The 2018 GT Series Sprint Cup (known for sponsorship reasons as the 2018 Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup) was the sixth season of the GT Series Sprint Cup following on from the demise of the SRO Motorsports Group's FIA GT1 World Championship (an auto racing series for grand tourer cars), the fifth with the seasons sponsored by Blancpain. The season began on 7 April at Zolder and ended on 16 September at the Nürburgring.
At the annual press conference during the 2017 24 Hours of Spa on 28 July, the Stéphane Ratel Organisation announced the first draft of the 2018 calendar. Zolder became the season opener instead of Misano. [1] On 9 October 2017, the finalised calendar was announced, confirming the dates of the races at the Hungaroring. [2]
In previous years a race weekend consisted of one Qualifying session, one Qualifying Race - of which the results set up the grid for the Main Race - and one Main Race. On 2 October 2017, changes to the format of race weekends were announced. In 2018 a race weekend consisted of two races scoring equal points and featuring separate Qualifying sessions for each race. [3]
Round | Circuit | Date |
---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 8 April |
2 | ![]() | 6 May |
3 | ![]() | 24 June |
4 | ![]() | 2 September |
5 | ![]() | 16 September |
Bold indicates overall winner.
Round | Circuit | Pole position | Pro Winners | Silver Winners | Pro-Am Winners | Am Winners | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | R1 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
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R2 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ||
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2 | R1 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | No entries |
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R2 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | |||
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3 | R1 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | |
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R2 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | |||
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4 | R1 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | |
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R2 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | |||
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5 | R1 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | |
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R2 | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | |||
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Championship points were awarded for the first ten positions in each race. The pole-sitter also received one point and entries were required to complete 75% of the winning car's race distance in order to be classified and earn points. Individual drivers were required to participate for a minimum of 25 minutes in order to earn championship points in any race. A new points system was introduced this season. It takes the maximum points an entry could earn in the old 'Qualifying Race + Main Race'-format divided by two. [29]
Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | Pole |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Points | 16.5 | 12 | 9.5 | 7.5 | 6 | 4.5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0.5 | 1 |
|
Bold – Pole |
Pos. | Driver | Team | ZOL![]() | BRH![]() | MIS![]() | HUN![]() | NÜR![]() | Points | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | 11 | 9 | 19 | 15 | 6 | 15 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 17 | 108.5 |
2 | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | 16 | 8 | 18 | Ret | 12 | 17 | 8 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 80.5 |
3 | ![]() | ![]() | 17 | 17 | DSQ | 10 | 14 | 16 | 20 | 15 | Ret | 14 | 59 |
4 | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | Ret | 5 | 3 | 8 | 50.5 | ||||||
5 | ![]() | ![]() | 17 | 17 | DSQ | 10 | 14 | 16 | 20 | 15 | 49.5 | ||
6 | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | 10 | 13 | 14 | 10 | 13 | Ret | 47 | ||||
7 | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | 9 | 12 | 15 | 2 | 43 | ||||||
8 | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | 7 | 6 | 35 | ||||||||
9 | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | 18 | 16 | 15 | Ret | 15 | Ret | 33 | ||||
10 | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | 8 | 6 | 22.5 | ||||||||
11 | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | 7 | 11 | 21.5 | ||||||||
12 | ![]() | ![]() | Ret | 14 | 9.5 | ||||||||
Pos. | Driver | Team | ZOL![]() | BRH![]() | MIS![]() | HUN![]() | NÜR![]() | Points |
Pos. | Driver | Team | ZOL![]() | BRH![]() | MIS![]() | HUN![]() | NÜR![]() | Points | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | 15 | 15 | 17 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 18 | 19 | 12 | 15 | 134.5 |
2 | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | 12 | 10 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 21 | Ret | 13 | 126 |
3 | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | 16 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 39.5 | ||||||
4 | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | 13 | 18 | 21.5 | ||||||||
5 | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | Ret | 10 | 16.5 | ||||||||
5 | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | 15 | DNS | 16.5 | ||||||||
6 | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | 16 | Ret | 12 | ||||||||
Pos. | Driver | Team | ZOL![]() | BRH![]() | MIS![]() | HUN![]() | NÜR![]() | Points |
Pos. | Driver | Team | ZOL![]() | BRH![]() | MIS![]() | HUN![]() | NÜR![]() | Points | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() ![]() | ![]() | 19 | 19 | 35 | ||||||||
Pos. | Driver | Team | ZOL![]() | BRH![]() | MIS![]() | HUN![]() | NÜR![]() | Points |
Pos. | Team | Manufacturer | ZOL![]() | BRH![]() | MIS![]() | HUN![]() | NÜR![]() | Points | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | Audi | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 123 |
2 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Mercedes-AMG | 8 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 119 |
3 | ![]() | Lamborghini | 1 | 3 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 95 |
4 | ![]() | Audi | 4 | 1 | 6 | 3 | Ret | 4 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 83 |
5 | ![]() | Audi | 10 | 12 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 3 | 77.5 |
6 | ![]() | Jaguar Lexus | 14 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 13 | 5 | 7 | 50.5 |
7 | ![]() ![]() | Ferrari | 12 | 10 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 21 | Ret | 13 | 26.5 |
8 | ![]() | Mercedes-AMG | 9 | 12 | 15 | 2 | 25 | ||||||
9 | ![]() | BMW | 17 | 17 | DSQ | 10 | 14 | 16 | 20 | 15 | Ret | 14 | 14 |
10 | ![]() | Bentley | 18 | 16 | 15 | Ret | 16 | Ret | 7 | ||||
11 | ![]() | Audi | 16 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 4 | ||||||
12 | ![]() | Ferrari | Ret | 10 | 2 | ||||||||
13 | ![]() | Lamborghini | 19 | 19 | 1 | ||||||||
Pos. | Team | Manufacturer | ZOL![]() | BRH![]() | MIS![]() | HUN![]() | NÜR![]() | Points |
Pos. | Team | Manufacturer | ZOL![]() | BRH![]() | MIS![]() | HUN![]() | NÜR![]() | Points | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | Audi | 15 | 15 | 17 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 18 | 19 | 12 | 15 | 137 |
2 | ![]() ![]() | Ferrari | 12 | 10 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 21 | Ret | 13 | 126 |
3 | ![]() | Audi | 16 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 39.5 | ||||||
4 | ![]() | Ferrari | Ret | 10 | 16.5 | ||||||||
4 | ![]() | Mercedes-AMG | 15 | DNS | 16.5 | ||||||||
5 | ![]() | Bentley | 16 | Ret | 12 | ||||||||
Pos. | Team | Manufacturer | ZOL![]() | BRH![]() | MIS![]() | HUN![]() | NÜR![]() | Points |
Pos. | Team | Manufacturer | ZOL![]() | BRH![]() | MIS![]() | HUN![]() | NÜR![]() | Points | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | Lamborghini | 19 | 19 | 35 | ||||||||
Pos. | Team | Manufacturer | ZOL![]() | BRH![]() | MIS![]() | HUN![]() | NÜR![]() | Points |
Raffaele "Lello" Marciello is a Swiss-born Italian professional racing driver who currently competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup for BMW M Team WRT. A former member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, he was the 2013 European Formula Three Champion, a reserve and test driver for the Sauber Formula One team in 2015, and spent three seasons competing in the GP2 Series. He switched to GT racing in 2017 and became a works Mercedes-AMG driver ahead of the 2018 campaign, where he stayed until leaving in 2023 and subsequently signing with BMW. In 2022, Marciello earned his first major endurance race victory by winning the Spa 24 Hours.
Marco Mapelli is an Italian racing driver. He is part of the Lamborghini factory stable, with whom he has won the overall 2019 Blancpain GT Series title.
The 2016 GT Series Sprint Cup was the fourth season following on from the demise of the SRO Group's FIA GT1 World Championship, the third with the designation of Blancpain Sprint Series or Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup. After developing their partnership, Blancpain and the SRO decided that 2016 would see both the Sprint and Endurance Series further integrated into the Blancpain GT Series, putting the emphasis on the prestigious overall drivers' and manufacturers' titles causing the Sprint Series name to change from Blancpain Sprint Series to Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup.
The 2016 Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup was the sixth season of the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup. The season started on 24 April at Monza and ended on 18 September at the Nürburgring. The season featured five rounds, with each race lasting for a duration of three hours besides the 24 Hours of Spa and the 1000 km Paul Ricard events. After developing their partnership, Blancpain and the SRO decided that 2016 would see both the Sprint and Endurance Series further integrated into the Blancpain GT Series, putting the emphasis on the prestigious overall drivers' and manufacturers' titles causing the Endurance Series name to change from Blancpain Endurance Series to Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup.
The 2016 Blancpain GT Series was the third season of the Blancpain GT Series. The season started on 10 April in Misano and ended on 2 October in Barcelona. The season featured ten rounds, five Endurance Cup rounds and five Sprint Cup rounds.
The 2017 GT Series Sprint Cup, known for sponsorship reasons as the 2017 Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup, was the fifth season of the GT Series Sprint Cup following on from the demise of the SRO Group's FIA GT1 World Championship, the fourth with the designation of Blancpain Sprint Series or Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup.
The 2017 Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup was the seventh season of the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup. The season began on 23 April at Monza and ended on 1 October in Barcelona. The season featured five rounds, with each race lasting for a duration of three hours besides the 24 Hours of Spa and the 1000 km Paul Ricard events.
The 2017 GT4 European Series Northern Cup was the tenth season of the GT4 European Series Northern Cup, a sports car championship created and organised by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation (SRO). It was the first season after it was renamed from GT4 European Series to GT4 European Series Northern Cup.
The 2017 Blancpain GT Series Asia was the inaugural season of SRO Motorsports Group and Team Asia One GT Management's Blancpain GT Series Asia, an auto racing series for grand tourer cars in Asia. The races were contested with GT3-spec and GT4-spec cars.
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The 2018 Blancpain GT Series was the fifth season of the Blancpain GT Series. The season began on 7 April at Zolder and ended on 30 September in Barcelona. The season featured ten rounds, five Endurance Cup rounds and five Sprint Cup rounds.
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The 2018 GT4 European Series was the eleventh season of the GT4 European Series, a sports car championship created and organised by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation (SRO). The season began on 7 April at Zolder and ended on 16 September at the Nürburgring. It was the first season, after it was renamed from GT4 European Series Northern Cup to GT4 European Series.
The 2019 GT Series Endurance Cup was the ninth season of the GT Series Endurance Cup. The season began on 14 April at Monza and ended on 29 September in Barcelona. The season featured five rounds, with each race lasting for a duration of three hours besides the 24 Hours of Spa and the 1000 km Paul Ricard events.
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Dries Vanthoor is a racing driver from Belgium who currently competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship with BMW M Team WRT. In his previous role as an Audi factory driver, Vanthoor amassed multiple accolades, winning the 2018 Bathurst 12 Hours and 2019 24 Hours of Nürburgring, as well as taking three consecutive titles in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup from 2020 to 2022 alongside Charles Weerts.
The 2020 GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup was the eighth season of the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup following on from the demise of the SRO Motorsports Group's FIA GT1 World Championship, the first after title sponsor Blancpain withdrew sponsorship. The season began on 9 August at Misano World Circuit and finished on 11 October at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. This season the GT Sports Club Europe was brought into the GT World Challenge Europe, meaning the Bronze-focused GT3 and GT2 series shared grids with the headlining series.
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Simon Gachet is a French racing driver who currently competes in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup for Tresor by Car Collection.