Autosport Plus

The high-power solution to counter a dying breed

SRO boss Stephane Ratel was worried about the disappearance of the amateur - or 'gentleman' - drivers who used to be the bedrock of GT3. So he invented a new category that brings back a familiar name from the past

If you're already confused by the myriad of categories - and different names for them - that make up the landscape of international GT racing, then be prepared for a new addition. The class is called GT2 and, no surprise, it's the brainchild of Stephane Ratel, the architect of GT3 and GT4, as well as the short-lived GT1 division of the early 2010s.

Ratel, the world's premier promoter of GT racing by some chalk, saw an opening - or rather a need - for a new class. His realisation was founded on the gradual disappearance of the amateur driver from many of the series he promotes around the world.

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Author Gary Watkins

Gary Watkins has, for reasons best known to himself, devoted all his working life to covering sportscar racing. This season is his 33rd as a motorsport journalist, during which time he has reported on major long-distance events on four continents and approaching 80 24-hour races. He reckons a degree in political philosophy makes him well qualified for covering the sometimes Machiavellian world of international sportscars.

Gary, who also writes for Motor Sport, Autocourse, RACER and others, lives in Surbiton close to the former workshops of the Cooper Formula 1 team but spends more time on the road than at home for most of the year.