The FIA approved Pure McLaren GT series championship is set to go international in its second season as next year’s championship provisional calendar is revealed.
Racing McLaren 570S GT4s, the six-round championship will kick-off in early May in Portimao, Portugal, as one of five European tracks before heading to the famous Bahrain International Circuit in November 2019, the championship’s first ever foray beyond Europe.
Five of the championship’s circuits are current Formula 1 venues including Spa Francorchamps, also the site of founder Bruce McLaren’s 1968 Grand Prix victory for McLaren.
The championship will then go on to visit the Hungaroring outside Budapest, Hockenheim in Germany’s Rhine Valley and Silverstone in October.
Drivers will be competing for overall FIA Pure McLaren GT championship honours. In addition, the Bruce McLaren Cup class championship will be held for drivers who have held their racing licence for under twelve months and have not competed higher than club level in that specific year.
The 2018 championship format returns for next year with six rounds and two races per weekend featuring 40 minutes of Friday testing and a free practice session and a 20-minute qualifying session. These will be followed by 30-minute races on Saturday and Sunday.
The calendar is still subject to FIA approval.
“After the success of season one, the 2019 Pure McLaren GT championship calendar promises our drivers competing in the McLaren 570S GT4s even more fun and excitement with the addition of a track like Bahrain.
“The Pure McLaren GT series is all about McLaren enabling our customers to experience the exhilaration of racing our 570S GT4 cars while allowing them to focus on improving their race craft alongside meeting like-minded racers in a relaxed, informal family-friendly setting. The whole Pure events team is already gearing up for 2019 and looking forward to welcoming existing and new customers alike to our extended McLaren racing ‘family’.”
Jolyon Nash, Executive Director, Global Sales and Marketing, McLaren Automotive.
2019 FIA Pure McLaren GT race calendar*
Round 1 3 to 6 May, Portimao
Round 2 31 May to 3 June, Spa
Round 3 28 June to 1 July, Hungaroring
Round 4 30 August to 2 September, Hockenheim
Round 5 11 to 14 October, Silverstone
Round 6 26 to 28 November, Bahrain
*subject to FIA approval.
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