Coincidentally these three events uses to be touring car races. GT3 have become the pre-TCR-WTCC equivalent for my generation, which is a good thing imo
Deciding to become trackmarshall earlier this year is one of the best decisions I’ve made as a motorsports fan. Marshalling during GTWC at Zandvoort this year was awesome being that close to the roaring cars! Would recommend more people to sign up at their local tracks
Got into GT and Sportscar racing last year and loved every bit of it. The wide variety of cars, the wheel to wheel racing, the difference in skill between driver to driver creating strategy, the giant fields of cars. Not to mention the free official livestreams for race weekends. It has everything.
For those who love GT racing I recommend old school. And what I mean by old school, I mean GT1, GT2 (classic) and old GT3. We actually do have a few racing organizers who still organize competitive races with those old school gt classes. Peter Auto, Monterey Reunion, Velocity Invitational, Silverstone Classic, Gulf Historic and a few more. Some of the most extreme and rare luxury sports cars that we see at hypercar and supercar gatherings are racing in the classes that I mentioned.
F1 "doesn't always translate into best racing" is the understatement of the year. That "racing" series has no longer anything to do with being a sport, and is essentially just an advertising and sportswashing platform for megacorporations, celebrities and bloody dictatorships around the world. Meanwhile series with comparatively tiny budgets are producing actual on-track racing and title competition year in, year out.
Neither is GT3, GT3 often devolves into a train with very little action, at least F1 isnt oversaturated with every other racing series being GT3, even DTM has lost its uniqueness and is just another GT3 series, i like GT3, but it just gets boring when it's so oversaturated
@@mathewhosier9739 Weirdest gripe to have in comparison to the problems listed above, but to each their own. I wasn't also only talking about GT3s as an alternative.
I am sure this will drown to thousands of comments, but I will share my first exposure to GT3 racing. Before this, I was playing a lot of ACC and I actually really loved racing GT3 cars in simulator. But,I am living in Latvia and therefore I need to go abroad for GTWC Round. But,we have this thing called Baltic Touring Car Championship aka BaTCC and they had a race in Bikernieki Race Track. They have a separate class(not sure the name of it), which has various GT3 cars, GT2 cars and others. I saw Mercedes AMG GT3 Evo, various Porsche Cup cars, Porsche GT3 race cars and some older BMW GT2s. It was amazing to see the sheer speed of them, and how late they are braking and the sound is amazing. I also got access to paddock, to see the cars and teams up close and I was happy to snap some pictures with GT3 cars. And I only paid 10 euros for the whole thing, it was amazing! I really hope to see some GT3 action next year, because these are slowly becoming my favorite race cars.
I was at brands hatch this year with my uni team supporting the fanataec gt world challenge series and watching 30 gt3 cars go toe to toe on brands hatch live is soo good and the noise the cars make alone sends shivers down my spin when I remember it. Watching this video knowing I've seen and watched these race live is a privelage and it was an honour to be a supporting act for them
I'd highly recommend getting into Multiclass Sportscars racing. Especially IMSA/WEC. You have the high tech GTP/LMDH class mixed in with the LMP2 (in IMSA) & GT3 grids. It adds a whole new thrilling dimension to the racing & the fan access is unbeatable. Everyone gets to walk the grid pre-race & the garages are fully open.
Awesome video, and great to introduce sportscar/endurance racing to more people! As you said, the level of access fans get is incredible - it's wild to just run into drivers I've respected for years walking around the paddock at IMSA races. The strategy in the longer (12hr, 24hr) races also gets super interesting - balancing minimum drive times, potentially double-stinting sets of tires during cold overnight hours, dealing with mechanical issues like brake pad failures, and crazy lift-and-coast fuel saving strategies all can make or break the strategy over the length of the race, and often two teams on totally different strategies end up battling on track in the last half hour for position! Awesome to see more coverage of this area of motorsport, and I'm hoping to see more and more people at sportscar races in the future!
A few years ago, my dad and I went to the 24 hour GT races at COTA. We had full access to the entire track, including the paddock, without paying anywhere close to a general admission F1 ticket. It was truly an amazing experience, and I also have to say the racing itself was incredible. Truly underrated.
I have always supported you for coming from the F1 world as an engineer working on the biggest class. And to now showcase your viewers how truly of a lover you are of Motorsport is unbelievable to see, and I encourage you to explore even more!! As an Esports driver that have raced in Gran Turismo Sport Spanish Championship I couldn't enjoy more this type of mixed content with GT and Esports, and or F1 and F1 Esports. ;) Simply GREAT!
Thanks so much, Alex! I really really wish I had more time to invest and learn more about other motorsport series. But the formula 1 calendar at 22-24 races absolutely consumes my entire life. Next season I am going to try and reduce my F1 output, and try to enjoy more of the other worlds of motorsport, and hopefully find a positive and engaging way to start new conversations there. Thanks so much!
@@brrrake No worries at all! You deserve it mate! For sure Motorsport! We are all in the same bubble! You have a hell of a background! I really encourage you to do so and by doing so you will get to travel a lot! Enjoy it and take every bit of it!✊🏼🙌🏼
Started watching and attending GT races in 2016, since then, been to countless races, including 5 times at the 24h Nurburgring… the closes races, the fans, and the fan access to everything is unmatched…
This is what I've been doing recently, and don't plan on stopping anytime soon. Visited the Balaton Park Circuit in Hungary for the Ferrari Challenge race weekend there, stood 1 meter away from most Ferrari 296 and 488 racecars, as well as centimeters away from the personal Ferrari vehicles of the Ferrari Guests. I saw machines like the 296 GTB, 488 Pista, 812 Superfast, F8 Spider Novitec, 458 Speciale, and the Purosangue. Best spent 60 bucks of my life. The International GT Open series comes to the Hungaroring in 3 weeks, I feel bad for robbing the organizers with the 40 buck price for 2 days of paddock access xD
Totally agree living 25min from Daytona is amazing having the Rolex 24 and all the other small events. For only like 150$ getting garage and infield access is unbeatable especially at the Rolex. Also you get the whole roar before the 24 the entire week before in that 150$
Sportscar racing is incredible and the level of access that the fans get is unlike many other sports! It can be more complicated for a new fan to learn about but once you understand the basics of the racing it's great!
I've loved sports car racing since I was a kid and first learned about the American Le Mans Series and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (born and raised in central Ohio) - LOVE this video, and love your channel. I'm a mechanical engineer who's always loved racing, so all the deep dives you do are so wonderful- I'm subscribed and will definitely be contributing so I can get even more detail into the world of motorsports. Thank you very much for all that you do!
Great video!!! I hope you get to attend the 24 hours of Daytona. The cost vs access is absolutely amazing. Having done this and Sebring multiple times made it hard for me to pay for the second Miami GP (went to the inaugural GP)
Exactly I've been go the rolex and sebring 12 hours and get four day passes Garage access an camping a t sebring For a few years and still haven't paid the price in total. It would cost for a Miami gp ticket
If you're in the USA, you can do IMSA, IndyCar, the one race from WEC, and Fanatec GTWC. You get so much more value on any of these races than one F1 race. It's not even close
Ah yes, GT3. Went to the Nürburgring race as I was working in the hall there that weekend - race cars sound so cool, and as you said the variety in GT3 cars is brilliant to see and listen to. I messaged a friend about it going like this: Mercedes and Aston Martin really scream at you,, very deep and loud noise when they go past you, you hear them coming from a far distance and they really go "here I am powerful" You can't hear a Ferrari that early but right when it passes you, you get goosebumps. what a sound. Audi has a very clean and smooth engine sound, you could almost say it is a generic race car sound but that doesn't do it justice - it is beautiful, like a symphony. BMW sounds and looks like it was the king of the road, can't describe it any better For some reason I liked the Lambo sound the most, it was fairly similar to the Audi but there was something about it that made it sound... quicker? I don't know. Anyway I've been watching Formula 1 since 1998, only attended two races in person until today. That was my first GT3 experience and my goodness, do I want to go there again. I had no idea what was going on most of the time, I never heard of most of the drivers, I barely recognize some team names from watching the 24h races most casually - but man, if you like racing and love race cars, GT3s are impossible not to admire
GT Racing ROCKS. One of my earliest memories I have as a motorsport fan comes from watching a GT round in my town, and seeing Nelson Piquet winning the race on a FINA sponsored McLaren F1, in 1996 or so. The thing I don't like in modern GT racing is the cars have way too much downforce, to the point modern engines can't even surpass the 260 or so kmph barrier. I'd love to see a return to cars with less grip and more power, like the GT1 class.
This year I've begun to expand into different racing series such as GT World Challenge and WEC. I've bought tickets to the WEC Lone Star race in Austin, Texas in September 2024. I paid around $113 for the 3 days with Paddock/Pitlane access. I went to the US GP in 2022 and my GA tickets cost $400. I also plan on going to the GTWC America in Sonoma, California in April 2024 and for around $60, the main races and support series will be much more worth it.
When I was in school 10+ years ago, I was really into F1 whilst everyone is in my year group didn't really care. Nowadays everyone I went to school with is watching F1 due to the popularity boost and nextflix. However since then I've lost all interest in F1 and have already moved onto sports cars and rally. So I really get where this video is coming from.
I can't recommend the 24h of the Nürburgring enough. If you have the time you should really visit this race in person. It is a great experience and I would certainly love to see you sharing your impression of the event with the RUclips audience.
@@brrrake I hope you can do it. It is really lovely there. It is not just great racing but also the atmosphere between the teams. I remember an incident from this year where there was a crash the day before the race and the car was in pieces and the team that crashed wouldn't have been able to repair the car in time because the pits are relatively small and cramped and their factory was to far away. However a competitor from the same class (Frikadelli racing), which is a local team, offered their factory and mechanics to rebuild the car over night so the other team could go on racing. It just feels like one big family around there and that is a really great experience.
Indycar is very similar with regards to accessibility. Twice the experience compared to F1 at half the price. Especially on street courses. Toronto for example, you can literally walk through the garage where they keep and prep the cars. You run into the drivers in the process and they are happy to see you.
Sports cars are amazing IMSA allows you all the way to the back of the garage they do a grid walk with GA ticket which for 2 days at IMS was $60! Sports cars are the races to go too. I got photo with Roger Penske. Saw Marcus Erikson Marco Andretti Brian Herta and tons of other legendary drivers. What an experience!
I got into GT3 thanks to ACC, I got really into it at the same time I got into F1 23, I kinda like more the GT3s with all the electronics and the wheel to wheel racing that lasts for more than 1 turn, quite the opposite to F1 where an overtake is over on a straight or one corner, I enjoy a lot the fights on track and when I started to watch GT3 this year, I absolutely loved it, more so when a pilot from my country won a couple of races so yeah, nice video, it reminded me why I love GT3 so much.
Nice Video, one suggestion is you can change the title to “what happens in the garage of GT series Teams” or something like that to attract more clicks
GT racing is great, this year I was also in Barcelona competing in the sro esport championship assisting my driver. Cheers from Italy and SPQRacing Team
Blake, just found your site by accident. Was looking at hi-level TIG welding and your site was on the stream at the right. Lifelong F1 fan and also a degreed engineer. Was always wondering how to get into F1...but that was back in 1988! Even worked with Adrian Newey's supervisor at March back in the early 2000's. He didn't have the same opinion of Newey that the rest of the world did or does. I think 'prat' was the word he used. Also did had an engineering student who later did his MSC at Cranfield but did not get into Motorsports. A bit miffed as I wanted him to do what I never did. Anyhow, GT3. Fantastic stuff. Not everyone can or should be an F1 Engineer. Personally all these years later, I'd aim at Sportcars.
Hey Peter! Funny you mention this story for a few reasons... A family friend of a friend owns the old Leighton House car from 88 or 89. I just saw it the other week! They've changed so much. Coil corner springs inside the bulkhead on the front?! Wild 😅 The second one is, I've been tempted back into the world of professional Motorsport engineering.... In sports cars! I'm performance engineering on the Lamborghini Sc63 LMDh car which is rolling out this year in IMSA and WEC. Sports car racing is criminally underrated. That being said the tech is amazing but the resources of many of the teams is much different than let's say red bull 😅
@@brrrake Congratulations! I'm now nominating you as the guy who I can live through vicariously in motorsport. Lambo too. Grosjean! As for Newey, his old boss rolled out some drawings for me that Adrian did and frankly they were not that great but its the ideas and execution that count. Adrian was also a piss taker and as you know when you get a group of Englishmen that have the same mentality it can either be hilarious or unpleasant. Sometimes in the same minute.
@@peters5333 oh this description is absolutely perfect! At some point I'm hoping to be able to share some more stuff about the sportscar world, or at least my experience of it here. Glad you found the page!
No, there are other GT series racing in NA. Do a bit of searching and you will hopefully find something that is close enough for you to attend in person.
IMSA is wonderful though if it comes near you! I've watched at Mid-Ohio, Watkins Glen, Indianapolis (this year), Laguna Seca, and Long Beach, and loved all of them. Would love to see the 24hrs of Daytona and Le Mans some day, in addition to Spa, Bathurst and the Nurburgring- once you see it in person especially you can't get enough!
GT Racing is in a great way and it's great to see more support for it. Fact is that those GT3 cars are a regulation used in well over 20 different racing series and they are all competitive and fun. Not only that, other similar racing like Touring Cars or Prototypes are fun as well, since they implement some features of GT. As much as fast cars like F1 can really take your breath away, I think the fun parts of seeing your favorite dream Sportscars on the track in groups of 50 is as exciting.
Good video to get to know the GT Racing world. As we have a look at the E-Sport GT Racing. Could you make a video about the E-Sport Racing Engineer Role? Is there any race engineer working on each E-Sport team? What is their role in the race or practice? That would be so nice. Thank you very much for the good content.
Exceptionally good video, I could not agree more. If I may echo your comments GT is an enjoyable event to watch on TV or attend at a racetrack. I recently read a material where in Brazil, junior classes and drivers no longer aims for F1 on the first instance. Young generation of drivers tends to lean towards the Brazilian Stockcar series, a GT like series. Thus, the drought of young Brazilian drivers in F1 or Indy. The overall cost for drivers to step into the series is not hat high and with good tv and market exposure make the life easier for a driver to secure a seat with good sponsorship backing. Not to mention the whole field runs into a similar lap time range and that fuels a rack packed with action and championship usually only being decided on the final races of the season.
I've been an F1 fan since the 70s, but yes, GT racing has something special about it. Which is why I got a sim rig and I race online on Assetto Corsa Competizione rather than F1. I can actually imagine myself driving a GT car
After doing F1@COTA for over 500$ after fees,WEC is going there for about 100 for 3 days. See ya there. Given the manufacturer involvement, WEC is USA should be much bigger.
Ah yes... GT! I remember seeing that at Zandvoort track in 2003, 2004 (ay... I feel very old now).. I think it must have been GT... was spectacular.. my 6 year old hated it! implosion from all the noises, I thrive on it!
GT Racing is the best viewing motorsport by far, but people are too fixated on F1 to realize. There are at least 12 competitive manufacturers involved, each with different car / engine configurations that resemble road cars we recognize and can even own.
@@brrrakeAnd it's a perfect example of how BoP can work for the whole sport when managed properly. It controls costs and performance while allowing so much more diversity than any other form of motorsport. The only downside is that the various cars are all so equal now, in all areas,, that overtaking is much more scarce & almost exclusively down to tyre conditions. GT Racing might have to think about a hybrid push-to-pass system sometime soon.
I live about 2 hours from Road America and the races of there are great for the price and you get to travel around easily while seeing cool cars like IMSA, indycar, nascar and much more. I feel that it is much more of a cool experience compared to f1 all though I want to see a racw
Great video! I've been going back and forth on whether to go see the Rolex 24 at Daytona. After watching this video, I think I'll go check it out. Thanks!
My brother and I attend the Daytona 24hr yearly - it is 100% worth it. Tons of places to view the track. My favorite part is the sunrise - we go up high in the stands with a big cup of coffee. It’s pure bliss! Then last year we were treated to a photo-finish in the LMP2 class.
Hate to break it to you, this was a commercial mixed with my genuine experiences from the weekend. I did my best to make it as much "my video" as possible so I hope you found it enjoyable.
Love your content, my only issue with sports cars is that it’s hard to watch in terms of access. Is there a way to watch consistently here in the States? Do some series have RUclips channels?
GT World has all of the GT world challenge races from around the world as well as British GT a racing series consisting of GT4s and GT3s and some other stuff, go and check them out
Unequivocally yes. However, I like F1 for the things that make it unique from other motorsports. I’m headed to the 24h of Daytona this year and can’t wait… also, sports car racing in iRacing has totally changed my understanding of racing as well, and it’s dramatically altered how I view F1
Also you cannot drive a current model F1 car no matter how much you might want to (yes there are some prior generation NA F1 cars available to drive but nothing from the turbo hybrid era). But can you drive a current model GT3 car if you are sufficiently motivated to do so.
Hey! I'm looking for an internship to complete my master's in motorsport, do you know if some of those teams would need an engineer in practices? :) Any help is awesome!
The cars look awesome, sound awesome, and are actually aspirational/recognisable. Fantastic diversity of manufacturers and teams too, with real differential between them. These are massive things Sports Car racing has over F1. I firmly believe there is absolutely massive further potential in this form of racing, and seeing the stands 2/3's empty is a travesty. This sport wont be as premium as F1 - but it does not need to be. In addition to the above, it is so much more accessible both on and off the track. GT racing is worthy of a much bigger public profile than it currently has.
Quite sad that it used to be the most famous 4 wheel racing out there and now can't even fill the seats. I dont even get it honestly, the cars were production that anyone with the money can buy and replicate (a road legal one). Thats enough reason to get hook at it imo.
I have some problems with especially GT3. The class itself is not the problem, it's that it is everywhere and everywhere is getting the same. DTM GT3 Sprint GT Masters GT3 Sprint with Driver change LeMans GT3 as the lower class now GTWC GT3 series all the way The list could go on and it just gets more and more the same what could oversaturate the Market as some Series could benefit from other Car classes
@@bluelucky2865 I like the format the GT300 class is going for in Super GT. They run GT300 and GT3 simultaneous and it makes great Endurance races. What I feel gets lost when everyone is using GT3 is the Personality of the Series. Best example DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft/German Touring car Championship), their lifeblood where the absurd Super Touring Monsters of the 90's or the Prototype like class 1, now it's "just another GT3 Sprint Series"
@@kaymoller1553 Class 1 was binned because Mercedes pulled out first (because it was too expensive and they wanted to do FE) and Audi a couple of years later due to rising costs as well. And it seems there is no interest amongst the German car manufacturers to build their C63s, M4s and RS5s to touring car regulations. I'd like to see more variations as well, but in the end motorsport is a money pit and I don't blame manufactures for staying away from expensive niche regulations.
Gt3 racing ruined f1 for me. Way more action way more things happening, different races (sprint, swapraces, endurance, more fun/different looking/sounding cars. If gt race is on or f1 easy choice for me what to watch
@@geriatricginger I honestly think I botched some of the engine configurations as well in hindsight! I'm glad you enjoyed it man. I might have a lot more cool sportscar stuff coming up in 2024!
Okay so when the engine is behind the front axle centerline - what is it? 😅 To be fair when I wrote that section. I must have been on something, because it is riddled with other errors as well. Really bummed about that.
@@brrrake Personally I'd say it's front engined, since "front mid" isn't really a term. At least long discussions while driving acc endurance races with a teammate that is a mechanic has led me to believe that.
Most every racing series provides better racing than F1, and has for a very long time. The heavy reliance on aero and downforce for grip makes close racing too difficult to allow for a lot of close racing.
I have no interest in whether or not it's the pinnacle. It's great racing that's affordable to fans and offers loads of access. WEC and IMSA are the same in this regard.
12h of Bathurst, 24h of Spa, 24h of Nurburgring is a must watch next year.
I want to go to all of them 😭😭😭
All WEC TOO
@@brrrake you should go especially 12h of bathurst.
Coincidentally these three events uses to be touring car races. GT3 have become the pre-TCR-WTCC equivalent for my generation, which is a good thing imo
dont forget about le mans
Deciding to become trackmarshall earlier this year is one of the best decisions I’ve made as a motorsports fan. Marshalling during GTWC at Zandvoort this year was awesome being that close to the roaring cars! Would recommend more people to sign up at their local tracks
OH awesome! That's fantastic. A huge thanks to you from motorsport enjoyers around the world for keeping everyone safe!
thank you for your work and glad you're enjoying it!
Where did u stand as a marshal. I was with my friend at gtwc zandvoordt.
@@matthijs2295 was at T3 that weekend
Got into GT and Sportscar racing last year and loved every bit of it. The wide variety of cars, the wheel to wheel racing, the difference in skill between driver to driver creating strategy, the giant fields of cars. Not to mention the free official livestreams for race weekends. It has everything.
A belated “Welcome aboard” to you.
For those who love GT racing I recommend old school.
And what I mean by old school, I mean GT1, GT2 (classic) and old GT3.
We actually do have a few racing organizers who still organize competitive races with those old school gt classes.
Peter Auto, Monterey Reunion, Velocity Invitational, Silverstone Classic, Gulf Historic and a few more.
Some of the most extreme and rare luxury sports cars that we see at hypercar and supercar gatherings are racing in the classes that I mentioned.
F1 "doesn't always translate into best racing" is the understatement of the year. That "racing" series has no longer anything to do with being a sport, and is essentially just an advertising and sportswashing platform for megacorporations, celebrities and bloody dictatorships around the world. Meanwhile series with comparatively tiny budgets are producing actual on-track racing and title competition year in, year out.
At first I was like "great another rant".... I totally agree 🤣
Neither is GT3, GT3 often devolves into a train with very little action, at least F1 isnt oversaturated with every other racing series being GT3, even DTM has lost its uniqueness and is just another GT3 series, i like GT3, but it just gets boring when it's so oversaturated
@@mathewhosier9739 Weirdest gripe to have in comparison to the problems listed above, but to each their own. I wasn't also only talking about GT3s as an alternative.
I am sure this will drown to thousands of comments, but I will share my first exposure to GT3 racing.
Before this, I was playing a lot of ACC and I actually really loved racing GT3 cars in simulator. But,I am living in Latvia and therefore I need to go abroad for GTWC Round. But,we have this thing called Baltic Touring Car Championship aka BaTCC and they had a race in Bikernieki Race Track. They have a separate class(not sure the name of it), which has various GT3 cars, GT2 cars and others. I saw Mercedes AMG GT3 Evo, various Porsche Cup cars, Porsche GT3 race cars and some older BMW GT2s. It was amazing to see the sheer speed of them, and how late they are braking and the sound is amazing. I also got access to paddock, to see the cars and teams up close and I was happy to snap some pictures with GT3 cars. And I only paid 10 euros for the whole thing, it was amazing!
I really hope to see some GT3 action next year, because these are slowly becoming my favorite race cars.
This is so awesome! I'm glad you got to experience it as well!
I was at brands hatch this year with my uni team supporting the fanataec gt world challenge series and watching 30 gt3 cars go toe to toe on brands hatch live is soo good and the noise the cars make alone sends shivers down my spin when I remember it. Watching this video knowing I've seen and watched these race live is a privelage and it was an honour to be a supporting act for them
I'd highly recommend getting into Multiclass Sportscars racing. Especially IMSA/WEC. You have the high tech GTP/LMDH class mixed in with the LMP2 (in IMSA) & GT3 grids.
It adds a whole new thrilling dimension to the racing & the fan access is unbeatable. Everyone gets to walk the grid pre-race & the garages are fully open.
Haven't even watched the video but I already know it's gonna be a banger. GT racing has so much class!
Great Video! It was a pleasure meeting you in Barcelona, thanks for giving GT Racing some credit! LG René
Cheers, René! Hope to run into you again soon 🍻
Awesome video, and great to introduce sportscar/endurance racing to more people! As you said, the level of access fans get is incredible - it's wild to just run into drivers I've respected for years walking around the paddock at IMSA races. The strategy in the longer (12hr, 24hr) races also gets super interesting - balancing minimum drive times, potentially double-stinting sets of tires during cold overnight hours, dealing with mechanical issues like brake pad failures, and crazy lift-and-coast fuel saving strategies all can make or break the strategy over the length of the race, and often two teams on totally different strategies end up battling on track in the last half hour for position! Awesome to see more coverage of this area of motorsport, and I'm hoping to see more and more people at sportscar races in the future!
A few years ago, my dad and I went to the 24 hour GT races at COTA. We had full access to the entire track, including the paddock, without paying anywhere close to a general admission F1 ticket. It was truly an amazing experience, and I also have to say the racing itself was incredible. Truly underrated.
I have always supported you for coming from the F1 world as an engineer working on the biggest class. And to now showcase your viewers how truly of a lover you are of Motorsport is unbelievable to see, and I encourage you to explore even more!! As an Esports driver that have raced in Gran Turismo Sport Spanish Championship I couldn't enjoy more this type of mixed content with GT and Esports, and or F1 and F1 Esports. ;) Simply GREAT!
Thanks so much, Alex!
I really really wish I had more time to invest and learn more about other motorsport series. But the formula 1 calendar at 22-24 races absolutely consumes my entire life. Next season I am going to try and reduce my F1 output, and try to enjoy more of the other worlds of motorsport, and hopefully find a positive and engaging way to start new conversations there.
Thanks so much!
@@brrrake No worries at all! You deserve it mate! For sure Motorsport! We are all in the same bubble! You have a hell of a background! I really encourage you to do so and by doing so you will get to travel a lot! Enjoy it and take every bit of it!✊🏼🙌🏼
@@alexcabresindreu4908 🥹🥹 thank you man. Genuinely
Started watching and attending GT races in 2016, since then, been to countless races, including 5 times at the 24h Nurburgring… the closes races, the fans, and the fan access to everything is unmatched…
This is what I've been doing recently, and don't plan on stopping anytime soon. Visited the Balaton Park Circuit in Hungary for the Ferrari Challenge race weekend there, stood 1 meter away from most Ferrari 296 and 488 racecars, as well as centimeters away from the personal Ferrari vehicles of the Ferrari Guests. I saw machines like the 296 GTB, 488 Pista, 812 Superfast, F8 Spider Novitec, 458 Speciale, and the Purosangue. Best spent 60 bucks of my life. The International GT Open series comes to the Hungaroring in 3 weeks, I feel bad for robbing the organizers with the 40 buck price for 2 days of paddock access xD
Whenever there’s GT race going on at the same time with F1 I always choose to watch a GT race.
Totally agree living 25min from Daytona is amazing having the Rolex 24 and all the other small events. For only like 150$ getting garage and infield access is unbeatable especially at the Rolex. Also you get the whole roar before the 24 the entire week before in that 150$
It’s no longer about how fast the race cars can go, it’s about how intense the racing can get.
Sportscar racing is incredible and the level of access that the fans get is unlike many other sports! It can be more complicated for a new fan to learn about but once you understand the basics of the racing it's great!
Yeah, it can be hard to keep up with the 4789 different championships there are, but at the end of the day that just means more racing!
I've loved sports car racing since I was a kid and first learned about the American Le Mans Series and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (born and raised in central Ohio) - LOVE this video, and love your channel. I'm a mechanical engineer who's always loved racing, so all the deep dives you do are so wonderful- I'm subscribed and will definitely be contributing so I can get even more detail into the world of motorsports. Thank you very much for all that you do!
Great video!!! I hope you get to attend the 24 hours of Daytona. The cost vs access is absolutely amazing. Having done this and Sebring multiple times made it hard for me to pay for the second Miami GP (went to the inaugural GP)
Exactly I've been go the rolex and sebring 12 hours and get four day passes Garage access an camping a t sebring For a few years and still haven't paid the price in total. It would cost for a Miami gp ticket
If you're in the USA, you can do IMSA, IndyCar, the one race from WEC, and Fanatec GTWC. You get so much more value on any of these races than one F1 race. It's not even close
I work in the American GT World Challenge series and vlog my experiences. Definitely check it out if you’re into sports car racing!
Brilliant video. Extremely interesting and great to get some of your insights into another form of racing.
Ah yes, GT3. Went to the Nürburgring race as I was working in the hall there that weekend - race cars sound so cool, and as you said the variety in GT3 cars is brilliant to see and listen to. I messaged a friend about it going like this:
Mercedes and Aston Martin really scream at you,, very deep and loud noise when they go past you, you hear them coming from a far distance and they really go "here I am powerful"
You can't hear a Ferrari that early but right when it passes you, you get goosebumps. what a sound.
Audi has a very clean and smooth engine sound, you could almost say it is a generic race car sound but that doesn't do it justice - it is beautiful, like a symphony.
BMW sounds and looks like it was the king of the road, can't describe it any better
For some reason I liked the Lambo sound the most, it was fairly similar to the Audi but there was something about it that made it sound... quicker? I don't know.
Anyway I've been watching Formula 1 since 1998, only attended two races in person until today. That was my first GT3 experience and my goodness, do I want to go there again. I had no idea what was going on most of the time, I never heard of most of the drivers, I barely recognize some team names from watching the 24h races most casually - but man, if you like racing and love race cars, GT3s are impossible not to admire
I started watching Indy Car after Abu Dhabi. I will be checking out other race series and I love the look of the sports cars. Great video.
GT Racing ROCKS. One of my earliest memories I have as a motorsport fan comes from watching a GT round in my town, and seeing Nelson Piquet winning the race on a FINA sponsored McLaren F1, in 1996 or so. The thing I don't like in modern GT racing is the cars have way too much downforce, to the point modern engines can't even surpass the 260 or so kmph barrier. I'd love to see a return to cars with less grip and more power, like the GT1 class.
Very much agreed! The GT1 class was amazing, and I'm glad I got to witness some of it in person thanks to the ALMS (now IMSA)
This year I've begun to expand into different racing series such as GT World Challenge and WEC.
I've bought tickets to the WEC Lone Star race in Austin, Texas in September 2024. I paid around $113 for the 3 days with Paddock/Pitlane access. I went to the US GP in 2022 and my GA tickets cost $400. I also plan on going to the GTWC America in Sonoma, California in April 2024 and for around $60, the main races and support series will be much more worth it.
When I was in school 10+ years ago, I was really into F1 whilst everyone is in my year group didn't really care. Nowadays everyone I went to school with is watching F1 due to the popularity boost and nextflix.
However since then I've lost all interest in F1 and have already moved onto sports cars and rally. So I really get where this video is coming from.
Incredible video man! I’m trying to get into sports car racing and it’s very confusing but I’m learning more and more.
I can't recommend the 24h of the Nürburgring enough.
If you have the time you should really visit this race in person.
It is a great experience and I would certainly love to see you sharing your impression of the event with the RUclips audience.
I really really want to go to this event!
@@brrrake I hope you can do it.
It is really lovely there. It is not just great racing but also the atmosphere between the teams.
I remember an incident from this year where there was a crash the day before the race and the car was in pieces and the team that crashed wouldn't have been able to repair the car in time because the pits are relatively small and cramped and their factory was to far away. However a competitor from the same class (Frikadelli racing), which is a local team, offered their factory and mechanics to rebuild the car over night so the other team could go on racing.
It just feels like one big family around there and that is a really great experience.
12:43 Mid engine Merc? Did they change from the AMG GT or do a layout swap?
11:14 are those tires really light or is this the hulk moonshining in a pit crew?
Indycar is very similar with regards to accessibility. Twice the experience compared to F1 at half the price. Especially on street courses. Toronto for example, you can literally walk through the garage where they keep and prep the cars. You run into the drivers in the process and they are happy to see you.
Sports cars are amazing IMSA allows you all the way to the back of the garage they do a grid walk with GA ticket which for 2 days at IMS was $60! Sports cars are the races to go too. I got photo with Roger Penske. Saw Marcus Erikson Marco Andretti Brian Herta and tons of other legendary drivers. What an experience!
I got into GT3 thanks to ACC, I got really into it at the same time I got into F1 23, I kinda like more the GT3s with all the electronics and the wheel to wheel racing that lasts for more than 1 turn, quite the opposite to F1 where an overtake is over on a straight or one corner, I enjoy a lot the fights on track and when I started to watch GT3 this year, I absolutely loved it, more so when a pilot from my country won a couple of races so yeah, nice video, it reminded me why I love GT3 so much.
What's great is that GT3 comes to the WEC and Le Mans in 2024, taking over from the few GTE cars. Any plans to cover the WEC or ELMS in the future?
Coming from a video of Max interviewing Alonso... "See you at portimao GT3"...
Yup, just saw it an hour ago. Would love to see Max and the Old Fox competing in GT type racing.
Nice Video, one suggestion is you can change the title to “what happens in the garage of GT series Teams” or something like that to attract more clicks
GT racing is great, this year I was also in Barcelona competing in the sro esport championship assisting my driver. Cheers from Italy and SPQRacing Team
Ah fantastic! Next time if we are in the same place, please say hello if you see me! What a cool series with a cool initiative for eSports!
Blake, just found your site by accident. Was looking at hi-level TIG welding and your site was on the stream at the right. Lifelong F1 fan and also a degreed engineer. Was always wondering how to get into F1...but that was back in 1988! Even worked with Adrian Newey's supervisor at March back in the early 2000's. He didn't have the same opinion of Newey that the rest of the world did or does. I think 'prat' was the word he used. Also did had an engineering student who later did his MSC at Cranfield but did not get into Motorsports. A bit miffed as I wanted him to do what I never did. Anyhow, GT3. Fantastic stuff. Not everyone can or should be an F1 Engineer. Personally all these years later, I'd aim at Sportcars.
Hey Peter! Funny you mention this story for a few reasons...
A family friend of a friend owns the old Leighton House car from 88 or 89. I just saw it the other week! They've changed so much. Coil corner springs inside the bulkhead on the front?! Wild 😅
The second one is, I've been tempted back into the world of professional Motorsport engineering.... In sports cars! I'm performance engineering on the Lamborghini Sc63 LMDh car which is rolling out this year in IMSA and WEC.
Sports car racing is criminally underrated. That being said the tech is amazing but the resources of many of the teams is much different than let's say red bull 😅
@@brrrake Congratulations! I'm now nominating you as the guy who I can live through vicariously in motorsport. Lambo too. Grosjean! As for Newey, his old boss rolled out some drawings for me that Adrian did and frankly they were not that great but its the ideas and execution that count. Adrian was also a piss taker and as you know when you get a group of Englishmen that have the same mentality it can either be hilarious or unpleasant. Sometimes in the same minute.
@@peters5333 oh this description is absolutely perfect! At some point I'm hoping to be able to share some more stuff about the sportscar world, or at least my experience of it here. Glad you found the page!
Introduced to GT racing via ACC, and became hooked. Looking forward to attending GT races live, but in NA I think I'm limited to IMSA?
No, there are other GT series racing in NA. Do a bit of searching and you will hopefully find something that is close enough for you to attend in person.
IMSA is wonderful though if it comes near you! I've watched at Mid-Ohio, Watkins Glen, Indianapolis (this year), Laguna Seca, and Long Beach, and loved all of them. Would love to see the 24hrs of Daytona and Le Mans some day, in addition to Spa, Bathurst and the Nurburgring- once you see it in person especially you can't get enough!
GT Racing is in a great way and it's great to see more support for it. Fact is that those GT3 cars are a regulation used in well over 20 different racing series and they are all competitive and fun. Not only that, other similar racing like Touring Cars or Prototypes are fun as well, since they implement some features of GT. As much as fast cars like F1 can really take your breath away, I think the fun parts of seeing your favorite dream Sportscars on the track in groups of 50 is as exciting.
Good video to get to know the GT Racing world.
As we have a look at the E-Sport GT Racing. Could you make a video about the E-Sport Racing Engineer Role?
Is there any race engineer working on each E-Sport team? What is their role in the race or practice?
That would be so nice. Thank you very much for the good content.
Is there any apps that you can download to watch races or where can you watch the races?
I watch GT Racing for the competition, and watch current F1 for the drama...hopefully, F1 will become competitive again.
I went to the Zandvoort sprint race, and a weekend ticket (with a parking ticket for the whole weekend) was €45.
12:57 The Audi and the Lamborghini both have a 5.2L NA V10. Not the Ferrari.
Exceptionally good video, I could not agree more. If I may echo your comments GT is an enjoyable event to watch on TV or attend at a racetrack. I recently read a material where in Brazil, junior classes and drivers no longer aims for F1 on the first instance. Young generation of drivers tends to lean towards the Brazilian Stockcar series, a GT like series. Thus, the drought of young Brazilian drivers in F1 or Indy.
The overall cost for drivers to step into the series is not hat high and with good tv and market exposure make the life easier for a driver to secure a seat with good sponsorship backing. Not to mention the whole field runs into a similar lap time range and that fuels a rack packed with action and championship usually only being decided on the final races of the season.
I've been an F1 fan since the 70s, but yes, GT racing has something special about it. Which is why I got a sim rig and I race online on Assetto Corsa Competizione rather than F1. I can actually imagine myself driving a GT car
After doing F1@COTA for over 500$ after fees,WEC is going there for about 100 for 3 days.
See ya there.
Given the manufacturer involvement, WEC is USA should be much bigger.
It will get there!
Ah yes... GT! I remember seeing that at Zandvoort track in 2003, 2004 (ay... I feel very old now).. I think it must have been GT... was spectacular.. my 6 year old hated it! implosion from all the noises, I thrive on it!
GT Racing is the best viewing motorsport by far, but people are too fixated on F1 to realize.
There are at least 12 competitive manufacturers involved, each with different car / engine configurations that resemble road cars we recognize and can even own.
Absolutely!
@@brrrakeAnd it's a perfect example of how BoP can work for the whole sport when managed properly.
It controls costs and performance while allowing so much more diversity than any other form of motorsport.
The only downside is that the various cars are all so equal now, in all areas,, that overtaking is much more scarce & almost exclusively down to tyre conditions.
GT Racing might have to think about a hybrid push-to-pass system sometime soon.
Awesome vid and details…thx for this…
Refreshing to learn more outside of f1 which is popular but very expensive for regular folks to attend and enjoy.
I was at the 8 hours of Indy and it was amazing I’m so surprised how you get so much stuff to see
Christian horner punching the air rn
I live about 2 hours from Road America and the races of there are great for the price and you get to travel around easily while seeing cool cars like IMSA, indycar, nascar and much more. I feel that it is much more of a cool experience compared to f1 all though I want to see a racw
4:34 is that GP in the background?! 😂
Great video! I've been going back and forth on whether to go see the Rolex 24 at Daytona. After watching this video, I think I'll go check it out. Thanks!
I think you'll be glad you did. I finally did the LM24 this year, and it was one of the best motorsport experiences of my life!
My brother and I attend the Daytona 24hr yearly - it is 100% worth it. Tons of places to view the track. My favorite part is the sunrise - we go up high in the stands with a big cup of coffee. It’s pure bliss! Then last year we were treated to a photo-finish in the LMP2 class.
someone: How many times did he say MSI GAMING?
me: yes.
Max Verstappen said a number of times that GT-racing is better than F1
How can I get into it because even e sports opportunites don't exist in my Country to begin with lol
This felt like a commercial
Hate to break it to you, this was a commercial mixed with my genuine experiences from the weekend. I did my best to make it as much "my video" as possible so I hope you found it enjoyable.
Love your content, my only issue with sports cars is that it’s hard to watch in terms of access. Is there a way to watch consistently here in the States? Do some series have RUclips channels?
GT World has all of the GT world challenge races from around the world as well as British GT a racing series consisting of GT4s and GT3s and some other stuff, go and check them out
yes they have youtube channels and they live stream
Unequivocally yes. However, I like F1 for the things that make it unique from other motorsports. I’m headed to the 24h of Daytona this year and can’t wait… also, sports car racing in iRacing has totally changed my understanding of racing as well, and it’s dramatically altered how I view F1
I wanna race in lemans man
I wish i knew about this 10 years ago and sim racing was more popular then,but ill definitely have an idea for my future kids
Its great. Its inexpensive and there is a fraction of people there, which is a shame, but makes it easy to get around and find amazing seats
That's cause the cars are easy to drive with ABS and TC.
Also you cannot drive a current model F1 car no matter how much you might want to (yes there are some prior generation NA F1 cars available to drive but nothing from the turbo hybrid era).
But can you drive a current model GT3 car if you are sufficiently motivated to do so.
GT cars look soo nice
Come on… I totally get everyone needs to get money somehow, but I think a 15-minute MSI commercial is where I draw the line personally
Hey! I'm looking for an internship to complete my master's in motorsport, do you know if some of those teams would need an engineer in practices? :) Any help is awesome!
GT racing should be a 1.5 -2 hr race with 1 driver per car. Endurance racing has it's place but the multi driver thing bore me
The cars look awesome, sound awesome, and are actually aspirational/recognisable. Fantastic diversity of manufacturers and teams too, with real differential between them.
These are massive things Sports Car racing has over F1. I firmly believe there is absolutely massive further potential in this form of racing, and seeing the stands 2/3's empty is a travesty. This sport wont be as premium as F1 - but it does not need to be. In addition to the above, it is so much more accessible both on and off the track. GT racing is worthy of a much bigger public profile than it currently has.
Quite sad that it used to be the most famous 4 wheel racing out there and now can't even fill the seats.
I dont even get it honestly, the cars were production that anyone with the money can buy and replicate (a road legal one). Thats enough reason to get hook at it imo.
I have some problems with especially GT3. The class itself is not the problem, it's that it is everywhere and everywhere is getting the same.
DTM GT3 Sprint
GT Masters GT3 Sprint with Driver change
LeMans GT3 as the lower class now
GTWC GT3 series all the way
The list could go on and it just gets more and more the same what could oversaturate the Market as some Series could benefit from other Car classes
But at the same time. Wherever you are, there's the possibility for a fan to engage.
What's the alternative? GTE too expensive, DTM Class 1 too expensive and touring cars are probably too slow for the the best GT racers.
@@bluelucky2865 the strength of GT3 is accessibility. I don't think having so many different similar series is a problem
@@bluelucky2865 I like the format the GT300 class is going for in Super GT. They run GT300 and GT3 simultaneous and it makes great Endurance races. What I feel gets lost when everyone is using GT3 is the Personality of the Series. Best example DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft/German Touring car Championship), their lifeblood where the absurd Super Touring Monsters of the 90's or the Prototype like class 1, now it's "just another GT3 Sprint Series"
@@kaymoller1553 Class 1 was binned because Mercedes pulled out first (because it was too expensive and they wanted to do FE) and Audi a couple of years later due to rising costs as well. And it seems there is no interest amongst the German car manufacturers to build their C63s, M4s and RS5s to touring car regulations. I'd like to see more variations as well, but in the end motorsport is a money pit and I don't blame manufactures for staying away from expensive niche regulations.
Gt is better racing I agree but f1 has that 'you can't do this' element where as with enough money, you too can be a gt3 entrant
Wow Merc invited in the enemy? Lol
All this is cool n all but is the tv direction better than F1?
It depends...
I always love F1 but luckily diverse more WEC GT racing, Dakar Formula E and Extreme E even Supercars although it’s really hard to watch all of them
Gt3 racing ruined f1 for me. Way more action way more things happening, different races (sprint, swapraces, endurance, more fun/different looking/sounding cars. If gt race is on or f1 easy choice for me what to watch
I watch and play more GT racing than F1 you get to watch and play more cars and iconic tracks ⛳
@12:40 Mid engine Mercedes? lol.. you oopsied. ;)
Is it not behind the front axle?
@@brrrake it's in the same location as the "front engine BMW"..
@@geriatricginger well then I have in some way misspoken! 😅 Cheers for the heads up
no worries! Was a great vid. I too think Sportscar racing doesn't get enough credit. @@brrrake
@@geriatricginger I honestly think I botched some of the engine configurations as well in hindsight! I'm glad you enjoyed it man. I might have a lot more cool sportscar stuff coming up in 2024!
Great video, but you did make some mistakes.
The Mercedes is very much front engine and the Ferrari has a V6 not a v10
Okay so when the engine is behind the front axle centerline - what is it? 😅 To be fair when I wrote that section. I must have been on something, because it is riddled with other errors as well. Really bummed about that.
@@brrrake at most it's a "front mid" engine car but it definitely doesn't handle like a mid engine car.
@@Standby4titan would you say maybe front front mid ish? 😂
@@brrrake Personally I'd say it's front engined, since "front mid" isn't really a term.
At least long discussions while driving acc endurance races with a teammate that is a mechanic has led me to believe that.
I might just watch it on the side, maybe they actually fight for the lead in GT
Aweskme
My MSI Laptop was great for gaming anywhere, no bullshit
I really want one 😭😭
Sir Quit de Catalunya!
Oui 👌
Most every racing series provides better racing than F1, and has for a very long time. The heavy reliance on aero and downforce for grip makes close racing too difficult to allow for a lot of close racing.
What about Super Cars? GT3 is great but the aggression and passion is just not there.
Yes it is definitely better👍
I know it’s not 4 wheels but MotoGP has been excellent past couple of years.
oh hey
Didnt watch the video and I agree. 👍
traction control and ABS got me like 😴 and GT-AM is another snoozefest. DTM tho...
You can tell when the cars have TC and ABS?
I watched soley for a review of the shitters from Dan aka EngineMode11.
The thumbnail intimidated me, opinion.
Was it the color red, question?
@@brrrake 🤣
I think the best one Ive ever read was last season,
"Carlos, should I sell my house, question"
"Guys please don ask me these things"
Okay, but should GT racing be the pinnacle of motorsport? Remember WEC and IMSA are still around.
I have no interest in whether or not it's the pinnacle. It's great racing that's affordable to fans and offers loads of access. WEC and IMSA are the same in this regard.
BoP makes WEC and IMSA unwatchable. Now gt500/gt300 is top notch, success ballast ftw
Can you please elaborate on how it makes the series unwatchable?
durr
It pains me to see all those empty grandstands at these races. GT racing and WEC are so much more enjoyable than F1!
That's what I'm saying!