GT300 Points System Revised; Qualifying Changes Confirmed

Photo: SUPER GT

SUPER GT has issued revised sporting regulations for the upcoming season, revealing a modified points structure for the GT300 class as well as confirming details of the series’ return to a knockout qualifying format.

The lower class of the Japanese sports car series will now award points down to 15th place, instead of 10th place as previously, for both drivers’ and teams’ championships on a 25-20-16-13-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 scale.

For the GT500 class, the points system remains unchanged.

In qualifying, the series will revert to awarding a single point for pole position in both classes, instead of awarding points to the top three qualifiers on a 3-2-1 scale.

One other modification to the rules regarding the awarding of points is that races over 700km in length or four hours in duration no longer have a fixed points system.

Instead this will be announced by the series in advance of each race, although SUPER GT has not held a race that would qualify for this since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additionally, details of SUPER GT’s return to knockout format qualifying, as indicated by GTA chairman Masaaki Bandoh earlier this month, have been confirmed.

As suggested by Bandoh during the Osaka Auto Messe, 10 GT500 cars will progress to Q2, instead of eight as was the case until 2023, while in GT300 the top 18 cars will fight for pole position in Q2, up from 16 previously.

It means that the grid for 11th downwards in GT500, and 19th downwards in GT300, will be dictated by Q1 lap times.

Also confirmed is a minor revision to the tire regulations, with GT500 suppliers that have not won a race in the ongoing season permitted to bring an extra set of tires from the second round of the season onwards.

The rules normally limit each team to four sets of slick tires at regular 300km races.