Marc VDS Racing to withdraw from World GT series at end of 2011
Marc VDS Racing has announced that it will not contest next year's World GT Championship
The team has been the leading Ford squad in this year's GT1 series, and was announced by World GT organiser SRO as one of the first group of signings for next season's revamped championship. SRO had said Marc VDS would switch from Ford to BMW for 2012, when World GT will be based around GT3 machinery.
But Marc VDS announced today that its sole four-wheeled motorsport focus next year would be the Blancpain Endurance Series, which is also run by SRO, and where the team already runs BMWs.
"Mounting a serious title challenge in such a hotly contested championship as the Blancpain Endurance Series will not be easy," said Marc VDS' sporting manager Bas Leinders.
"We will need to be at the top of our game at every round and the only way to achieve this is by making the series our priority in 2012 - which is why we've made the difficult decision to withdraw from the GT1 World Championship, after two successful seasons that saw the team finish on the top step of the podium on a number of occasions, to put all our efforts into the Blancpain Endurance Series."
Marc VDS took its first win in a GT1 championship race at Ordos in China last month. Its lead driver Maxime Martin is currently sixth in the points standings, with the squad occupying the same position in the teams' title race.
Be part of the Autosport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
Hamilton accepts blame for incident with Albon in F1 Brazilian GP
Ferrari drivers called to F1 stewards over Brazilian GP collision
Will Alonso's Indy failure end the age of versatility?
How real-time scrutineering ensures fair and consistent competition in motorsport
How MotoGP brakes work: Secrets of stopping a 220mph bike
Hyundai enacts contingency plan after WRC Kenya fuel issue
Vanwall working on 2025 WEC comeback with heavily-revised Hypercar
Why Rossi's serious approach to car racing in 2024 may create a dilemma
How a 128-day Mercedes miracle crushed its opposition
The F1 technology behind Mercedes’ Nordschleife record hypercar
How to get the best out of amateur racers
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments