Gran Turismo's 2022 Online Championship Announcement Date is Not What We Expected

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This is the discussion thread for an article on GTPlanet:

Gran Turismo’s 2022 Online Championship Announcement Date is Not What We Expected

With the final races of the 2021 Exhibition Series in the Gran Turismo Online Championship set to take place in around 24 hours, the announcement of a start date for the 2022 championship has caused something of a stir...
I don't really know if I should be worried or happy about the FIA apparently not sponsoring the championships anymore.
Maybe PD were locked into a very narrow corridor for them by the FIA and they can now pretty much do what they want in terms of regulations for these, could mean some cool races coming. They were definitely mixing things up a bit more for the daily races, that could be a direction for the online championship as well.
 
I don't really know if I should be worried or happy about the FIA apparently not sponsoring the championships anymore.
Maybe PD were locked into a very narrow corridor for them by the FIA and they can now pretty much do what they want in terms of regulations for these, could mean some cool races coming. They were definitely mixing things up a bit more for the daily races, that could be a direction for the online championship as well.
Maybe there was a contract that ran out, not unlike the TAG-Heuer case. Either way, it’d be nice if GT7 both has an official timekeeper again and gets FIA endorsement. But then again, I wonder if the FIA was even really all that involved with GTS, let alone the FIAGTCs, beyond a name-drop and some potential badging.
 
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If the FIA nomenclature disappears for GT7, then we can no longer use them as a reason for terrible penalty systems. Maybe it's just a contractual thing. Or maybe PD figured out that real life interpretations of the FIA rules don't translate well to a digital platform.
 
If the FIA nomenclature disappears for GT7, then we can no longer use them as a reason for terrible penalty systems. Maybe it's just a contractual thing. Or maybe PD figured out that real life interpretations of the FIA rules don't translate well to a digital platform.
It also should hopefully end the myth/misblame of FIA interference in fictional tracks' redesigns - this has been a going on myth for the life of GTS.
 
It also should hopefully end the myth/misblame of FIA interference in fictional tracks' redesigns - this has been a going on myth for the life of GTS.
I didn't know that was happening. I've seen people get their panties in a twist regarding real tracks in the game. The FIA can't police what doesn't exist though.
 
It also should hopefully end the myth/misblame of FIA interference in fictional tracks' redesigns - this has been a going on myth for the life of GTS.
There could still be some truth to it, maybe PD changed them to better please the FIA to aid negotiations?
Could also just be PDs own philsophy, who knows.
 
Maybe there was a contract that ran out, not unlike the TAG-Heuer case. Either way, it’d be nice if GT7 both has an official timekeeper again and gets FIA endorsement. But then again, I wonder if the FIA was even really all that involved with GTS, let alone the FIAGTCs, beyond a name-drop and some potential badging.
I don't think we need Tag Heur though... I miss seeing it say "Seiko" as an official time keeper anyway 😉
 
New console, new game, new fun, and probably new world championship. I assume is an expiring contract in 2021 and a new one starting in 2022 with GT7. There are very important brands in GT7, I am sure we will have a new awesome championship. What I would like to see in GT7 is an increase of daily races, maybe 5 could be more interesting, just my opinion. I am very excited and can't wait to have GT7 in my hands.
 
Maybe the FIA was not ok with PDs penalty system options on GT7. The two modes "Standard" and "Michael Masi" where probably too much for the Federation. :D

Joking. I don't even have any beef with the decisions of 2021, so please don't go off topic here. ;)
 
I can see why the FIA partnership wouldve been ended if it has. Ultimately the tour finals have had 2000 people tune in. I dont see the value either party gets from it.
Indeed. Like I said in one of the other topics, there has been little to no growth over four years of these events. GTS ownership has steadily gone from 0 to ~14m in those four years but participation and viewership of the Sport Mode has remained mostly stagnant. No sign of any growth at all.
 

“The 2021 iteration of the FIA Certified Gran Turismo Championships reaches its climax next weekend (December 3-5) with the World Finals set to be broadcast live from PlayStation and Gran Turismo YouTube and Facebook pages. It’s a special event, as this marks the last occasion the series, started in 2018 in partnership with the FIA, will take place on GT Sport ahead of the launch of Gran Turismo 7 on March 4, 2022.”
 

“The 2021 iteration of the FIA Certified Gran Turismo Championships reaches its climax next weekend (December 3-5) with the World Finals set to be broadcast live from PlayStation and Gran Turismo YouTube and Facebook pages. It’s a special event, as this marks the last occasion the series, started in 2018 in partnership with the FIA, will take place on GT Sport ahead of the launch of Gran Turismo 7 on March 4, 2022.”
For most part, people emphasized on the "will take place on GT Sport" and assumed that the GT7-era championship will be still run under FIA partnership.
 

“The 2021 iteration of the FIA Certified Gran Turismo Championships reaches its climax next weekend (December 3-5) with the World Finals set to be broadcast live from PlayStation and Gran Turismo YouTube and Facebook pages. It’s a special event, as this marks the last occasion the series, started in 2018 in partnership with the FIA, will take place on GT Sport ahead of the launch of Gran Turismo 7 on March 4, 2022.”
Yep. We made reference to it at the time, and a couple of times since with regards to Valerio Gallo being the final GT Sport champion.

What it doesn't say there is that the series running in 2022 will still be in partnership with the FIA, only that the series started in 2018 in partnership with the FIA.

We were also not expecting a pre-season/Exhibition to start a month before GT7 launches, still on GT Sport. A couple of months before, sure, but not overlapping with the actual launch.

For reference, the full-season start dates thus far have been:
2021 - April 21
2020 - April 25
2019 - March 23 (Manufacturers on June 8)
2018 - June 20

Assuming this pre-season/Exhibition to be eight rounds and running to current scheduling, it will last until March 26. That's into the start window for 2022, so the season itself will likely start on April 20th in GT7.
 

“The 2021 iteration of the FIA Certified Gran Turismo Championships reaches its climax next weekend (December 3-5) with the World Finals set to be broadcast live from PlayStation and Gran Turismo YouTube and Facebook pages. It’s a special event, as this marks the last occasion the series, started in 2018 in partnership with the FIA, will take place on GT Sport ahead of the launch of Gran Turismo 7 on March 4, 2022.”
"This past weekend (December 3-5) marked the fourth FIA Certified Gran Turismo Championships World Finals and our last on GT Sport before we switch to GT7 next year." yeah imo fia will be in gt7
 
I guess we’ll see now if drivers and teams can display their own sponsorships. If they can then it was clearly an FIA decision not to allow this in the last, and if not then we can surmise it’s Sony.

For any esport to flourish I feel it’s necessary to allow players and teams to earn revenue from sponsorships, thus increasing the chances of those drivers making a living purely from their driving.
 
snc
"This past weekend (December 3-5) marked the fourth FIA Certified Gran Turismo Championships World Finals and our last on GT Sport before we switch to GT7 next year." yeah imo fia will be in gt7
It may be, but that quote doesn't support that position.

Here's every single instance of the FIA logo or name in GT7 promotional material, since June 2020:

1640790469930.png


1640790839442.png


1640791145347.png


... and of those only one is definitively GT7. There's no other appearances in the 18 months GT7 has been officially a thing.


Also, just for the crowd out there who think we've made this up:

December 2021
The next online championship will start on February 2. The event details and race schedule will be published at a later date.
In the mean time, please enjoy our Daily Races.

September 2021
We are pleased to announce that the ‘FIA Gran Turismo Championships' 2021/22 Exhibition Series will be held from Wednesday, 20 October. The race schedule and event details will be announced in due course. In the meantime, the 'Daily Races' will be available as usual.

February 2021
We are pleased to announce that the ‘FIA Gran Turismo Championships' 2021 Exhibition Series will be held from Saturday, 27 February. The race schedule and event details will be announced in due course. In the meantime, the 'Daily Races' will be available as usual.

February 2020
From 18 February to 15 March, we will be hosting the Nations Cup Pre-Season of the ‘FIA Gran Turismo Championships’ 2020 Series. The ranking is based on an effective points system: the final score will be tallied from the best 3 Rounds out of the total 8 Rounds.

February 2019
From 30th January to 2nd March 2019, we will be hosting the 'FIA Gran Turismo Championships' 2019 Exhibition Series Season 1.

April 2018
From 02 May to 26 May, we will be hosting the 'FIA Gran Turismo Championships 2018' Series Pre-Season.

Every single one mentions the "FIA Gran Turismo Championships". Except the most recent one, which just says "online championship".
 
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Maybe they just do a non-FIA-sanctioned "farewell GTS" championship during February (8 rounds in 4 weeks, Wednesday and Saturdays) that finishes before GT7 launches? And then the FIA GTC 2022 Exhibition Series (or 2022 Series Pre-Season) can start in March/April?

Just speculating, of course, but FIA still has GT featured in its Esports page (although it specifically mentions GTS), covering both FIA GTC and even the Olympic Virtual Series. Why would they want to stop now because GT7 comes out? I know, commercial agreements, but...
 
"December 2021
The next online championship will start on February 2. The event details and race schedule will be published at a later date.
In the mean time, please enjoy our Daily Races."

It's fun to imagine the person writing the above either hysterically laughing or very passive aggressively angry. :lol:
 
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Do tell us more. I've heard the FIA being accused of a lot of things but money laundering is a first.
Any time rich people exchange lots of money with other rich people you can bet there is lots of fraud going on. Look at the Olympics or FIFA.
 
Any time rich people exchange lots of money with other rich people you can bet there is lots of fraud going on. Look at the Olympics or FIFA.
So you've gone from a statement of "FIA is a money laundering scheme, good riddance" to "Well they're a rich organisation, it's probably happening". :rolleyes:

With that extremely limited scope for it happening then there must be money laundering going on at every rich business in the world.
 
So you've gone from a statement of "FIA is a money laundering scheme, good riddance" to "Well they're a rich organisation, it's probably happening". :rolleyes:

With that extremely limited scope for it happening then there must be money laundering going on at every rich business in the world.

I wouldn't doubt it one bit. Have you seen housing valuations and the crypto market? Where there is lots of money there is fraud and money laundering going on.
 
I wouldn't doubt it one bit. Have you seen housing valuations and the crypto market? Where there is lots of money there is fraud and money laundering going on.
If you're going to specifically accuse a company though, you're gonna need some evidence.
 
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