ORECA to keep running French GT and Prototype series after dispute

The Paul Ricard-based organisation has reaffirmed its commitment to the GT Tour package on which the series runs, following comments by a leading official from the French motorsport federation that ORECA boss Hugues de Chaunac deemed "unacceptable".

He asserted that the comments by FFSA general co-ordinator Dominique Roger triggered a "chain reaction" that resulted in Blancpain GT Series boss Stephane Ratel announcing plans for a French-based GT championship in 2017 and said that ORECA was considering its position as a result.

Roger told the south-west region daily newspaper La Depeche that it had been a mistake to run the opening round at Nogaro last month with an entry of just nine cars and that a new series was required to headline the GT Tour package.

ORECA, which has opened up the championship to LMP3 prototypes for his season, has now committed to the series and the GT Tour after receiving reassurances from FFSA president Nicolas Deschaux.

De Chaunac said: "Following on the feedback we got the day after Nogaro, some of it given by the competitors themselves, the FFSA president has been very responsive.

"He has provided a number of guarantees regarding the future and we have decided to continue our mission in promoting the French GT and Prototype Championship as well as the GT Tour."

He said ORECA would be working hard to ensure a bigger grid at the next round of the championship at Ledenon on June 4/5 and that a "a new project for 2017" would be announced in mid-June.

The large gap in the calendar follows the cancellation of a proposed round at Marrakech, scheduled for this month, earlier in the year.

Ratel had said that he was open to the FFSA adopting his proposed series as the French GT Championship.