Le Mans 24 Hours class winner Ben Keating has thrown his support behind the new breed of GT3 machinery, arguing that building a car for the track from the ground up is the “right thing to do”.
The likes of Mercedes, Toyota and Genesis are all developing new cars specifically for GT3 racing, with the requirements of the sister road-going model becoming secondary during the design phase.
This marks a fundamental shift in philosophy for the production-based category, which was originally conceived to give manufacturers and tuners an affordable route to transform high-performance sportscars into racing machines.
The changing direction of GT3 has sparked debate amid concerns that purpose-built race cars could drive up costs and eventually make the class less accessible for teams and drivers.
TF Sport driver Keating famously drove a self-entered Ford GT – a model also designed primarily for competition – to a GTE Am win at Le Mans in 2019, only to be disqualified later for an oversized fuel tank.
Asked for his thoughts on the new generation of cars like the Toyota GR GT3, Keating told Motorsport.com: “With the Toyota, I agree [with the direction]. I think it’s the right way to do it.
“If you want to design the very, very best GT3 car, you have to start with the race car. Figure out what it needs, what it wants, how to design it, and then fashion a road car after it. It’s easier than the other way around. So, we’ll see.”
“You have to start with the race car,” says Ben Keating
Photo by: Andreas Beil
Asked if he would like to race the Toyota GT3 in the future, he added: “This is my 12th Le Mans in 10 different cars. I always like trying something different.
“I really like the Toyota team. I’m a big Toyota dealer. Anything is possible.”
However, 13 Autosport’s Matt Bell believes the newer models run counter to the philosophy of GT3 racing, even if he expects traditional models such as the Corvette Z06 GT3.R to remain competitive under Balance of Performance.
“I remember the Ford GT was the same deal and that caused a lot of discord amongst a lot of manufacturers,” Bell told Motorsport.com. “It’s not really what GT racing is supposed to be about, but ultimately, we participate within the regulations that are set out by those that make them, and if it’s allowed by those guys, then we’ve all got to go racing.
“Ultimately, BOP racing is designed to [balance all cars]. In theory, you can balance a Formula 1 car against a Corvette GT3 car in another fair lap.
“So, that’s the side of things. That’s what it’s in the sport for. As long as that is generally enforced in the correct manner, which I think it is being done, then it’ll still be a fair competition.”
GT3 was conceived by SRO boss Stephane Ratel exactly 20 years ago, and has since become the default category for production-based racing.
Matt Bell argues it’s “not really what GT racing is supposed to be about”
Photo by: Germain Durand
But not every GT formula has enjoyed the same longevity. GT1 died under its own weight in the 1990s due to rising costs, and its revived version was officially phased out in 2012.
Similarly, declining manufacturer involvement and the arrival of the Hypercar class led to the demise of GTE, which originally began life as GT2, after 2023.
Bell stressed that it’s important for manufacturers to keep costs under control to secure the long-term future of GT3 racing.
“I’m not too concerned, but it’s not a trend that I would like to see become the norm in the long term, because with that, the costs go through the roof,” he said.
“There’s always a cycle. GT1 was amazing for a while. It died because it got too expensive. GT2 did the same. It would be nice if GT3 is the last solution in terms of GT racing we have for as long as my career lasts, I’m sure.
“So, as long as that’s kept under control, I think it will be fine.”
