The Intercontinental GT Challenge Powered by Pirelli is organised by the SRO Motorsports Group and heads into its fifth season in 2020. In the past four years, interest from manufacturers from all over the world has been rising continuously, so that the Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC) meanwhile has become one of the most prestigious championships in GT racing. Aiming for the drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles, the world’s best GT drivers and car manufacturers will contest five endurance races at five different continents in the course of the season. Traditionally, the Intercontinental GT Challenge gets underway with the 12-hour race at Bathurst in Australia. Next is the famous Ardennes roller-coaster that is the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps where the season continues with the Total 24 Hours of Spa. The 10-hour marathon at Suzuka in Japan is again part of the race calendar for 2020. A new venue is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, famous for the legendary Indy 500, that will be hosting the fourth season round. Once again, the titles will be decided in the 9-hour race at Kyalami in South Africa.
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport had its most successful IGTC season to date in 2018, as Tristan Vautier (FRA) and Kenny Habul (AUS) secured the drivers’ titles in the overall and bronze standings. In 2019, the Customer Racing Teams again had all the chances to secure the manufacturers’ and drivers’ titles until the closing stages of the finale at the Kyalami 9 Hour. Eventually, a strong season was rewarded with runner-up spots for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport and Maximilian Götz (GER). The goal for 2020 is clear: after just having missed out on the titles, the aim is now for the double title win.
2020 IGTC season opener
At the spectacular Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst in Australia, (31 January – 2 February), the Intercontinental GT Challenge is getting its fifth season underway in 2020. With its pair of podium finishes in 2018 and 2019, Mercedes-AMG Motorsport can look back upon a strong record in the two most recent 12-hour races at Bathurst. The latest and only win to date came in 2013 with the SLS AMG GT3. To build on that, three teams are competing with extended works support in 2020, all of them with the new Mercedes-AMG GT3. Next to last year’s third-placed team Mercedes-AMG Team GruppeM Racing (#999), Mercedes-AMG Team Triple Eight Race Engineering (#888) and Mercedes-AMG Team Craft-Bamboo BLACK FALCON (#77) are to lay the foundation for a successful start of the championship campaign. Three further Customer Racing cars have been entered by BLACK FALCON (#46), SunEnergy1 Racing (#75) and Triple Eight Race Engineering (#777). Operated by Griffith Corporation, there will also be a Mercedes-AMG GT4 at Bathurst for the first time this year. With a total of seven cars, Mercedes-AMG Motorsport has the highest number of participants in the field of around 40 cars. The race starts on Sunday, 2 February, at 5.45 hrs local time (Saturday, 19.45 hrs CET).
Calendar 2020 IGTC season
- Race event
Circuit / Location
Date
Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour
Mount Panorama Circuit/Australia
31 January - 2 February
Total 24 Hours of Spa
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps/Belgium
23 – 26 July
Suzuka 10 Hours
Suzuka Circuit/Japan
21 – 23 August
Indianapolis 8 Hour
Indianapolis Motor Speedway/USA
2 – 4 October
Kyalami 9 Hour
Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit/South Africa
19 - 21 November