Masaaki Bandoh, chairman of SUPER GT promoter GTA, travelled to the ADAC’s headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany on February 28 to pitch a new category of cars that would sit above current GT3 machinery.
The idea is to come up with a set of regulations that will be attractive to championships across the globe, including IMSA in North America, thus making each series more viable to manufacturers.
SUPER GT and DTM previously worked together on the Class 1 rules and even held a successful joint race at Fuji Speedway in 2019, but the exit of Audi after 2020 forced the DTM to switch to a cheaper GT3-based customer formula, leaving SUPER GT as the only championship running Class 1 machinery.
Bandoh, however, feels there is scope for another international tie-up of the same mould in the future, as he eyes a replacement for the current GT500 cars that form the top class of SUPER GT that would come into play in 2028 or '29.
"In Europe [DTM] they are using GT3 cars as the base, but above that is what we are doing with GT500, or what used to be called Class 1,” said Bandoh.
“In the current situation, I don't think any overseas maker will produce a GT500 car, but if we can progress with talks for new environmental and safety regulations, I don't see why we can't make a category above GT3, like a 'new GT500'.
“Class 1 was basically a proposal from the ITR, which we got on board with and did together, but then they changed the rules [to GT3 cars] and they just became our GT500 regulations.
“But if we can find a way to reduce carbon emissions without increasing costs, we can make something a step higher than GT3. That's what we all think, and that's what I want to consider [together] in future."
Source: Autosport