An overview of the 'FIA Gran Turismo Championships' 2021 Series was released on Thursday, 5 April.

Here are the main changes from the 2020 Series.

1. Participating Regions

For the 2021 Series, the number of Regions subject to matchmaking in the online races will remain as 5 for the Nations Cup. However, the Manufacturer Series will see a change from the current 5, to the following 3 Region groups:

・ Europe/Middle East/Africa
・ Americas
・ Asia-Oceania

2. Championship Structure

The 2021 Championships will comprise of the following 4 events:

・ Online Series
・ World Series
・ World Series Showdown
・ World Finals

3. Online Series

The Online Series for the Nations Cup and Manufacturer Series will be held from 21 April to 25 September.

The 2021 Series will be split into 2 Seasons, with 10 Rounds per Season (where 1 Round includes a Qualifying and a Final Race) for a total of 20 Rounds. Additionally, for this Series, it will not be possible to change the selected Manufacturer affiliation contract signed in Season 1 until the end of Season 2.

4. Global Manufacturer Ranking

The Global Manufacturer Rankings will be used to determine the manufacturers that will appear at the ‘World Series Showdown’ and ‘World Finals’. As with the online races in the Manufacturer Series, points will be calculated across all 3 Regions.

5. World Series

This is a global online event, bringing together the top competitors from around the world.

The World Series is comprised of 4 Rounds, grouped into Season 1 (Rounds 1 and 2) and Season 2 (Rounds 3 and 4).

The top competitors for each Season will be selected by the following criteria:

・ Season 1 (Rounds 1 and 2): top competitors among the 2020 World Finalists
・ Season 2 (Rounds 3 and 4): top competitors from the 2021 World Series Showdown (details below).

In each World Series Round, the top competitors and teams are awarded 'World Series Points'.

6. World Series Showdown

This is a global online event in which competitors battle it out for places in Season 2 of the World Series (Rounds 3 and 4).

This event will be contested by the 2020 World Finalists and the top competitors from Season 1 of the 2021 Online Series. This is a wrap-up event for Season 1, and the midpoint of the 'FIA Gran Turismo Championships' 2021 Series.

In the World Series Showdown, a maximum of 10 World Series Points will be awarded to the top competitors and teams.

For further details regarding World Series Points and how participants from the Nations Cup and Manufacturer Series are determined, please see the Championship Overview page.

7. World Finals

This is an online event that determines this year's winners of the FIA Gran Turismo Championships.

In the Nations Cup World Finals, a total of 32 competitors will compete, 16 of which joining from the ‘2021 World Series Showdown Nations Cup’, and 16 coming from each Region of the Online Series Nations Cup Season 2.

The Manufacturer Series World Finals will comprise of 36 competitors representing a total of 12 manufacturers including the Official Partner Manufacturers and the top-ranking manufacturers from the Global Manufacturer Rankings at the end of the Online Series Manufacturer Series Season 2.

8. Star Player Registration

In the 2021 Series, Star Player candidates will be selected for Season 1 and 2 of the Online Series. "2020 Series World Finalists" will be eligible for selection in Season 1, and "2021 Series World Series Showdown Competitors” will be eligible for Season 2. This is open to both Nations Cup and Manufacturer Series competitors.

For further information about the championships, please refer to the ‘FIA Certified Gran Turismo Championships 2021 Series Overview’.

Thank you for your support and please continue to enjoy Gran Turismo Sport!