Endurance Cup to celebrate landmark 50th race at Circuit Paul Ricard

Endurance Cup to celebrate landmark 50th race at Circuit Paul Ricard

As well as bringing the curtain down on the 2020 campaign, this weekend's GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS finale at Circuit Paul Ricard marks a significant milestone. 

The annual 1000-kilometre event will see the Endurance Cup conclude its 10th season of competition by staging its 50th race. Launched at Monza in April 2011, the championship has since grown significantly to become the standard bearer in global GT3 racing, bringing together the sport's leading teams, drivers and manufacturers in an ultra-competitive series. 

Its success has been built around the Total 24 Hours of Spa, which has been part of the calendar each year since the inaugural season. Monza and Silverstone have both staged nine events, while Circuit Paul Ricard will reach the same number this weekend. Of the other venues to host the series during the past decade, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and the Nürburgring have also been regular destinations.

Among the competitors, Belgian Audi Club Team WRT has been the standout performer, capturing overall Endurance Cup titles in 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015. Lamborghini ace Andrea Caldarelli is the only person to claim two overall drivers' championships, winning for Grasser Racing in 2017 and Orange1 FFF Racing in 2019.

But this barely scratches the surface of what has taken place over the past decade, with titles awarded in the Pro-Am, Am Cup and, since 2018, Silver Cup categories. Indeed, this commitment to multi-class racing, with all competitors using GT3 cars, has been crucial to the series' enduring success.

This weekend's Circuit Paul Ricard contest will conclude the 2020 season. The 1000-kilometre race gets underway on Sunday at 11.45 CET and will run for a maximum of six hours, concluding shortly after sunset at the French venue. 

Live coverage begins on Saturday with free practice (08.00), followed by pre-qualifying (13.15) and qualifying (17.20). All of the action will be streamed live on the GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS website and Facebook page, as well as the GT World YouTube channel.