GT

Ginetta Launches 2025 Race Season Calendar with Game-Changing Long-Term Focus on Accessibility and Affordability

10 Sep. 2024 • 7:43
Photo : Ginetta

British sports racing car company Ginetta has unveiled its plans for the 2025 racing season and beyond during an event at Donington Park circuit. Building on a highly successful season of racing in 2024, the Garforth-based firm is poised to take its series of championships, which cater for all levels from rookies to experienced racers, to new heights. The initiatives will further cement Ginetta’s position as the provider of the world’s best single-make race series and provide a compelling and affordable long-term racing platform.

 

The developments coincide with the 20th anniversary of Dr Lawrence Tomlinson’s acquisition of Ginetta. To mark this milestone, the company is introducing a range of enhancements to keep every rung of its unique motorsport ladder at the front of the grid for years to come. These will include free upgraded parts to existing customers’ race cars when they commit to the 2025 Championship. This will make cars more reliable, increase service intervals and reduce the cost of a season’s racing, which Ginetta has strived to do by introducing new tooling for components, improving production methods and working hard with suppliers to offer teams and drivers significantly reduced prices of spare parts.

 

Ginetta is committed to creating the very best race experiences in efficient and cost-effective vehicles while empowering competitors through its ‘fit and forget’ racing ethos. With engineering at the heart of everything Ginetta does, the company is focused on providing a five-year period of financial clarity and technical stability to ensure fixed products that maintain the same vehicles and minimise cost increases.

 

Ginetta will continue to explore every possible avenue for competitor savings, including reduced engine build costs, more affordable bodywork and parts, and more extended engine and gearbox warranties. This will give drivers and teams peace of mind and allow them to focus on the racing. 

 

Mike Simpson, Motorsport Director, Ginetta, said: “Ginetta is delighted to launch its racing programme for 2025 and unveil its long-term commitment to make the most exciting and competitive series of one-make race championships even more accessible and affordable. We are looking forward to full racing grids thanks to our new business initiatives, with our three series – Juniors, GT Academy and GT Championship – focused on maintaining our position as the global leader in single-make championships that have proven to provide opportunities for all drivers, from track-day rookies through to the stars of tomorrow. Ginetta is about fun, first-class, purpose-built racing cars, that have helped to develop some of the best drivers in the world, many of whom have moved on to Le Mans, Indycar and Formula 1. 

 

“These drivers and teams truly are the bedrock of our business. None of Ginetta’s success would be possible without their continued enthusiasm and commitment. As a business, we’re also focused on supplying a dependable, long-term product to our customers while working relentlessly to optimise the affordability of racing across the board: we will all do well together.”

 

2025 Calendar

 

Thanks to its successful longstanding partnership with SRO Motorsport Group, Ginetta’s three championships will once again play a starring role alongside the British GT Championship for all its domestic rounds in 2025. Ginetta will bring dramatic racing to the leading circuits in the United Kingdom, including the British GT season-opener at Donington Park in April and the popular Oulton Park race over the Spring bank holiday in late May.

 

There will also be action at the Silverstone 500 weekend in April, along with trips to Snetterton and Brands Hatch. Once again, fans across the globe will be able to watch every second of the action courtesy of the superb live-streaming package on the SRO Events website.

 

Alongside the British GT events, the Ginetta Junior Championship will also enjoy two additional rounds next season to provide a challenging and varied calendar for the teenage talents – including a return to the challenging Croft circuit for the first time since 2022.

 

Provisional 2025 Ginetta Calendar:

5/6 April: Donington Park GP

26/27 April: Silverstone GP

24 and 26 May: Oulton Park

12/13 July: Snetterton

23/24 August: Brands Hatch GP

6/7 September: Croft (Juniors only)

4/5 October: Donington Park GP

* One additional International Juniors weekend to be confirmed

 

Junior Championship - Revised Ginetta Junior

 

Renowned as the longest-running and most prestigious junior series in the world, the Ginetta Junior Championship heads into its historic 20th anniversary season in excellent health and will continue to develop the next generation of driving talent. Ginetta has worked hard with the governing bodies of UK motorsport and is thrilled to be able to take the Ginetta Junior Series onto the world stage. Start permissions will be granted for the UK Junior Licence, and Ginetta will be hosting one race weekend overseas.

 

Next season will see an exciting new look for the revered Ginetta Junior Evo, as the iconic race car receives its first visual enhancement since its introduction in 2010. A new front end matching the design of the Ginetta G56 will bring a striking new aesthetic to the grid, and new doors and rear panels will be phased in. For 2025 the bodywork will be de-cluttered of its road-going requirements, resulting in a more affordable car to run for customers. Ginetta is proud to support the championship’s loyal teams, and entrants signed up for next season will receive the updated bodywork set at no additional charge. Newly built cars will also have for the first time an electronically adjustable pedal box, so the Ginetta Junior Evo can be home to all sizes of drivers and instructors.

 

GT Academy

 

Entering its fifth season in 2025, the Ginetta GT Academy has established itself as the best global entry point into GT racing for drivers of all ages and experience levels, including those taking the first step on their motorsport journey.

 

To enhance the championship’s position as a driver development platform, Ginetta is introducing fixed set-ups for all competitors across both the GTA and Rookie classes in 2025, with all G56 GTA race cars to run identical settings for dampers, roll bars, camber, rear wing and ride height.

 

The fixed set-ups will focus firmly on the drivers' talent and race craft, aiding their individual development programmes. The GT Academy will continue to enable drivers to gain vital racing skills and experience in a fun, safe and informative environment, equipping them with the experience required to progress up the Ginetta ladder.

 

The G56 GTA has been through the same a cost-reduction exercise as the Ginetta Junior, and Ginetta is thrilled to introduce the new-for-2025 Quaife QBE69G gearbox into the UK Championship. This will lead to extended service intervals thanks to stronger gears and a mechanical oil pump. Additionally, toe arms will move to the G56 GT4 arrangement, for increased stiffness and ease of maintenance. 

 

As per the Ginetta Junior Evo, the changes to the G56 GTA will be issued free of charge with a 2025 Championship entry fee. 

 

GT Championship

 

After two years of running the Ginetta G56 GT Pro, the Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT Championship will enter a new chapter next year with the introduction of the brand-new Ginetta G56 GTP8.

 

Based on the Ginetta G56 GT4 Evo, a formidable contender in GT motorsport series globally, the new G56 specification will provide drivers with significant upgrades in terms of power, handling and grip using a package with a proven track endurance record.

 

Powered by a formidable 6.2-litre V8 engine running at a conservative and reliable 400bhp, the G56 GTP8 features an Xtrac transaxle gearbox with pneumatic paddle shift, power-assisted steering, ABS and traction control, plus GT4 Evo-specification braking, suspension and exhaust systems.

 

With no ‘balance of performance’ restrictions in place, the cars will be able to run at a lower weight, at a lower ride height and with more rear downforce. As a result, the GTP8 will be able to post faster lap times than the GT4 model. This offers an incredible opportunity for drivers to race a high-performance, thoroughbred GT racer.

 

The new car will also ensure that the GT Championship is an ideal environment for drivers to learn more about race car engineering, set-up and development. Competitors will all be able to discover how to optimise a car to suit their driving style and the circuit, which will equip them with the tools they need to progress into top-level GT racing. The GTP8 car has also been designed to be easily upgraded to GT4 racing spec. Thus, there’s no need for drivers and teams that progress up the ladder to move to an entirely new vehicle, which keeps costs down.

 

Orders are currently being taken for the G56 GTP8, and Ginetta envisages a large grid of cars in 2025. Current customers of both GTP and GTA will be offered exchange deals into the new GTP8.

 

The Ginetta GT Championship is a vital step on the ladder to prepare drivers and teams for endurance racing. To put this ethos into practice, Ginetta for the first time ever will offer a feature race of 40 minutes with a mandatory pitstop. The car can be shared with a second driver to further enhance the endurance format, while educating teams on how to operate within a pit time window. A 20-minute sprint race will also form part of the weekend for the entrant of the car.

 

A long-term focus

 

None of Ginetta’s success is possible without the enthusiasm and commitment of its passionate teams and drivers, which is why the brand is heading into 2025 with a focus on supplying a long-term product and reducing the cost of racing for its customers. Ginetta will do this by:

 

  • Making a five-year commitment to maintaining the same vehicles
  • Increased life of components to reduce running costs
  • Announcing lower prices on bodywork and parts
  • Reducing engine build costs
  • Increasing engine and gearbox warranty to 100 hours on G56
  • Freezing entry fee prices

 

Ginetta’s five-year commitment to the championship formats and specifications runs from 2025 to the end of 2029. This will provide stability for teams and drivers and allow them to plan and invest for the next few years.

 

Lawrence Tomlinson, Ginetta Chairman: “We are delighted to be launching an exciting range of improvements to our products and services that enhance our commitment to racing and will provide a thrilling season of competition across our championships in 2025.

 

“Our priority is to offer the best racing experience for our customers, and our five-year commitment focuses on improving that by reducing costs, improving reliability and increasing stability. We want to provide a compelling, efficient and cost-effective racing platform for the long-term.”

 

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