Fabrizio Crestani, Sam Neary, Gerhard Tweraser
Photo by: SRO
McLAREN – 720S GT3 EVO
– 2 Sprint Cup entries | 4 Endurance Cup entries
– Teams: Garage 59, Optimum Motorsport.
McLaren can look forward to another multi-car program this term. Garage 59 has a pair of full-season crews, with the familiar #159 and #188 cars combining Sprint and Endurance.
The team will add another car in Endurance, while rival team Optimum Motorsport will continue their successful program in the Gold Cup, having taken class victory at last year's 24 Hours of Spa.
#188 Garage 59 McLaren 720S GT3 EVO: Louis Prette, Miguel Ramos, Conrad Grunewald, Henrique Chaves
Photo by: AG Photo
MERCEDES-AMG – AMG GT3 EVO
– 5 Sprint Cup entries | 11 Endurance Cup entries
– Teams: 2 Seas Motorsport, AlManar Racing by GetSpeed, Boutsen VDS, GetSpeed, HRT, Madpanda Motorsport, Winward Racing.
Few brands can compete with the success achieved by Mercedes-AMG in GT3 racing. In 2024 the Affalterbach team will be able to count on five Sprint Cup cars: two from Boutsen VDS and Winward Racing and Madpanda Motorsport.
As many as 11 examples of the AMG GT3 EVO will compete in Endurance. Three come from German team GetSpeed - which also has holdings such as Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed and AlManar Racing by GetSpeed - while Boutsen VDS, HRT and Winward Racing all bring two cars.
Madpanda Motorsport and newcomer 2 Seas Motorsport complete this large group of participants.
#60 2 Seas Motorsport, Mercedes AMG GT3
Photo by: 2 Seas Motorsport
PORSCHE – 911 GT3 R (992)
– 4 Sprint Cup entries | 7 Endurance Cup entries
– Teams: Dinamic GT, Herberth Motorsport, Lionspeed GP, Rutronik Racing, Schumacher CLRT, VSI Greico Spektras.
Porsche has high hopes of returning to the top this year. The Stuttgart company will be represented by a quartet of Sprint Cup cars, with two from Rutronik Racing and others from Schumacher CLRT and Dinamic GT.
Each of these will also compete in the Endurance Cup, where they will be joined by newcomer to the series, Lionspeed GP, and the established teams Herberth Motorsport and VSI Greico Spektras.
#54 Dinamic GT Huber Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (992): Ayhancan Güven, Sven Müller, Christian Engelhart
Photo by: Eric Le Galliot
We remind you that all categories will be subject to the final driver training. Furthermore, the Bronze Cup lineups will be subject to validation by the Sports Commission, as required by art. 10.1.5.
Stephane Ratel, founder and CEO of SRO Motorsports Group: “The GT World Challenge Europe participant lists are the result of many months of hard work and it is a great pleasure to share them with you all. I am delighted that nine globally relevant brands are competing both in Sprint and Endurance, and that everyone fields at least one Pro car”.
“I am also pleased that the Sprint Cup remains so strong, with 38 full season entries and other cars already confirmed, such as Valentino Rossi at Brands Hatch and Misano. The Endurance Cup continues to have the same very high level that we have known for several years, with 55 cars, a number that will certainly grow for the centenary of the 24 Hours of Spa.”
“As we prepare to compete, I must extend my sincere thanks to each team for placing their trust in GTWC Europe.”
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