Kazunori Yamauchi Looks to Revitalize Motorsport with Gran Turismo’s FIA Partnership

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The newly formed partnership between Polyphony Digital and the FIA has spurred a lot of discussion and speculation, and Kazunori Yamauchi had a chance to explain himself in a response to a Reddit AMA question regarding F1:

I actually love the F1 / Grand Prix. But that’s really a driver’s sport. There’s some distance there to actually making that into a game, but who knows — you might just discover it all of a sudden.

In the collaboration that was announced with the FIA, my objective now is to really revitalize and reconstruct motorsports. That’s also the dream of the FIA chairman and so that’s the goals that we’re working toward.

The last message in the FIA press conference was that this is for the expansion and prosperity of motorsports for the next 100 years. That’s exactly it — I’ve always wanted motorsports to become as popular as football or soccer and my feelings haven’t changed regarding that.

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The FIA Online Championship coming to Gran Turismo next year certainly will be pushing the world’s governing body of motorsport into the future, as the organization sanctions and stewards an entirely virtual racing event for the first time in its 110-year history.

Kazunori and the FIA would seem to have an appropriate and timely pursuit; industry data shows that interest in cars is on the decline among people in today’s younger generations due to a variety of factors, so it is a serious point of long-term concern for everyone involved.

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Comments (63)

  1. chris berger

    i hope this means a lot more former race cars in the game and a lot more racing series stuff like more NASCAR more F1. do a lot more things like the senna content, and bring back gt tv with classic race footage from archives and classic rivalries like Lauda vs Hunt, Ford VS Ferrari. BIO of legendary drivers, and classic ads for cars.

  2. Tenacious D

    This is the kind of thing I’ve been asking for since GT4, the encompassing of the motorsports world.

    Kaz has a superb model for a FIA GT PRO Mode to sit nicely alongside Arcade and old school Career Mode, and that’s GT Academy, which he was instrumental in helping create. I know Johnnypenso is all in love with Project CARS and its career, but this has the potential to be huge. Sprinkle in enthusiast racing as with our SCCA, provide a ladder through ever greater and more powerful racing, and then provide a wealth of real world racing leagues to enter. I’d also like to see some fantasy leagues added in to give every type of car a chance to be raced, like the Asia GT league I mention periodically.

    This would have many of us glued to our racing rigs for years.

    1. Johnnypenso

      Nascar, Jeff Gordon, WRC, Top Gear Test Track, F1 tracks galore, Senna content, and 1200 other cars would like to say hello. They’ve had 15 years and dozens of ways to use the huge potential that is already within the game and they’ve done nothing with it. I don’t know why anyone would think this would be any different.

    2. TokoTurismo

      Let them hope Johnny. It’s always fun to see people become disappointed and cry after PD’s lack of effort to using any of those licenses. This one won’t be any different indeed.

  3. panjandrum

    I for one would LOVE to see classic grand prix cars. I have little interest in modern F1, but the classic stuff, if it makes it into GT7 (and along with a number of other qualifiers, such as GT7 compatibility with my wheels), might, just maybe, talk me into a PS4 and GT7. Currently my expectations are that GT6 will be the last version of GT that I play (although I am going to setup a GT4 station again soon and will probably play that all the way through again.)

  4. SZRT Ice

    Expecting a new “Academy” project with an F1 pretense to arrive in the future. Along with a sudden release of a fleet of Formula cars from F3 & up.

    Big things ahead. FIA licensed content and possible developmental support/funding. No telling how far this could go. The silence is starting to make sense in some aspects.

  5. pbsmgm

    I just want to commend all of BRRT_Angel’s comments because they are positive and embellish the bigger picture. I just cannot believe it’s so hard for so many GT fans not to appreciate what we do have even on an old PS3. All I can see is PS4 tech coming, virtual racing, FIA collaboration, 4K Ultra HD maybe, to just name a few….and the game is beautiful now IMHO.

    1. wudy201

      Id watch what you say when it comes to saying we should appreciate what we have and what gt is because there are some people take that as a threat and go for the kill in their response. I agree I think GT is a great game and will only get better and I appreciate everything that is put into the game but for some its just the worst. There will never be the perfect game especially when your dealing with real world cars and tracks and realworld trademarks and licensing anything that is or is based on somthing that is owned by someone else. That alone has to make a game like GT the biggest pain in the a$% to create because heaven forbid something is in the game that does not have permission to be there like a car(porsche in GT for example) Probobly the case for a lot of cars, tracks and race leagues being absent. Just enjoy what we have and mabey on day barriers will be broken.

  6. sibbystiggy

    there are many red bull cars in the game, from karting to red bull prototypes (x1) etc. why arent there any red bull F1s? there is nothing to compete against the ferarri f1

  7. infamousphil

    Yup. The great days of fossil fueled racing are coming to a quick end. Somehow electric cars just won’t do it for me ;(

  8. VBR

    The most promising quote for me was; “…my objective now is to really revitalize and reconstruct motorsports.” But what does that exactly mean? Reconstructing motorsports virtually in Gran Turismo with all the rules & regs for each series? I certainly hope so. As per usual Kazunori is very vague, & no one really knows for sure what he means.

  9. Humungus

    Ah now I get it. Kaz has just been using GT as a tool to gain influence in the FIA, he doesn’t really give a sh*t about the game, he just wants to change motorsports to his liking. /bit of sarcasm

  10. CeeJay

    This is cool and all but maybe try revitalizing the feature set you are still using to sell GT6 that haven’t been implemented yet. :(

    1. sumbrownkid

      I don’t think Kaz is trying to save the universe here. He’s just trying to reignite passion into something he takes interest.

      Can the man at least express himself before being attacked?

    2. Magic Ayrton

      I agree, promises don’t make prizes, but I can understand Kaz, it’s just too painful for the fans that’s all. We are fed crumbs.

    3. Hypergolem

      If you guys are happy with GT6 and in general with the direction the franchise took since GT5 then go ahead… enjoy. But I will always be very vocal about it. You cannot deny the series is losing its appeal. The gameplay is beyond boring, the AI is basically non existing. Just imagine all the racing options they could have given us (drag racing, offline qualifying, endurance races etc etc) then there is the feeling (actually is more than just a feeling) that the game as it is sold is something like a beta version where you will get more features maybe in the future, where glitches are there to be found by the testers and the maybe somebody will work on them. Meanwhile Kazunori goes around the world doing PR and marketing for a product that, let me repeat is dying!!!

    4. Tenacious D

      “You cannot deny the series is losing its appeal.”

      Prove it. In fact, why are you here on a sinking ship if Gran Turismo’s nose is in the air, and on its way down? About time to move along to some other happy thriving franchise, isn’t it? ;-)

    5. Johnnypenso

      VGChartz would like to say hello. Also the fact that this far into GT5 we already had 1 or 2 official sales announcements from PD/Sony and to date we have none. The only reason to hide sales figures is if they suck, because if they were top notch they’d like to shout it to the world, just like they did with GT5.

  11. biftizmo

    Kaz! he’s just like us he’s got a wish list for GT…lol.but the money people won’t let him…He’s out to change what money can’t bye…he loves Porsche we know, F1 to…..what if he gets a massive influx of manufactures wanting in…

  12. liv4hardstyle

    Alright gt planet que the irrelevant comments with nothing to do with news.. Oh wait you have already started. As you were..

  13. BRRT_Angel

    Ahh….this place is so unbelievable. The fact that the FIA is reaching out to Gran Turismo when they could easily reach out to Project Cars, or Forza, or iRacing, or Assetto Corsa, or rFactor, or who knows what else, is amazing. Yet, people, being as greedy as the 21st Century has let us become, keep looking out only for what they want and without understanding what may be in interst of the majority. Drag racing….not a majority thing. Course maker…a pointless majority thing. Basics being; this partnership may bring new things to the table that will make everything else seem worthless. So why are we still whining about what may still be happening instead of perhaps suggesting positive ideas about things that haven’t even been explored yet?

    1. Tenacious D

      I wouldn’t consider the Course Maker pointless. A number of us have been making and sharing some very cool courses made in GT5. In fact, community features like the CM, Event Maker, Race Mod and Livery Editor would keep any Gran Turismo game fresh for years. I raced just about a full year in GT5 in Arcade Mode with a few of my CM tracks, and had a complete blast. But then, individual positions are what makes the human race interesting.

      But as for the FIA involvement, this is just what I wanted to see. I’m hoping that Kaz is earnest in his intentions, and we get something like actual league racing in a sim-like format in its own section, FIA GT PRO. I want lots of racing leagues to be represented, with enough non-duplicate cars to fill out a racing field. Many of those cars are in GT6 already, so build on that. And give us Race Mod and a Livery Editor so we can create our own racing leagues. ;D

    2. BRRT_Angel

      Once again, to me and a lot of friend I personally know, course maker wasn’t why we bought it. This is Gran Turismo, not Track Tycoon. I want the community features, but I’ll always echo the statement, if it’s good, take your time. I am okay with waiting, and with the brilliant quality of things released recently, these “promises” may turn out better than we expected.

  14. TokoTurismo

    And than Kaz implements more half-assed features into GT… HA, that slaps me on the knee. xD

    1. Magic Ayrton

      Yes Toko, like the changed feature at Goodwood.. breaking news.. meanwhile my TS030 sounds like a grinder chewing a coffee machine.

    2. jimipitbull

      And then Toko implements a flip flop 180 spin from where he was 6 months ago. HA, then Dan Greenwad winks and Toko melts into the couch, blushing.

    3. TokoTurismo

      @Magic Ayrton Oh lord. Don’t even get me started on that car…

      @jimipitbull Oh what the? lol? o_O

    4. research

      and then jimipitbull comes to the ultimate realization that he is an internet bully, wondering where his life went.

    5. Tenacious D

      I will gladly take whatever “half assed” features makes Gran Turismo better. You may take whatever you want. ;-)

      This is what some of us wanted to hear. It may produce sim-like league racing series, championships, maybe whole mini-seasons. I’ll take as much of this “half assed” content as I can get! ;D

    1. Johnnypenso

      Flags and standing starts have been a part of racing for 2000 years. The Romans used a white flag to start chariot races. If Kaz wanted that stuff in the game, he didn’t need the FIA to tell him, it’s pretty common knowledge.

  15. OriginalCheezIt

    Is it just me, or does Jean Todt seem like a pretty cool guy? Like an old-fashioned “handshake is a deathgrip with a joy buzzer”, “listen here, sonny, let me tell ya a story about the 1976 German Grand Prix” for four hours, “Hey kid, I’m proud of ya” Jackie Stewart type of fellow?

    Just the vibe I’m getting here.

  16. grog

    The concept that the popularity of cars among the youth is on the decline has been debunked by many journalists. We are simply broke, poor, we have no money.

    1. research

      Good call, grog. Anyone hear those commercials on the radio recently about the price of gold in 1999 being $300/oz ?

      Where do you think that value went? Study the money printers. They have their hands on the great rudder..

  17. FS7

    Does that mean PD will update career/arcade races in GT6 to make them more realistic?
    Like making qualifying, standing starts, damage, penalties, fuel/tire wear, balanced grid, & improved AI available in all game modes?

    1. Croatian_STIG

      We already have a few F1 tracks (Suzuka, Monza, Red Bull Ring, Indianapolis road course, Nurburgring GP/D, Monaco…), but I don’t know why the two Ferrari F1’s from GT5 aren’t in GT6.

    2. OriginalCheezIt

      For best results at Indy Road Course, I suggest you run RS tires with wear set to the max, but Ferrari can run RH. Accurate representation of the 2005 USGP. XD

    3. The Stig Farmer

      This deal means practically nothing concerning new content, but anyway:

      F1 cars? Only single F1 cars are possible (like the Lotus in FM5) due to Bernie’s/FOM’s silly licensing deals which mean you can’t race F1 cars from different manufacturers against each other because that’s considered F1 racing and then you need to stump up for the official F1 license. Said license is exclusive and is currently owned by Codemasters. Multiple F1 cars in GT are impossible at the moment.

      F1 tracks? Yeah, why not? If PD want them in GT they’ll model them.

      In summary; no.

    4. varmintx

      The F1 license belongs to Codemasters; the 2 Ferraris we got in GT5 were a special deal and did not extend to GT6.

    1. FASSTRUK

      Doesn’t f1 have there own game already?? Why put it to the GT platform when other original racing to the gt series needs support, like LeMans, rally or IMSA type racing?? Not to mention some type of drag racing for crying out loud.

    2. BRRT_Angel

      @FASSTRUK You apparently have no idea who the FIA are. WEC (Le Mans), Rally, (WRC), and GT series are within FIA jurisdiction, and that is the brunt of what you’ll get. F1 is a different level because the FIA have less say in the licenses for it (blame Bernie Ecclestone) Regardless. This is good. Maybe new FIA certified tracks, maybe a few GT3/WEC cars.

      As for drag racing, 1) it’s pointless to me and to a lot of actual racing enthusiasts from what I see online. 2) That’s NHRA mostly.

    3. biftizmo

      BRRT_Angel
      Yeah!,,Bernie….!,, plus side,him and his mob are to old to see what’s coming…theirs a new boy in town..wiv tecnolagy…

    4. joel milhazes

      To me the gt f4anchise could be better if insted of 20 or 30 or more cars wherent coppy cat models come on…there are so many cars that could make the game..just to name a few… ford mustang mach 1, ford escort mk1 , lamborghini urraco, renault super 5 gt turbo, bmw e36 m3, bmw 620 csi, oroshi mitsuoka, vector w8 (since gt2 now disaperd from the game)…there are plenty of cars that should have come to the game whit lost of racing history…not the same boring lets put ex: honda civic eg6 in game now there are at least 4/5 from 91 to 95 thats not really important they are the same engine the b16a2 i whould agree on 2 at least the and thats it the b16a only on japan domestic market and the b16a2 from the rest of the world…and that goes for the rest of them….please no more coppy cats …if the game his to keep 1000 plus cars make it 1000 diferent cars and not 500 diferent and the rest just coppys of japanese nodels

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