·         RMB7mn (USD 1mn) shared across 4 classes 

·         12 races spread over 6 events

·         Chinese and English television coverage and online streaming

·         GT4 set to join the China GT family

The 2017 China GT Championship is shaping up to be a thriller with significant growth in entries and 300% increase in prize money.  Looking ahead, China GT has made a series of exciting announcements at the 2016 China GT Partners Conference. Held on 9th & 10th December, teams, drivers, partners and manufacturers congregated at the Beijing Audi Goldenport Motor Park to celebrate the conclusion to a successful 2016 inaugural season and welcome the arrival of an action packed 2017 Championship. 

Expanding the China Footprint

Excitement builds up as China GT revealed the official 2017 Race Calendar. 12 rounds spanning across 6 race weekends in 6 cities, from China’s most established circuits to the widely anticipated new Zhejiang Circuit. 

Just a sneak peek into what’s expected to rock the much-awaited 2017 season: 

At the final round, China GT will lead the way as promoter of the Zhejiang GT Festival and is joined by the Blancpain GT Series Asia and Audi R8 LMS Cup for what will be an enthralling season finale for all three Championships. 

China GT has also concluded a partnership with Audi and Porsche to host the China GT Audi Challenge and Porsche GT3 Cup Trophy China presented by China GT.  Each of the two feature their own single-make class offering drivers of the previous generation Audi R8 LMS Cup and Porsche 911 GT3 Cup the chance to race against like-minded Audi and Porsche enthusiasts, and concurrently, compete for outright GTC class race wins whilst being eligible for GTC class prize money. These initiatives further underlie the appeal of China GT from the world’s most prestigious automotive brands.

New Class, Better Format, Bigger Prize Fund

2017 will see China GT become a much more accessible and inclusive championship. 

For 2017, China GT will introduce a new family member - GT4. The inclusion of this class will cater to drivers and teams of varying race experience, skill and budget, allowing for a more competitive field and enhanced spectator experience. 

A closed-door meeting with team managers and key stakeholders on 10th Dec yielded results, facilitating an agreement among teams regarding the 2017 driver rating and pairing mechanism. Like 2016, the 2017 season will feature eight driver categories (Pro and Am categories, each divided into Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze), adjusted to offer a greater variety of Pro-Am driving pairing combinations (any Am can now partner with a Pro, barring a Pro Platinum-Am Platinum pairing).  A solo Am and Am-Am driver combination remains unchanged.  

Motor racing can be highly rewarding, both spiritually and materially.  At the Partners Conference, China GT announced a mouth-watering total prize fund of RMB7,000,000, to be distributed among the top 3 drivers (driver pairings) and top 10 teams in the overall classification in each of the GT3, GTC and GT4 classes. 

In a bid to help the championship meet international standard and attract a wider range of competitors, China GT appointed Mark Turner, Director of Motorsport Focus, a world-renowned expert in motorsport management to professionalize the sporting regulations. Mark has extensive experience in Asia Pacific serving as the Series Manager for the Audi R8 LMS Cup.

English commentary and more on-line coverage

To attract new viewers as well as broaden reach to an international audience, races will also be commentated on in English and steamed live via Youtube providing stakeholders with greater exposure across a multi-market media platform.  China GT will continue to benefit from CTVS professionally produced television at every event, and television distribution across the Asia Pacific is being explored.