The 2023 Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS campaign will officially launch tomorrow with two days of testing at Circuit Paul Ricard (7/8 March).
The traditional pre-season gathering will bring 49 cars representing eight brands to the high-spec track in the Var department. A combined 14 hours of running will allow teams to work through detailed testing programmes and forge relationships with new drivers, several of whom are set to make their Fanatec GT debuts this term.
The 2023 test days may prove to be the most intriguing yet, with a number of leading squads having changed manufacturer over the winter. They include Team WRT, the most successful outfit in Fanatec GT history, which has joined forces with BMW to run its M4 GT3. The Lamborghini contingent has been bolstered, too, with 2021 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa winner Iron Lynx, set to field a pair of cars and the sister Iron Dames entry at the test.
Lamborghini is among four marques running new machinery this term, having recently rolled out its Huracán EVO2 model. The test days will also see Ferrari put the new 296 GT3 through its paces, while Porsche will be on-track with the latest-gen 911 GT3-R and McLaren has an upgraded 720S Evo. Honda will also be represented with its NSX Evo 22 courtesy of Nova Race, which is poised to make its series debut this term.
There is no new equipment for either Audi or Mercedes-AMG, but, having shared the overall teams' and drivers' titles last season, the German marques enter 2023 in strong form. Both are well represented on the test days entry list, with eight cars carrying the Ingolstadt marque and nine from the Affalterbach factory.
Though the test days line-up offers many hints as to the composition of this year's grid, it does not reflect the full Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS entry list for 2023. This is set to be revealed during the test, with pre-season announcements suggesting excellent numbers in both the Fanatec GT Sprint Cup and Endurance Cup.
The test days will take place without spectators, but tickets are on sale for several 2023 events. They include the opening rounds of the Endurance and Sprint campaigns, which take place at Monza and Brands Hatch respectively, as well as the 75th CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa. Tickets can be purchased here.
Fans can stay up to speed with events at Circuit Paul Ricard by following the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS social media channels, which will share the latest news, photos and video from the test days.
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