Gulf 12 Hours and Shanghai 8 Hours join forces

Organisers of the Gulf 12 Hours and the Shanghai 8 Hours have agreed to begin a partnership which will deliver world-class solutions for the benefit of both races.

The Gulf 12 Hours is the premier GT endurance race in the Middle East with a traditional home at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, while the Shanghai 8 Hours took place for the first time in October this year, creating a high-level GT endurance race in China for the first time.

Both events share a common DNA; they feature the world’s top sportscar manufacturers in long-distance races at modern Formula 1 race tracks, and place a strong focus on delivering value for Pro-Am competitors and car manufacturers.

As independent events with an international outlook and strong grids, both organisation will cooperate on race management, technical scrutineering and sporting regulations. By pooling knowledge, experience and technical solutions, each event will be strengthened while competitors will benefit from a united and practical approach in key areas.

Andrea Ficarelli, head of Driving Force Events which owns and promotes the Gulf 12 Hours, said: “It was a pleasure to be invited to the inaugural Shanghai 8 Hours last October and I was impressed be the highly promising level achieved by the promoter in only their first event. I firmly believe there is huge potential for a GT endurance race like this in such a key market as China for sportscar manufacturers so I am sure it will develop into a top global race. We are proud to team up with the Shanghai 8 Hours team via this initiative, which will bring mutual benefits to both events.”

Davide De Gobbi, chairman of Topspeed which promotes the Shanghai 8 Hours, added: “The Gulf 12 Hours has already established itself as the top GT endurance event in the Middle East, and one of the leading such events on the world stage. I am convinced that the Shanghai 8 Hours will quickly reach a similar level, helped by this partnership which will allow each organisation to share best practice as well as the latest technology and solutions, to deliver the best possible results for our competitors.”