2006 FIA GT Championship

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2006 FIA GT Championship (short version)

Overview
The 2006 FIA GT Championship was the 10th season of FIA GT racing. It featured two main classes of Grand Touring cars: GT1 (the faster, more powerful cars) and GT2 (slower, less modified). There were also invitational G2 and G3 classes, but those did not count toward the championships. The season ran from May 7 to November 18, 2006, across 10 races held at prominent circuits in Europe and the Middle East.

Calendar (rounds and venues)
- Round 1: RAC Tourist Trophy, Silverstone, United Kingdom — 7 May
- Round 2: Brno Supercar 500, Brno Masaryk Circuit, Czech Republic — 28 May
- Round 3: Oschersleben Supercar 500, Motorsport Arena Oschersleben, Germany — 2 July
- Round 4: Spa 24 Hours, Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium — 29–30 July
- Round 5: Paul Ricard Supercar 500, Paul Ricard HTTT, France — 20 August
- Round 6: Dijon Supercar 500, Dijon-Prenois, France — 3 September
- Round 7: Mugello Supercar 500, Mugello Circuit, Italy — 17 September
- Round 8: Hungaroring, Budapest, Hungary — 30 September
- Round 9: Adria International Raceway, Adria, Italy — 15 October
- Round 10: Dubai Autodrome, Dubai, United Arab Emirates — 18 November

Champions and standings
GT1
- Season champions (teams): Vitaphone Racing Team, driving a Maserati MC12 GT1.
- Drivers’ champions: Michael Bartels and Andrea Bertolini (Vitaphone Racing Team, Maserati MC12 GT1).
- Manufacturers/Highlights: Aston Martin led the GT1 Manufacturers Cup standings, with Maserati and Corvette also finishing high.

GT2
- Season champions (teams): AF Corse, with Ferrari F430 GT2s.
- Drivers’ champions: Jaime Melo and Matteo Bobbi (AF Corse, Ferrari F430 GT2).
- Manufacturers/Highlights: Ferrari topped the GT2 Manufacturers standings, with Porsche and others following.

Notes
- Points were awarded to the top eight finishers in each race (10–8–6–5–4–3–2–1). At Spa, half-point increments were also awarded for certain segments of the race.
- Teams could earn points in both GT1 and GT2 regardless of finishing position.
- The Dubai round concluded the season on November 18, 2006.

Summary
The 2006 season saw Vitaphone Racing Team and Maserati claim the GT1 crown, while AF Corse and Ferrari took the GT2 title. It was a year of strong manufacturer competition, with Aston Martin leading GT1’s manufacturers’ standings and Ferrari leading GT2’s.