For the very first time, the Gran Turismo Championships will be held in Australia. Taking place in Sydney from February 15-16, 2020, the FIA Certified Gran Turismo Championships in Sydney will be the first event of the 2020 season. It will be held at the Big Top in Luna Park and will have both a live audience and be broadcast around the world.
Fifty racers will compete in the event and will travel from Europe, North and South America, Asia and New Zealand to race. There will also be Australian competitors, naturally.
The competition will see 12 teams of three racers, each representing different manufacturers, compete against each other in the Manufacturer’s Cup. Additionally, the Nations Cup will pit 24 individual players against each other as they represent their home countries.
Gran Turismo Championships 2020
Cody Nikola Latkovski carries Australia’s hopes of victory on his shoulders having previously finished second in the Nations Cup and Manufacturer Series at the 2019 World Finals in Monaco in December. GT Academy winner Matt Simmons will also be competing as will Adam Wilk.
An esport–motorsport hybrid, the FIA Certified Gran Turismo Championships is entering its third year in 2020 and continues to grow in popularity. The exciting racing is played out on racing seats on stage equipped with the PlayStation PS4 Pro and the Gran Turismo Sport game, with the action shown to a live audience on a huge screen and broadcast around the world on YouTube and Facebook.
Gran Turismo Series Producer, Kazunori Yamauchi, said;
I’m deeply moved to be able to host the FIA-Gran Turismo Championships in Australia. I felt from way back during the first Gran Turismo that Australia is home to some of the most passionate GT fans of the world. Australia is also a very forward thinking country that took notice of the Japanese sports car culture which ultimately led to the creation of Gran Turismo, with cars like the iconic Nissan GT-R, which even became a part of their own sports car culture.
Not only that but the Bathurst (Mount Panorama) Circuit is one of the most unique tracks in the world, with its beautiful scenery and frighteningly difficult course lay out. I think it’s the robust car culture of Australia that nurtured fans of Gran Turismo over the last 20 years and led to the birth of top Gran Turismo athletes such as Cody Nikola Latkovski and Adam Wilk. I’m looking forward to seeing them perform well in this world class championship which is being held for the first time on their home turf.
Tickets to the Gran Turismo Championships in Sydney are free and can be obtained from this link.
Gran Turismo Sport is available on PS4.