The Porsche 911 GT4 R has been unveiled for customer motorsport, and I have the details in this week’s Racecraft & Race Cars Roundup. I also have more racecraft advice, 2027 calendar news and more!
Overview
Racecraft Tips & Techniques
Inside the Cockpit: The Tools of Formula One’s New Era
The 2026 regulations have changed how drivers find performance. Pedro de la Rosa explains the key systems shaping life behind the wheel and how F1’s new era presents a very different challenge for drivers.
Read his explanation on the Aston Martin F1 site here.
The Flat Car Theory
Dan Wells from Drivers Lab explains Rob Wilson’s “Flat Car Theory” and how it applies to racecraft. “A fast car is not the one with the bravest right foot. It is the one that stays settled. A car pitching and rolling under violent inputs has tyres that are constantly overloaded then unloaded, never working at their best. A car that stays flat, with weight moved smoothly rather than thrown around, has four tyres doing their job at once.”
How F2 Drivers Prepared for Austria Amid Record-Breaking European Heatwave
Formula 2 arrived in Spielberg for round six of the 2026 season, and the intense heat wave gripping Europe prompted F1 to declare a heat hazard for the weekend. Feeder Series spoke to MP Motorsport’s Gabriele Minì and Trident’s Laurens van Hoepen about adapting to the extreme conditions and managing tire degradation.
“The heat will change quite a lot how we warm up the tyres and the way not that we change our line through the lap, but we know that every single mistake, every single locking up, or snap of oversteer that you create will affect even more towards the end of the race. In terms of degradation itself, it will not change massively, but it will change in terms of overheating.”
Read the full article at Feeder Series here.
How to Maximize Your Cooldown Lap–and Not Screw Up Others’ Flyers
Many drivers focus on putting in fast laps but overlook what they should do after taking the checkered flag. A proper cooldown lap is an essential part of any track session, helping to protect your car, improve safety, and set you up for better performance next time on track. Learn why it matters and how to do it correctly by reading How to maximize your cooldown lap–and not screw up others’ flyers at Grassroots Motorsports.
Race Car & Series Developments
Porsche Unveils the New 911 GT4 R for Global Customer Motorsport
Porsche is expanding its customer motorsport portfolio with the new 911 GT4 R. For the first time, a car designed for global GT4 racing is based on the 911 platform. The racing car is powered by a 4.0-litre six-cylinder boxer engine delivering up to 382 kW (520 PS). It will make its racing debut in the 2027 motorsport season.
With this new model, Porsche Motorsport is taking its GT4 programme to a new level and specifically expanding its model range in the upper performance bracket. The international GT4 category is one of the fastest-growing segments in global customer motorsport. At the same time, series such as the ADAC GT4 Germany and international equivalents like the GT4 European Series are regarded as a crucial element of the talent pyramid on the path to top-level GT3 racing.
Full details can be found here.
Ratel Issues Stark Warning About GT3’s Future Direction
Stephane Ratel has issued a stark warning to GT3 manufacturers that the category is in peril if current developments towards more extreme machinery continue. “If you design a car to the maximum of the regulations and you homologate it for the road, this is GT1. GT3 is taking a road car, and then adapting it for racing.”
Read his full comments at Sportscar365 here.
Gulf 12H Canceled Amid Current Middle East Situation
The next edition of the Gulf 12 Hours has been canceled, with event promoter Driving Force Events confirming a one-year “pause” amid the current Middle Eastern conflict. “Despite recent apparently encouraging developments, freight costs remain several times above normal levels, logistics transit times continue to be unpredictable and no clear timeline for a return to standard operations has emerged. With planning windows now closed, the next edition has been deferred by one year.”
SRO Annual Press Conference Details
Stephane Ratel issues his annual SRO press conference at last weekend’s Spa 24 Hours. You can read all that was announced at the conference here.
IMSA Confirms New LMP2 Cars for 2029
IMSA has announced it will accept next-gen LMP2 cars into the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for the first time in 2029, a year after the new ruleset debuts. This means the new Gibson turbo V6-powered prototypes, which will be supplied by ORECA and Ligier, will first debut in the ACO’s European Le Mans Series in 2028. They will also form part of the grid for the Le Mans 24 Hours and the Asian Le Mans Series during year one.
RACER has the full details here.
IMSA, SRO to Collaborate on BoP Test at Daytona in December
Officials from the IMSA and SRO Motorsports Group have announced plans to collaborate on Balance of Performance testing of all FIA GT3 models at Daytona International Speedway in December.
“The opportunity to collaborate with IMSA and its Balance of Performance testing at Daytona will prove mutually beneficial to both parties,” said SRO founder and CEO Stephane Ratel.
Sportscar365 has the details here.
James Calls for IMSA to Adopt Average Driver Weight Rules
Heart of Racing team principal Ian James has called for IMSA to implement driver compensation ballast, which would give a “fair chance” to teams with heavier drivers in its lineups.
“You see how close the cars were at Le Mans, especially in qualifying, having all the drivers with identical weights is a real key to that,” he told Sportscar365. “I would like to see it in IMSA. To me, we’re in an era of equality and giving everybody a fair chance. That should be that’s taken out of the equation in terms of advantage or disadvantage.”
2027 Calendar News
- GT World Challenge powered by AWS adds new events at Imola and Hungaroring for 2027 (GT World Challenge)
- Texas 8 Hour joins IGTC and global calendars announced during CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa press conference (SRO)
- Snetterton to host 2027 season opener amidst British GT calendar reshuffle (British GT Championship)
- SRO America Unveils 2027 Calendar with New Venue and Exciting Update (GT4 America)
- Watkins Glen Returns to SRO America Schedule in 2027 (Sportscar365)
- Suzuka and Chang Confirmed for 2027 GT World Challenge Asia Return (GTWC Asia)
- GT World Challenge Australia reveals six-round 2027 calendar (SpeedCafe)
- GT4 Australia confirmed for Bathurst 12 Hour undercard (SpeedCafe)
- McLaren Trophy Europe to race at Le Mans in 2027 in a celebration of McLaren GT racing (PR)
- Mustang Challenge Spa Invitational Set for Next Year (Sportscar365)
From the Sim Racing Roundup
Kimi Antonelli’s New F1 Simulator
Kimi Antonelli headlines last week’s Sim Racing Roundup with a look at his new sim rig and all the details behind it. You’ll also get a great behind-the-scenes look at Cadillac’s Formula 1 simulator with Valtteri Bottas, plus plenty more sim racing news and insights.
Track Days
Watch the New Lola T70S Take to the Track
Back in March, Lola offered the first look at a freshly reimagined version of the iconic T70. Dubbed the T70S, the limited-run model was created with the help of original archive drawings and high-resolution scans of surviving examples from the ’60s. RACER has details (and video!) of the first time the car hit the track.
Author: Mark Boudreau
Mark is the publisher of Motorsport Prospects and the host of the Motorsport Prospects Podcast. As a lawyer, he applies his legal background and research skills to assist race drivers by showcasing the resources they need to make their motorsport careers happen.
