FIA and ISRS 'will not merge'

FIA GT boss Stephane Ratel and ISRS chief John Mangoletsi said that they will not move to combine the series for this year, and said it was unlikely for next season as well.

Ratel said, 'I've got nothing against the idea, but we've got our calendar and they've got theirs. The problem is that if we each have 30 cars we would have problems finding space for the cars in the pits. If both series continue to grow, they will be strong enough to stand on their own feet in the future.'

Mangoletsi said, 'I see only two or three races running on the same bill next year, but no more.'

Hughes de Chaunac, boss of the ORECA Chrysler team, was most vocal in his calls for the series to run together. 'I believe the two series have viable futures only if they run together. There would be many advantages, and I believe that with the right will we could make it happen this season.'

DAMS boss Jean-Paul Driot supported de Chaunac's move.


The ISRS and FiA GT series could join up at Kyalami in November, a fixture that remains provisional on the FIA calendar.