The Blancpain GT Sports Club returns to the scene of its very first race this weekend when Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya hosts the fifth and final round of this year’s championship.
The series has come a long way in a short space of time. Just 13 cars lined up for the inaugural event almost 18 months ago, but that number will swell to 24 for this weekend’s outing around the Spanish Grand Prix venue.
SRO’s series reserved for fully-amateur drivers is also the only international championship to balance GTE, GT3 and single-make cars in the same class, which not only guarantees variety but also a different approach to racing depending on each set of original regulations.
With the Overall title decided in Michal Broniszewski’s favour at Spa-Francorchamps in late July, all eyes are on the Iron Cup battle - reserved for drivers aged 60 and over - currently led by reigning champion Martin Lanting. The Monegasque has won four times this year, twice more than anyone else, but only enjoys an 11-point lead over main rival Stephen Earle whose superior consistency has kept him in title contention.
And with a maximum 33 points available in Sunday’s Qualifying and Main Races, the crown could still go one of two ways.
Lanting’s more recent winning experience at the circuit perhaps gives him the edge. He won last year’s Qualifying Race before losing the Main Race lead after clashing with another driver.
“I need to adopt a more thoughtful approach this weekend,” said Lanting. “My primary focus has to be the Iron Cup classification rather than the overall result, which is not really in my nature! I was never a big fan of Barcelona but I have received some private coaching in order to better understand it and my opinion has now completely changed! I really like it but need to avoid the same sort of thing as happened last year when my good friend Patrick Van Glabeke and I tangled!”
But Earle is also no stranger to Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya having competed there in various series since 2002. His approach differs to Lanting’s this weekend.
“There are 33 points available and I am 32 ahead of Jan [Brunstedt] in third, so I can afford to be daring!” he confirmed. “There is also no point waiting for Martin to make a mistake because I think he has learned from what happened at Brands Hatch earlier in the season. So it is a flat-out and risk-taking weekend for me.”
Meanwhile, there is no shortage of contenders hoping to secure the Overall runner-up spot behind Broniszewski. Nicolas Vandierendonck currently occupies that position but is only three points clear of Mario Cordoni who has endured a frustrating campaign aboard his AF Corse Ferrari.
Iron Cup leader Lanting is not out of contention in fourth, while a whole gaggle of drivers sit just 11 points adrift of Vandierendonck’s thunderous Selleslagh Racing Team-run GTE-spec Corvette.
Such is the Blancpain GT Sports Club’s increasing stature that a number of new-generation GT3 cars will be on the grid this weekend. Ferrari’s new-for-2016 488 and the Mercedes-AMG GT3 both compete, along with the Team WRT-run Audi R8 LMS and X Bionic-entered Lamborghini Huracan, which are both making their championship debuts in the respective hands of Jean-Michel Baert and Cedric Leimer.
The championship’s unique platform also allows the likes of Renault’s RS01 - originally intended to compete in its own single-make series - to race on equal terms with GT cars. Jurgen Smet and Monlau Competicion make their Blancpain GT Sports Club debuts with one of the French machines that twice finished second at the previous Spa-Francorchamps round.
Elsewhere, Fons Scheltema will also be making his maiden Blancpain GT Sports Club appearance at the wheel of a Kessel Racing Ferrari 458 GT3.
Watch this Sunday’s race and follow the live timing from all sessions on www.blancpainsportsclub.com/gt/live.
Blancpain GT Sports Club Schedule: Barcelona
Saturday 1 October11:50 - 12:20: Free Practice 114:00 - 14:30: Free Practice 217:15 - 17:35: Qualifying
Sunday 2 October12:15 - 12:40: Qualifying Race16:25 - 17:05: Main Race
