Impressive entry list for Blancpain GT Series and GT World Challenge Europe

Blancpain GT Series announces impressive full-season entry list for the season 2019. Forty-nine cars are confirmed for the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup while 24 crews will participate in the Blancpain GT World Challenge Europe, what is a new name for previously known Sprint Cup.

Ten automotive brands will be represented in the championship that features five endurance races and five sprint events at Europe’s major race tracks: Monza, Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Paul Ricard, Misano, Zandvoort, Spa-Francorchamps, Nurburgring, Hungaroring and Barcelona.

The list of brands set to hit the track is impressive, with Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Ferrari, Honda, Lamborghini, Lexus, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche all represented. Same as before, entries are divided to Pro, Silver Cup, Pro-Am and Am Cup classes.

Ten brands will be represented in the 2019 Blancpain GT Series

Here is a look at the teams that will race in the 2019 Blancpain GT Series season.

The Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT3 will make its Blancpain GT Series debut this season, with three teams set to field the new machine: R-Motorsport, Garage 59 and Oman Racing with TF Sport.

Audi will be the best-represented brand in the Pro class for both the Endurance Cup and Blancpain GT World Challenge Europe this season. Six new R8 LMS Evo machines are set to contest the long-distance championship, while 10 will be present at GT World Challenge Europe events. The teams that will run Audis are Belgian Audi Club Team WRT, Attempto Racing, Sainteloc Racing and Phoenix Racing.

The Bentley brand will be represented by a pair of Continental GT3s of M-Sport but also by one car of Team Parker Racing. BMW will be represented at all Endurance Cup events with Belgian outfit Boutsen Ginion.

Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup changed its name to GT World Challenge

Five teams will race with Ferrari cars: SMP Racing, Rinaldi Racing, Spirit of Race, HB Racing and newcomers Tempesta Racing. Another Italian brand Lamborghini will be represented in all four Blancpain GT Series classes this season with seven teams running Huracan GT3s: Grasser Racing Team, Orange1 FFF Racing, Barwell Motorsport, Ombra Racing, Daiko Lazarus Racing, Boutsen Ginion and Target Racing.

The Honda NSX GT3 will contest its first full assault on the Endurance Cup with Jenson Team Rocket RJN fielding the new-spec Japanese machine. The team was formed through a partnership between former F1 champion Jenson Button and Team RJN. Another Japanese brand Lexus will be represented with RC F GT3 car, run by Panis-Barthez Competition/Tech 1 Racing.

Last year’s overall champions Akka-ASP will continue to race with several Mercedes-AMG GT3 cars. The other Mercedes customer teams are Black Falcon, Strakka Racing and RAM Racing. On the list of Porsche teams, the new squad is Rowe Racing but also newcomers GPX Racing and Dinamic Motorsport.

Impressive grid has been announced for the 2019 Blancpain GT Series season

Stephane Ratel, SRO Motorsports Group Founder and CEO, said: “I am pleased to see another extremely healthy entry list for the Blancpain GT Series and to welcome a number of new and returning teams to the paddock this season. We are also particularly thankful to the teams that have been most faithful to the series and continue to race with us year after year.

The Endurance Cup grid remains at the same extremely high level that we have become accustomed to, with 10 brands represented in 2019, extending the long run of success that the category has enjoyed since its creation. Among this year’s entrants, we will see the first full season in Endurance for Honda with its NSX GT3, as well as a number of new and updated cars from our existing brands.

There is also a healthy grid for the launch of Blancpain GT World Challenge Europe. The numbers are up from last year’s Sprint Cup field and competitors are clearly excited by the new GT World Challenge concept.

Overall, we can see increased balance between professional and non-professional drivers this season. This was a founding principle of our series and remains a matter of great importance. We have put significant work into this area and I am glad to see that it is paying off. With the grids set for the season ahead, I now look forward to our opening race weekend at Monza.”

Photos: Dirk Bogaerts Photography,