Porsche has expressed its support for the director of SRO, Stephane Ratel, who has warned about changes in the GT3 category. The director of Porsche Motorsport, Thomas Laudenbach, emphasized the importance of maintaining the essence of GT3, calling for a return to the roots focused on consumer-derived vehicles.
Ratel has raised concerns about increasing costs and the types of vehicles that threaten the fundamental principles of GT3 racing. In a recent conversation at the IMSA race at Road America, Laudenbach stated that he shares Ratel’s vision and urged the need to act to ensure a sustainable future for the category.
“I think we need to be careful. We opened the door wider than necessary because it still has to be a GT race, which should be affordable,” Laudenbach said. He expressed concern about the trend of vehicles being developed primarily as race cars before being adapted for consumer use.
Manufacturers such as Genesis, Mercedes, and Toyota have already announced new GT3 projects for 2028, but Ratel warns that these models may not follow the original philosophy of transforming street vehicles into competition cars.
This debate is not new for Porsche, which with its flagship model, the 911, has exemplified the GT3 philosophy. However, Laudenbach admits that competition among manufacturers might force them to follow the same path as prototypes, thereby compromising the essence of GT racing.
“I completely agree with Ratel on the need to define new measures and criteria,” he added. Laudenbach made it clear that Porsche does not wish to see prototypes in GT3 racing and that the wide variety of manufacturers is essential for the vitality of the competition.
With growing pressure to adapt to market trends, Porsche’s commitment to quality over quantity could be key to maintaining the integrity of GT3 in the future, as Ratel has advocated. The situation is delicate, and the motorsport community will need to work together to preserve the spirit of GT racing.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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