ACO aiming to keep factory squads out of future GT category

The Automobile Club de l’Ouest and FIA WEC are looking to prevent factory squads from entering into the new GT3-based platform that looks set to debut in 2024.

According to Richard Mille, president of the FIA Endurance Commission, the goal with the new category is to keep the costs involved as low as possible.

Mille says that one of the ways that would be achieved is through barring full manufacturer efforts from competing in the class.

“At this stage it’s a bit premature,” Mille said. “It’s the same objective as we had for Hypercar – it must be cost-saving.

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“One of the biggest parameters to handle is that we shall be looking at a category where the manufacturers cannot enter officially.

“Because you have the Hypercar and we want to have good battles, so one of the main topics is to prevent the manufacturers to enter the category. That’s the spirit of what LM has always been with GTs.”

This seems to indicate that the goal for the category is to be primarily a Pro-Am class. Previously, manufacturers like Corvette have stated that they would like there to be a possibility for Corvette to enter a factory entry in the category.

Pierre Fillon, ACO president, said that it is too early to make any comments on the definitive structure of the classes in 2024 and beyond, but that those involved have a clear picture of what they are working towards.

We have a clear idea of what the platform will come from. This is the “main issue, but again, we need to work on the objectives. Today GTE is very costly.”

“This is something we don’t want. We had the same approach with Hypercars, because we know where we’re coming from in terms of budget.”

When asked if the category will see the class heavily modified from its GT3 basis, Fillon emphasized that the class is a work in progress.

“It’s not decided. Maybe it will be exactly GT3? We’re working on the basis of GT3. We’ll have the answer by the end of the year, because we need to discuss with the [FIA] Endurance Commission and to validate this by the World Motor Sport Council.”