SRO Motorsports Group will not continue promotion of the FIA GT1 World and FIA GT3 European Championships into the 2013 seasons, SRO founder and CEO Stephane Ratel announced Wednesday.
Ratel informed the GT Commission of the decision due to the worsening economic climate, which has hit not only the grids of the FIA GT Championships but many other series in the context of an overcrowded sports car scene. Still, Ratel said SRO wants to still see the 2012 season reach a successful finish. A revised calendar for the remainder of the season will be issued for the championships later this week.
A longtime promoter of several GT championships, Ratel said he hopes that "this will not mean the end of a long and fruitful collaboration" with the FIA, with various possibilities being studied. The group will continue to promote the remainder of this year's championship, which reached its halfway point with a visit to the Algarve circuit on July 8.
The Total 24 Hours of Spa, featuring primarily GT3 machinery from the Blancpain Endurance Series, is set for next weekend, July 27-29.