Global GT boss Stephane Ratel believes the move to include a professional class will see the Bathurst 12 Hour continue to grow on the world stage.
Although the requirement for teams to field an FIA Bronze or Silver graded driver had been controversial, the timing of the change has been publicly questioned by experienced GT campaigners.
Dismissing fears that it may alienate some competitors, Ratel stresses that the new rules will aid further manufacturer involvement and entice more entries.
Importantly, the Bathurst 12 Hour will feature the same class structure as its sister Intercontinental GT Challenge GT3 events and Ratel’s popular Blancpain GT Series.
The February 3-5 event will once again act as the opening round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge next year.
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The SRO series comprises the Bathurst 12 Hour, Spa 24 Hours and the Sepang 12 Hours.
“I think it is very important that it (Bathurst) has the same regulations as the other events,” Ratel told Speedcafe.com.
“I really believe that when you are at this level of competition and you have manufacturer support, the choice of the amateur driver will always result in teams finding the quickest amateur, which is not always favourable.
“You will agree that some of the so called non-professional drivers we have seen have not been in an office 8am-5pm each week.
“It should increase entries. The success of the Bathurst 12 Hour contributes to the success of Australian GT racing which is strong at the moment.
“I don’t think the old regulations put manufacturers off because if they really wanted to be there they would run borderline amateur drivers.
“(But) it is definitely a step in the right direction and it will help us. I am very confident that it will grow.”
While the Intercontinental GT Challenge aims to increase manufacturer involvement instead of teams travelling to all the events, he expects more operations to travel to Australia next year.
“There will always be a couple of (new) teams that will come,” Ratel added.
“There are many cars in Australia but what we want is the level of these cars to grow by having manufacturers putting top drivers in them.”
Pleased by the event’s latest regulation change, Ratel feels a move to a single tyre manufacturer model would further improve the race.
The Bathurst 12 Hour has featured a tyre war in recent years between Michelin and Pirelli.
“I personally think that the one tyre is the way forward,” Ratel said.
“We had Yokohama and Michelin at the Sepang 12 Hour last year and it is almost impossible to regulate.
“The competition between customer tyres is very difficult to define.
“It works if the event is of no importance, but if you have it (a tyre war) at big international events like Bathurst, I think it is a bit risky.”
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