Updated February 20: Since we posted the details below, all corresponding information has been removed from the official Gran Turismo website. We’ll update this article with more information as we get it.
Updated February 25: There’s now a full schedule available, which we’ve added below.
An update on the official Gran Turismo website has revealed the schedule for the upcoming Exhibition Season ahead of the 2021 FIA Certified Gran Turismo Online Championships, and it’s a slightly shorter calendar than usual.
As we previously reported, the Exhibition Season is due to get underway on Saturday February 27. Races will then run through March and April on Wednesdays and Saturdays until the final round on Wednesday April 4 — which means there’s only six rounds in the season this time round. That could indicate that the full official season will start in mid-April.
Polyphony Digital is yet to reveal all the details for each round, with an official announcement coming in due course. However we do know dates, venues, and vehicle classes, which will help players prepare their options for the upcoming season. For now, the official calendar is as follows, and we’ll update with more information when it’s available:
2021 Exhibition Season – Nations Cup
- Round 1 – February 27 – Fuji Speedway – Toyota GR Yaris ’20 – 13 laps
- Round 2 – March 6 – Lago Maggiore GP II – Gr.3 – 14 laps
- Round 3 – March 13 – Red Bull Ring Short – Racing Kart 125 Shifter – 22 laps
- Round 4 – March 24 – Blue Moon Bay Infield B – Gr.1 – 29 laps
- Round 5 – March 31 – Sardegna Windmills – Gr.B – 12 laps
- Round 6 – April 7 – Laguna Seca – Corvette Gr.4/Cayman GT4 – 15 laps
2021 Exhibition Season – Manufacturer Series
- Round 1 – March 3 – Autodromo de Interlagos – Gr.3 – 20 laps
- Round 2 – March 10 – Dragon Trail Seaside – Gr.4 – 20 laps
- Round 3 – March 17 – Sardegna Road Track C – Gr.4 – 25 laps
- Round 4 – March 20 – Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (Wet) – Gr.3 – 13 laps
- Round 5 – March 27 – Mount Panorama – Gr.4 – 15 laps
- Round 6 – April 3 – Tokyo Expressway South Inner – Gr.3 – 15 laps
At the moment it appears that there’s no “Top 16 Superstars” races on the schedule. Given the slightly shorter season and the fact that it’s likely only your best two results will count towards your points score (update: this is now confirmed), this may be final; the top S-ranked players would have a significant advantage with the additional points on offer in such races.
This slightly shorter season also sees some other major changes we’ve previously covered. Those who race in the Asia, Oceania, North America, and Central/South America regions will be facing different opponents this season, at least in the Manufacturer Series. While the Nations Cup retains its five-region format, the brand-based Manufacturer Series will switch back to three regions, with Asia-Oceania and Americas regions alongside Europe, Middle-East, and Africa (EMEA).
That’s resulted in a change of race entry slots in the affected regions to account for the spread of time zones. Nations Cup and Manufacturer Series now take place at different times (except in EMEA), with five slots available in each region on each race day — except Oceania in Nations Cup, where there are only three slots on offer. The first slot for each race is now as follows, with each subsequent slot following on 80 minutes later:
Nations Cup Entry Slots
- Oceania Region
- Wednesdays – 0700 UTC
- Saturdays – 0600 UTC
- Asia Region
- Wednesdays – 1000 UTC
- Saturdays – 0900 UTC
- Europe, Middle East, and Africa Region
- Wednesdays – 1600 UTC
- Saturdays – 1400 UTC
- Central and South America Region
- Wednesdays – 2100 UTC
- Saturdays – 2000 UTC
- North America Region
- Wednesdays – 1+0100 UTC
- Saturdays – 2300 UTC
Manufacturer Series Entry Slots
- Asia-Oceania Region
- Wednesdays – 0900 UTC
- Saturdays – 0800 UTC
- Europe, Middle East, and Africa Region
- Wednesdays – 1600 UTC
- Saturdays – 1400 UTC
- Americas Region
- Wednesdays – 2300 UTC
- Saturdays – 2100 UTC
We’ll update this article with more information on the races, including circuits and vehicles where applicable, as we get it.
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