2002 FIA-GT Schedule
2001 FIA-GT Championship Race Index
FIA GT NEWS ARCHIVE 11/10/99-9/24/01
March 9,2003 Barcelona Test Report:
Fourteen cars took part in the Barcelona test days on March 6th and 7th 2003. With sunny, dry weather, the teams were able to conduct two full days of testing around the circuit, which will also host the first round of the season in a month's time. Four different makes were represented in the GT category, with Larbre Competition's Chrysler Viper GTS-R, Creation Autosportif's Lister Storm, BMS Scuderia Italia and Wieth Racing's Ferrari 550 Maranello cars and Graham Nash Motorsport's Saleen S7-Rs in action. In the N-GT class, Freisinger Motorsport, Eurotech and Polish team Alda Motorsport ran Porsche 996 GT3-R cars, while Team Maranello Concessionaires and MENX were testing their Ferrari 360 Modena cars.
LARBRE COMPETITION HAPPY WITH PROGRESS
Reigning FIA GT Teams Champion Larbre Competition took to the track at Barcelona, to test the Chrysler Viper GTS-R, which has been updated with the latest modifications from Oreca, including changed suspension triangles, and modifications to the front of the car. "The test went very well," Christophe Bouchut said afterwards. "Our best time was around 1:42.5, which I believe was the same as the fastest time from the Ferrari 550 Maranello cars. However, their drivers were new to the car, and overall, I believe the Ferrari will still be faster. However, our advantage is that the car is reliable, especially for the 24-hour race at Spa, and we can depend on it to get to the end of every race. I really believe we will have a good car for this season." The team has not yet announced a co-driver for triple champion Bouchut.
FAST TIMES FOR FREISINGER
All four Freisinger Motorsport drivers for the 2003 season were in action in Barcelona. While 2002 N-GT Drivers Champion Stephane Ortelli will be driving with fellow race-winner Marc Lieb, the second car will be shared by Belgian Bert Longin and Swiss newcomer Gabriele Gardel. "This has been my first opportunity to test this season," Longin explained. After a number of successful seasons in Belgium, and a number of races for Freisinger in the FIA GT last year, he will be contesting all rounds of the Championship this year, marking his first full international season. "I think that along with Gardel, we can form a good team, and we should be fast from the beginning. This morning, Ortelli set a time of around 1:47, with the Veloqx Ferrari lapping in 1:48, and we were 1:49. I am sure we will be more competitive than last year, and it will also be easier, as we will drive together all season, and so you can build up a relationship. I already felt a big difference returning to Freisinger, as I felt immediately at home. I really like the team -- everyone works really well but also has fun."
His new team-mate, Gabriele Gardel, who was born in Italy but lives in Switzerland and races with a Swiss licence, is an experienced single-seater driver, but this will be his first season in GT racing. "I've been a professional driver for 10 years, mainly in Formula 3 and Formula 3000, but this is only my second time in a Porsche," he explained. "But so far I really like it : the people and the atmosphere, and the team is fantastic. I hope that Bert and I will have a good season."
FIRST FIA GT RUN FOR SALEEN S7-R
The Saleen S7-R, which should receive its homologation in time to take part in the 2003 season of the FIA GT Championship, ran amongst the regular FIA GT Championship cars for the first time in Barcelona. Graham Nash Motorsport had both cars on the track, with Brazilian driver Thomas Erdos and Mike Newton from Britain in one car, while the second was in the hands of two Portuguese drivers, Pedro Chaves and FIA GT regular Ni Amorin, with Miguel Ramos from Spain. The days proved extremely successful for the team, as Erdos unofficially set the fastest time, with a lap of 1:41.70.
"We had some very good testing, and we are very pleased with our performance," team owner Graham Nash said afterwards. "And it was nice to meet some of the people that have helped us to run in the FIA GT Championship."
MENX RUN NEW FERRARI 360 MODENA
Czech drivers Tomas Enge and Robert Pergl were both driving the new MENX Ferrari 360 Modena in Barcelona. "This was our first time with the car, as it is brand new and the team only received it two weeks ago," Enge explained. "My team-mate did not know the circuit, so we wanted to teach him as much as possible. He did 60 laps on the first day, while I did 15. On the second day, we did some more set-up work on the car, and we were quite successful and very pleased with our times. Pergl did a very good job, especially as he is not a professional driver. He has been driving in the Ferrari Challenge over the past two seasons, and finished a close second in the Central European region last year. The Barcelona circuit is very hard to learn, and very hard on tyres, but he did very well, which should be good for the first race. We were really happy with the whole day; we had some minor electrical problems, but they were solved overnight."
Due to other commitments, Enge will not be with the team for the first round in Barcelona. "I will be replaced by Jaroslav Janis," he explained. "I hope to be there for Magny Cours. I believe I can help the team, as I know the FIA GT Championship from having driven in occasional rounds in the past two seasons, and therefore I can give them some useful information. We were not fastest out there today, but we were very pleased with the progress we made, and hope to get nearer to the front later on." Like Enge and Pergl, 19-year old Czech driver Janis was among the Coca Cola Racing drivers in 2001, and has also competed in single-seater competition, running in the Euro Formula 3000 series last year.
EUROTECH IN ACTION IN BARCELONA
British team Eurotech, which plans to enter two Porsche 996 GT3-R cars in the 2003 season of the FIA GT Championship, had both cars on the track at Barcelona. "This is an excellent opportunity for us, as we have never been to Barcelona before -- we could really use a test like this at all the circuits !" Mark Sumpter said. "We did the Donington round last season, but the cars have been totally rebuilt since then, and we have been working on some of the new parts today. We are picking up half seconds, currently lapping around 1:51, but our target is to get to the low 1:49 laps. We think we can go under the 1:50 barrier, but we are not aiming to challenge Ortelli with a 1:47 !" Sumpter will be driving with team owner and former Lister driver Mike Jordan, a race winner in the FIA GT Championship in 2001, while the second car will be driven by David and Godfrey Jones. "We are not expecting to come to win, as we know that we have to serve our apprenticeship," Mark continued. "But the team is working really hard and we hope for some good results."
GOLLIN TRIES HIS NEW FERRARI
Fabrizio Gollin, one of the revelations of the 2002 season, tried out a BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari 550 Maranello for the first time at Barcelona. Last season, he shared a Carsport Holland Chrysler Viper GTS-R with Luca Capellari, and the two Italians will be reunited this season. "It is a fantastic car -- very fast and very nice to drive," Gollin said. "For me, it is actually easier to driver than the Viper, but partly because of that, it is much more difficult to know where the limit is. We are really hoping to go one better this season and win a race, after two podiums last year. My best time yesterday was 1:42..6, but we were mainly concentrating on tyre testing, checking a lot of different compounds from Michelin." Capellari also tested the car. "It is beautiful, and very good to drive," he commented.
SNOWDON AND VERDON-ROE TEST CREATION AUTOSPORTIF LISTER STORM
New team Creation Autosportif ran their electric blue Lister Storm during the test days, with both Bobby Verdon Roe and Peter Snowdon driving the car. "It is not going too badly," FIA GT newcomer Snowdon explained. "The car is gorgeous. As for me, I have to listen to Bobby, who is definitely my mentor at the moment. I know it will take time for me to get up to speed, so I am leaning on Bobby." Peter has had an extremely successful career in historic racing, winning the Historic Touring Car Championship twice with a Lotus Cortina, as well as wins in numerous other historic races, driving cars such as Aston Martins and Group C cars. "But I have never had to think or to work so hard as now. This is really moving up a level, and I have to settle in. As for Bobby, he was very much at home in the Lister Storm after over a season with Lister Storm Racing, and is looking forward to the season ahead.
TEAM MARANELLO CONCESSIONAIRES PLEASED WITH PROGRESS
Team Maranello Concessionaires was pleased with the progress made during the two-day Barcelona test. All four drivers, Jamie Davies, Tim Mullen, Kelvin Burt and Darren Turner, were present and shared the testing duties, continuing the development in the lead-up to the first race. "We are extremely pleased with our progress in Barcelona," team manager Rod Benoist commented. "We achieved a lot of productive on-track time, and the drivers and team are really itching to go racing." The team, racing as Veloqx Motorsport, made an impressive debut in the final two rounds of the 2002 season, with a podium finish in Estoril. "Stephane Ratel highlighted in Tuesday's press conference that 2003 is likely to be the most competitive FIA GT season ever, and we are really looking forward to a tight and tough battle right from the outset. We are also quietly confident and fully expect to challenge for wins from day one," said commercial director John Newman. The team will have its official launch on March 19th.
WIETH RACING CONTINUE TESTING
The Wieth Racing Ferrari 550 Maranello was in action during the two test days, including giving journalists guest laps on the Thursday. "It was great fun, and I think they all really enjoyed it," said German driver Wolfgang Kaufmann, who was at the wheel. The team made steady progress over the first day and during Friday morning. "We have been trying a new suspension system," Niko Wieth explained. "Our best time so far was 1:47, but our gearbox is too short for this circuit. But the car is getting steadily better." However, shortly afterwards, Austrian driver Gottfried Grasser crashed heavily, bringing their test session to a close. Grasser last drove in the FIA GT Championship at the A1 Ring in 2000, when he and Kaufmann, at the wheel of a Freisinger Motorsport Porsche 911 GT2, finished in third place.
ALDA MOTORSPORT TEST NEW CAR
After a winter spent testing in a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, Polish drivers Andrzej Dziurka and Wojciech Dobrzanski were out in the team's new Porsche 996 GT3-R in Barcelona - although they used their test car to take part in the Media Day, giving laps to numerous journalists who had turned up for the launch of the 2003 season. After an extremely busy winter, the team is looking forward to its first race in the N-GT category, having previously run in the GT class in a Porsche 911 GT2.
JMB RACING ANNOUNCES 2003 PLANS
JMB Racing, a front-runner in the N-GT category last season, and winner of the 2001 N-GT Championship, announced its plans for the 2003 season earlier this week. In parallel to the N-GT program, with two Ferrari 360 Modena cars, the French team intends to enter two Ferrari 550 Maranello cars in the GT class. These cars will be replaced by two Ferrari 575 Maranello cars in the second half of the seasons. All the cars will be using Pirelli tyres; the drivers will be announced shortly.
March 7,2003 Piccini & Deletraz For Lister:
Andrea Piccini has reached an agreement
to race with Lister Cars Ltd in this
season's FIA GT Championship.
Piccini will team up again with Jean-Denis
Deletraz who was his team-mate last
year in the same championship but
behind the wheel of the Ferrari 550 GTS.
Piccini will get his first taste of the Lister at Donington Park on March 27.
The championship will start 10 days later in the Barcelona. Regardless of
the lack of time to gain confidence with the car, Piccini brings with him
solid experience in the category and a great knowledge of the
race-tracks.
"After long negotiations," commented Piccini, "I'm happy to announce that
I've signed a deal with Lister, who was part of the FIA GT Championship
last season as well.
"Together with my team-mate Deletraz, I will have at my disposal a car
that is new to me but that is fast and that will allow us to fight for the
first place in every race. Moreover, the team has assured me that all of its
race-car drivers will have the same treatment and the same supply of
technical parts.
"I'm impatiently waiting for my debut with the Lister Storm GT at
Donington. I don't think that I will have any problems adapting to the
new car. The steering wheel on the right side and the stick shift on the
left are new to me but I hope that I'll need very little time to adapt and to
do my best.
"I'm fully satisfied with this agreement. I'm looking forward to getting
back on track and fighting for victory."
March 7,2003 Care Racing Places Six Ferrari 550's:
Care Racing Development has placed all six of the Ferrari 550 Maranello cars built on its behalf by British motorsport specialists, Prodrive. Agreement was recently reached with the French sportscar team, Solution F, who have plans to enter the Ferrari in the French GT Championship and also at Le Mans for French sporting star Luc Alphand. His team mate will be announced at a later date.
The successful collaboration with the BMS Scuderia Italia team, which last year won four rounds of the FIA GT Championship, has been extended for 2003. Three scarlet Ferraris will be wearing BMS colours in this year's Championship and the squad of seven drivers will be Italians Thomas Biagi and Minardi F1 test driver, Matteo Bobbi, Luca Cappellari, Fabrizio Golin and Stefan Livio. Swiss drivers Enzo Calderari and Lilian Bryner complete the line-up.
As well as the design, technical development and build of the Maranellos, the newly launched Veloqx Prodrive Racing team will be entering two cars at the forthcoming 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It is hoped that further funding will become available to enable entry of at least one, but preferably two, Ferrari Maranellos into every round of the American Le Mans Series. A stable of successful and experienced drivers has been put together for the endurance classics, and includes F1 test drivers Anthony Davidson and Darren Turner, former touring car victors Peter Kox and Kelvin Burt, and F3000 stars Tomas Enge and Jamie Davies.
Care Racing Development is the sportscar racing division of the Care Group, a privately owned international group of companies.
Formed by Frédéric Dor in 2000 to undertake the development, production, sale and racing of sportscars, the objective of Care Racing Development is to provide racing teams and racing drivers who are sportscar enthusiasts with a proven car to compete in various Championships throughout the world and to be able to meet sponsors and collectors' expectations.
February 28,2003 Lieb & Ortelli For Freisinger:
2002 FIA N-GT Drivers' Champion, Stephane Ortelli, will be racing with Marc Lieb in 2003, giving Freisinger Motorsport an extremely powerful line-up in their leading Porsche 996 GT3-R. The 22-year-old German first drove alongside Ortelli at Brno, winning the race, to give Ortelli his first points of the season. He returned to the team for the eighth round of the season, at the Italian track of Enna-Pergusa, when the duo won again. Marc won the German Porsche Carrera Cup last year, as well as competing in rounds of the Porsche Supercup. "It is going to be great," Ortelli said. "I am very happy that Marc will be my partner for the whole season. We have been successful together in the past, and he also did very well at Spa last season, for his first time in a 24-hour race. Racing together for the whole year will make us a very strong team. I am really looking forward to the season - although from what I hear about the competition, it is going to be tough ! But I like that !"
Michael Hinterberg, who will be the Freisinger Motorsport team manager this year, also confirmed that the team's second Porsche 996 GT3-R would be driven by Belgian driver Bert Longin, a regular for the team in the 2002 Championship, and by 25-year old Swiss driver Gabriele Gardel, who has previously raced in Formula 3 and the Euro Formula 3000 series.
February 28,2003 Menx Racing & Yellow Racing Ferrari 360:
Czech team Menx Racing is hoping to enter a Ferrari 360 Modena in the N-GT class of the FIA GT Championship, with a high-powered line-up. The car would be driven by F3000 front-runner and GT star Tomas Enge, and by fellow Czech Robert Pergl, who was part of the Coca Cola Racing Team line-up during the 2001 season. Enge has driven in the FIA GT Championship on three occasions. He claimed pole position in the N-GT class on his first appearance, with Coca Cola Racing, at Brno in 2001
He followed this up with a podium finish with his then F3000 team-mate, Justin Wilson, at Magny Cours, at the wheel of a Coca Cola Racing Porsche 996 GT3-R. In 2002, he returned for the Brno round, racing for BMS Scuderia Italia, claiming the team's first pole position.
Italo-Swiss team, Yellow Racing, is intending to enter a Ferrari 360 Modena in this year's FIA GT Championship. The team took part in a number of rounds of the French GT Championship last season, and is now looking forward to moving up to the international level. The team's sporting director is Clay Ragazzoni, the former Formula One driver, who claimed 5 wins during his 132-race career, four of them for Ferrari. Although an accident finished his Formula One career, he has remained active in motorsport, and this is the most recent of his ventures. The drivers for the car are likely to include team manager Fabio Venier and Michel Neugarten, a frequent competitor in the FIA GT Championship over the years, who most recently drove for Perspective Racing in 2001, winning the final race of the season at Estoril. The team will be taking part in the test day at Barcelona.
February 28,2003 Minardi Test Driver Bobbi For BMS:
Minardi test driver Matteo Bobbi has
ensured himself some extra track action
this season after signing to drive a Ferrari
550 Maranello for FIA GT race winning
team BMS Scuderia Italia.
The young Milanese driver has reached
an agreement with the team to make his
race debut in a closed-wheel car after
spending his entire racing career in either
karts or single-seaters. The new
commitment will not conflict with his role
at Minardi.
"I'm honoured to be part of a prestigious
team that has a rich history like BMS
Scuderia Italia and to drive a Ferrari 550
Maranello car," Bobbi said, "I know some
of the tracks that the FIA GT 2003
championship races on, so I have nothing
left to do except gain as much experience as possible to repay the team
for the trust they have in me, especially seeing that I have never driven
this type of car before."
"I'm very happy with the agreement reached for this racing season,"
added Bobbi's manager Giovanni Minardi, "I believe that the FIA GT 2003
championship is the perfect training camp for Matteo, and that BMS
Scuderia Italia is a very successful team. I'm sure that Matteo will have
good results in this category and will gain significant experience as the
Minardi test driver as well. I think that this season can be Matteo‘s
springboard for success in 2004."
February 28,2003 JVG Racing Driver Opening:
JVG Racing, the team started by successful German driver Jurgen von Gartzen, is hoping to enter its Porsche 996 GT3-R in this year's FIA GT Championship. The team made an exceptional start to the 2002 season, finishing second at Magny Cours and third at Silverstone. British driver Ian Kahn, who drove the silver-grey Porsche last year, should be one of the drivers. "We are still looking for a second driver," Von Gartzen explained. "It is not easy this year. However, we are definitely hoping to be there when the season starts, and I have a number of meetings coming up." The team has worked hard on the car over the winter. "It is totally ready for the new season - we have made a number of changes, with new parts from Porsche and some new developments."
February 28,2003 Test Day Entry & Series News:
Next Thursday and Friday will give a first real taste of the 2003 season of the LG Super Racing Weekend series, with a two-day test session at the Catalunya circuit in Barcelona, which will also host the first round on April 6th. The Media Day, on March 6th, will include a press conference to launch the 2003 season. So far, 16 cars from the FIA GT Championship are expected to take part in the test days, including Chrysler Viper, Ferrari 550 Maranello and 360 Modena, Lister Storm, Porsche 996 GT3-R and Saleen S7 models.
The location of the third round of the LG Super Racing Weekend, which will take place between May 9th and 11th, has been confirmed as Enna Pergusa, the Italian circuit in Sicily which hosted the eighth round in 2002.
The closing date for entries to the FIA GT Championship is today, February 28th. The entry list for the season should be issued by the FIA on March 14th. Teams can name their drivers up until the start of each race meeting.
The cars currently planning to take part in next week's two-day test session include both reigning Champions, plenty of familiar names - and a lot of newcomers. Among the GT cars, there should be two Chrysler Viper GTS-R cars, from Larbre Competition and Force One Festina Racing Carsport, three Ferrari 550 Maranello cars for BMS Scuderia Italia and Wieth Racing, a Lister Storm for Creation Autosportive, and two Saleen S7-R cars from Graham Nash Motorsport. The N-GT cars include Porsche 996 GT3-R cars from Freisinger Motorsport, Alda Motorsport and Team Eurotech, while Ferrari 360 Modena cars will be run by Team Maranello Concessionaires, Menx and Yellow Racing.
February 24,2003 Alda Motorsport Enters 2003 Championship:
Polish team Alda Motorsport, after
entering the Magny Cours and Brno races
early in 2002, is working hard to prepare
for the 2003 season, when it plans to
contest the full season with a new
Porsche 996 GT3-R.
The car will be driven by two Polish
drivers, Andrzej Dziurka and Wojciech
Dobrzanski. The team, which was
founded in 1993, is based in Slawkow, near Cracow. Dziurka is the most
experienced Polish driver in international racing, and has previously
competed in the Ford Fiesta Cup, the Euro STC in 2000 and the V8 Star
series in 2001, as well as competing in the Macau Guia race four times,
and the Paris Dakar rally-raid.
Dobrzanski in the son of one of the best-known Polish rally-driver, Jerzy
Dobrzanski. He started in rallying, moving over to circuit racing last year,
when his first-ever race was the FIA GT Championship round at Magny
Cours.
The team has been taking part in an intensive testing program over the
winter, using a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, at Poznan, Brno, Jerez, Estoril,
Albacete and Jarama, with the two drivers completing over 6000 km.
Alda's target for the 2003 season is to win some points, and to gain as
much experience as possible.
February 21,2003 Saleen Gets Green Light:
The Saleen S7 has been positively
inspected by the FIA, and should now be
homologated in time to compete in the
entire 2003 FIA GT season.
The American supercar, whilst being able
to contest the American Le Mans Series in
recent years, was only able to fulfil FIA
homologation requirements this year but,
having now received approval from inspectors, should be a potent force in
the category's premier class. British team Graham Nash Motorsport is
known to be planning a two-car entry in this year's championship, having
won last year's British crown, and other teams are considering running
the S7.
Those still deciding what to run will have to do so shortly, as the first
round of the LG Super Racing Weekend series is fast approaching, with
just six weeks to go before the 2003 season gets underway. Chrysler,
Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lister, Porsche - and, now, newcomer Saleen -
should all be represented on the grid on Sunday 6 April when the
campaign kicks off with a three-hour race around the Circuit de Catalunya
in Barcelona.
February 21,2003 Nathan Kinch Lands Drive In Lister:
Former FIA GT champion Jamie
Campbell-Walter will have a new
team-mate as Lister attempts to wrest
back the series crown from Chrysler,
following confirmation that young
newcomer Nathan Kinch will share the
lead Storm in 2003.
Lister Storm Racing first competed in FIA
GT Championship back in 1997, and has been a frontrunner since 1999,
but has fallen away from previous glories since JC-W's title in 2000. In an
effort to provide a more balanced - and quicker - attack than in recent
years, when gentleman driver Nicolaus Springer has partnered the Scot,
Kinch has been recruited to share the first of two proposed entries. The
20-year old Scot has previously competed in the Ferrari Challenge and
British GT Championship - the latter at the wheel of a Saleen - and
enjoyed a good first test in the Lister at Donington earlier this year, and
Campbell-Walter, for one, is delighted with his new team-mate.
"I am really looking forward to the season," he explained, "Nathan did a
very good job during the test, and his experience in the Saleen most
probably helps. He was not far off the pace - just one-and-a-half seconds
slower than me, which was way above expectations, considering that I
practically live in a Lister at Donington!
"It will be nice to have a young, keen guy alongside me, and I hope to
win a few races. Luckily, he does know most of the European tracks, from
racing in the Ferrari Challenge Cup, which will be a big advantage."
The Lister Storm will not have changed much over the winter, as it
already borders on the extremes of much of the rulebook, but JC-W is
confident that a little more performance can be squeezed out of the
venerable machine.
"Basically, there is nothing much we can do," he confirmed, "We have
concentrated on the engine, however, as there is the potential to have
more power. And, through tyre testing, we should get a little more time.
Then, there is always our strong point, the pit-stops.
"The car is reliable and fast, and, hopefully, we can start off in our usual
fashion and keep going all season. With two fast drivers, we can revert to
two pit-stops, and strategy will not be quite so important. It was great to
win races with Nicolaus Springer last year, but I respect his wishes not to
race in the championship this year. I am sure he will be on the pit-wall to
cheer us on."
As for the competition, Campbell-Walter is looking forward to another
close season.
"BMS Scuderia Italia are our main rivals - and we want to beat them," he
smiled, "It will be strange and interesting to have another Lister on the
track, especially one that is not run by Lister. It's a good car, and should
be on the pace right away - I'm sure [former team-mate] Bobby
[Verdon-Roe] and I will see each other on the track!
"It will also be good to have the Saleens out there - we've raced against
them in the British GT Championship, and we were on a par in the races,
although they got more pole positions. It should be a good, competitive
season - and we'll try to win !"
The Lister team is still looking for suitable drivers for the second car.
February 21,2003 Kaye Looking At FIA GT Ride:
Versatile British racer Richard Kaye is
rumoured to be considering a return to
top-flight European competition in the FIA
GT Championship, after setting up a
dummy run next month.
Kaye, and ex-British Touring Car regular,
has been plying his trade with some
success in Russia recently, will team up
with Soviet Rustem Teragulov to contest a local long-distance event prior
to the opening round of the 2003 GT series at Barcelona, aboard a Cirtek
Motorsport-entered Porsche 911 GT3.
The outing could precipitate a return to the FIA series for Kaye, who has
made sporadic appearances over the last few years, notably in a similar
Porsche run by Freisinger Racing. Teragulov, who would be making his FIA
GT debut, has been participating in the German DTCC with Ford Racing in
recent seasons.
"We are looking at participating in the FIA GT Championship in 2003,"
admitted Kaye, "but, first of all, we want to see how this event goes."
February 10,2003 Jordan and Sumpter Have Successful Shakedown:
Mike Jordan and Mark Sumpter gave their
Porsche 911GT3RS a very successful
shakedown test at Donington Park on
Friday as Team Eurotech prepares for its
FIA GT Championship campaign.
Jordan and Sumpter ran throughout the
day in the John Guest/Paragon-backed
car, enjoying a troublefree day. "I was
delighted with the car. It ran faultlessly
and we did more laps than we expected to," said Jordan.
Although conditions were never fully dry, both drivers were very pleased
with the balance of the car and set similar times. "The day gave us just
what we needed," reported Jordan.
The car will run again this week and will shortly be joined by the car of
David and Godfrey Jones. Team Eurotech will the travel to Barcelona in
early March to take part in the official two-day test.
February 8,2003 Ortelli/Freisinger To Defend:
2002 FIA N-GT Drivers Champion
Stéphane Ortelli plans to defend his title
with Freisinger Motorsport.
The driver from Monaco has announced
that he has a verbal agreement with
Manfred Freisinger for the new season,
and that it is 99% certain he will be back.
"Manfred wants me back, to try to be the
leading car again, to fight against the
Ferraris and other Porsches," he said.
"We were both very happy with the
season we had last year, and so this is
the best news I could possibly have. It is
great to have the opportunity to defend
our titles together."
"I am proud to be defending my title, and I would really like to win
another Championship," added Ortelli. "It is very difficult financially to get
a good deal to drive in the GT class, which means that, like last year, you
can get some of the strongest drivers in the N-GT cars. The cost of the car
is more reasonable, so the teams can afford better drivers. Manfred
should also be running a second car, for Bert Longin and a Swiss driver,
as yet unnamed."
"It will be great to be back with Freisinger. We have an excellent
relationship together, and it will be good to have the continuity. Dunlop
were also pushing for me to continue. My target for 2003 is to defend my
title one hundred per cent!"
Although there is still no word on his team-mate, Ortelli hopes for a year
long partner: "I hope to have a good, strong team-mate, most likely
drawn from those drivers who were alongside me in 2002. It would
definitely be easier to have one team-mate all season, as when your
team-mate is not totally focussed on the Championship, it can be
difficult."
February 8,2003 Maranello Concessionaires Ferrari's:
Ferrari UK announced on January 31st that one of the most successful privateer Ferrari racing teams, the Maranello Concessionaires Racing Team, was being re-launched, and would enter two Ferrari 360 Modena cars in the 2003 FIA GT Championship, under the name of Team Maranello Concessionaires.
This historic team took part in 92 international races between 1961 and 1972, scoring 24 victories. The team founder, Colonel Ronnie Hoare established the original Ferrari UK distributor, Maranello Concessionaires Limited, which evolved into the current Ferrari UK.
Team Maranello Concessionaires will be run by Veloqx Motorsport, which won its class in the British GT Championship last season, as well as giving a fine performance in the final two rounds of the FIA GT Championship. Sam Li, the team principal, commented : "Veloqx Motorsport successfully took the British Ferrari challenge to other famous marques to win the British GT crown, after a very close battle in 2002. Now we are ready to take that same challenge to the international level. The FIA GT Championship is hugely competitive and there will be a lot of pressure on us to perform, but we have all the right ingredients to perform strongly. The car is very good, the technical partners are fully supporting the programme, the team has a wealth of engineering skills and undoubtedly the best of British drivers."
Four British drivers have been chosen for the two Ferrari 360 Modena cars. Jamie Davies, the 2002 British GTO Champion, will head the TMC line-up; he will drive with 25-year old Tim Mullen, who also drove for the team in 2002. Davies already took part in the FIA GT Championship at Donington and Estoril, putting in strong performances. The second car will be driven by 2001 British GTO Champion, Kelvin Burt, who drove for Cirtek Motorsport in the FIA GT Championship at Brno last year, finishing 7th in the N-GT class with Jirko Malcharek. He will share his car with Darren Turner, a former DTM driver for Mercedes. Both cars will use Dunlop tyres.
February 7,2003 Two Porsches For RWS:
German team RWS Motorsport is planning to enter two Porsche 996 GT3-R cars in the 2003 FIA GT Championship, as in previous years. Their programme will see the return of the two Russian drivers Alexei Vasiliev and Nicolaj Fomenko, who scored their first point at Donington after racing in the Championship since 2000. "We have a new sponsor for the Russians' car," team owner Rudi Walch explained. "This will be Yukos, one of the biggest oil companies in Russia. The second car should be driven by Walter Lechner Jr, but his team-mate has not been chosen yet. We are looking for a professional driver." Lechner Jr already drove in the FIA GT Championship in Anderstorp this year, when he finished on the podium with Toto Wolff in the Autorlando Porsche 996 GT3-R.
The team has just returned from Daytona, where they were leading the GTS class, before an unfortunate crash into the wall. "Alexei did a very good job and took the car to the front, so it was very disappointing to go out after 14 hours," Rudi commented. The team has been working on the engines for the Porsches over the winter, as well as on the differential, and has been trying a sequential gear-box.
February 7,2003 Force One To Run Viper GTS-R:
Force One Chrysler Viper gtracing.net "I am pleased to announce that Force One is growing, developing and is becoming more structured," Philippe Alliot explained. The new French team started the 2002 season with a Ferrari 550 Maranello, suffering from a catalogue of problems before moving over to a Chrysler Viper late in the season. "The team is moving to Magny Cours, where it will be based at the circuit," Alliot continued. "We will be entering two Chrysler Vipers in the 2003 season of the FIA GT Championship, as well as taking part in some rounds of the French GT Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans."
Regular FIA GT frontrunner Mike Hezemans is joining Philippe Alliot and David Hallyday, with a fourth team-mate still to be announced. "As Toine Hezemans is not entering a car in the Championship this year, we are entering into a collaboration with him. He prepares good, fast cars, and will be adapting our Chrysler Vipers for the Championship," Alliot continued.
Can a Chrysler Viper still be a winner ? "I am not sure if, in terms of pure performance, a Chrysler Viper can still win a race when faced with the Ferrari and Lister cars. Technically, it has had its day, but it is still very reliable and remains an attractive proposition. We had such a painful experience with the Ferrari, and we wanted to build up the team's confidence by adopting a wise, safe solution for 2003. So we have opted for a car which will give us a good chance of finishing races."
"I had to learn Italian last year, and now French for this season, so this is very good for my education," Mike Hezemans commented. The driver from the Netherlands, now 33 years old, has been a regular in the FIA GT Championship since the beginning, driving a wide variety of cars, from the Lotus Elise GT1 in 1997, through the short-lived Bitter in 1998, a variety of Porsche 911 GT2 cars and even a Lister Storm in 1999, before settling down with a Chrysler Viper GTS-R from 2000 onwards. "I think this season will be OK, no problems," he continued. "We have taken the Pirelli tyres to Force One, and it was a very good solution to join with them. The cars are being worked on at the moment. We have brought the Force One car up to our specifications, and then both cars went to Oreca for the new suspensions."
As for his hopes for the season, Mike is unwilling to speculate. "Last year, I thought we had a good chance of winning, and then it turned into a disaster. The Chrysler Viper GTS-R is still reliable, and it can be fast. But it's difficult to tell what will happen. And there's always the Proximus 24 Hours of Spa, which can make a big difference. But I need to have a good partner, because otherwise it will be impossible to win against the faster cars."
February 7,2003 Zwaans Racing Viper GTS-R:
Dutch team Zwaans Racing, which took part in the Proximus 24 Hours of Spa last season, as well as in the final round at Estoril, is hoping to contest the full 2003 season of the FIA GT Championship. "We're going to try to be at the front this year !" Arjan van der Zwaan explained. "We have been working on our Chrysler Viper GTS-R over the winter. It was 1210 kg last year, and we have got it down to 1100 kg. Last season, we were between a second and a second and a half off the pace, but we think the weight will make a difference of at least a second. So we should be more competitive."
As in 2002, Arjan will be driving the car with his brother Rob; they finished in 8th position in the GT category at Estoril. "But we are planning to bring in some good drivers for the 24-hour race, and perhaps for one or two other races. We are really looking forward to the season !" he concluded.
February 6,2003 Pearson To Test Wieth Ferrari:
Clio racer Rick Pearson has moved a step closer to a drive in the FIA GT Championship after revealing he will test Wieth Racing's Ferrari 550 GTS Maranello early next week.
Pearson visited the team headquarters in Germany for a seat fitting at the beginning of January, fuelling rumours that he was set to graduate to a full time race seat with the Wieth team. Having spent the past two years competing in the FIA GT support package, making his mark on the competitive Clio V6 Championship with British team Mark Fish Motorsport, Pearson is a prime candidate for one of the few remaining FIA GT seats. As he explains, "A drive in the FIA GT Championship has been on the cards for quite a while. I've watched with interest as Wieth Racing developed the GTS Maranello for the 2003 championship and initial testing reports are very positive.
"The car has been completely rebuilt since its last outing and I've now been invited to test the car at Misano on Wednesday. Negotiations are progressing well and I'm looking forward to getting to grips with the Ferrari."
In addition to familiarising himself with the latest developments on the car, Pearson has issued an open invitation to any interested parties, including potential sponsors and supporters, to join the team at the Italian circuit. All guests will be collected at the airport on Tuesday 11th February and delivered back in time to catch the return Ryan Air flight to Stanstead airport on Wednesday evening.
Pearson said: "This is a great opportunity for anyone considering becoming more closely involved in my FIA GT campaign and likewise, a fantastic opportunity for any fans hoping for some on-track action before the official start of the season."
The Kent-based driver has also confirmed that he will continue his long time relationship with Mintex in 2003, with the Ferrari expected to switch to Dunlop tyres upon his arrival in the team.
January 29,2003 2003 Season Preview:
The first round of the 2003 season of the LG Super Racing Weekend series is fast approaching. This year, the seventh season of the FIA GT Championship and the third year of the FIA European Touring Car Championship will share the top billing with the brand new Renault Formula V6 Eurocup. Support events will include the Renault Sport Clio Trophy and the Renault Sport Clio Elf International Cup. At Barcelona, the Trofeo Maserati will also be on the agenda, and other exiting events will join the schedule through the year.
The Superpole, introduced into the FIA GT Championship in 2001 to respond to the needs of live television, will not be used in 2003. It was decided by the teams that when the session was not planned to be transmitted live on television, the Championship would revert to a traditional format, with two 45-minute qualifying sessions, and the combined qualifying time setting the starting grid.
A change of scenery .... Paul Belmondo took part in the 2003 Telefonica Dakar Rally, in a Nissan Terrano. This was his 6th participation in the epic annual event. He finished in a fine 20th position overall, and second in his class.
GRAHAM NASH TO ENTER SALEEN S7
A new car should be joining the ranks of the Ferrari, Lister, Porsche and Lamborghini cars familiar to the FIA GT Championship viewers in recent years. Graham Nash Motorsport is planning to enter two Saleen S7 cars in the 2003 season. "The homologation process is going through at the moment; everything is sorted out and in place, and we are just waiting to press the button to put everything into action," Graham Nash explained.
The team has been competing both in Britain and on the international scene since 1995, and won both the British and the Spanish GT Championships last year. "We are really looking forward to the challenge," Graham continued. "It is a high profile Championship, and will give us a chance to race against some big people. We were able to match the Lister in the British Championship, so I hope we will be able to match the Ferrari as well. If not, we will have to do some development and push on to make the Saleen as quick as the rest."
FIA GT Championship promoter Stephane Ratel commented : "The homologation of the Saleen has long been awaited. I will be in Irvine,California, together with two FIA representatives, on February 11th, and have every reason to believe that the Saleen S7 production requierements are now fulfilled.
In a meeting at the end of last year, the FIA GT teams unanimously expressed themselves in favour of the S7 homologation. The Saleen will be a great addition to the show, bringing to five the number of different potential wining makes in the GT class."
Soon after the homologation decision on February 11th, the team should be able to announce the driver line-up.
BOBBY VERDON ROE TO RACE FOR CREATION AUTOSPORTIF
Bobby Verdon Roe, Superracingweekends.com Creation Autosportif has announced the driver line-up for the 2003 season. Their Lister Storm - which is not the chassis that finished second at Spa this season, as previously mentioned - will be driven by Peter Snowdon, a successful Historics racer and Bobby Verdon Roe, a regular in the Championship for Lister Storm last year.
"Actually, it won't be much of a change for me," the Portugal-based driver explained. "I'll have the same engineer, the same mechanic, the same car -- although it will be a different chassis. It's all new on paper, but they are all known quantities for me, so we will not have much of an excuse not to hit the track and go."
Verdon-Roe had a good season last year, with highlights being a second-placed finish at Silverstone, with Paul Knapfield, and a much-lauded second place in the Proximus 24 Hours of Spa. "I'm very excited. I met Peter Snowdon at the Autosport International show, and I think he'll be very good. He's already had a test with Lister at Jarama. I think we could be a strong pairing, so I'm quite optimistic. I want to improve on my pair of seconds, and I'll be disappointed if we don't manage to win a race. I'm due a Championship win -- I seem to win every six years -- Formula Renault in 1991, TVR Tuscans in 1997 -- so I'm due a win in 2003 !"
Ian Bickerton, the Team Principal, said that he was delighted to have Verdon Roe and Snowdon as part of his team. "Their combined experience and racing skills make us a force to be reckoned with in our first season," he said. "With the in-built Lister knowledge we now have and the skill set of these two, we have got a strong team in place and can now start our preparations for the new season in earnest."
Snowdon, a double Historic Touring Car Champion, has driven in Group C for the past two years. "Having had a successful test for Lister at the end of last year I'm thrilled to join Bobby at Creation and am now keen to learn from his years of Lister experience."
TWO PORSCHES FOR CIRTEK MOTORSPORT IN 2003 ?
Adam Jones, from gtracing.net Cirtek Motorsport had a successful season in the 2002 FIA GT Championship, scoring points at most races from Anderstorp onwards, with a fine fourth-place finish in the Proximus 24 Hours of Spa and second place for Adam Jones and Romain Dumas in the final race at Estoril.
"Cirtek will be entering at least one Porsche 996 GT3-R in the FIA GT Championship," Cirtek boss Rob Schirle commented from Australia. "Concerning the second car , we are still in discussion with several potential drivers. One car will be driven by two experienced drivers, with Adam Jones once more leading the driver line up, after several mature performances during 2002. The other driver is new to the FIA GT Championship, and will be announced shortly. "
"Cirtek aims to improve on all aspects of the operation for 2003, with further evolutions of the Porsche available," Rob continued. "We are confident of good results. Dunlop will again provide the tyres. " This will be the tenth consecutive year Cirtek have been involved with the Birmingham based company.
Adam Jones really enjoyed his races in the FIA GT Championship last season. "I am very grateful to Rob for giving me the opportunity to race. I was over the moon to finish second behind Ortelli in the last race. I couldn't remember the last time I'd finished on the podium. The team deserved it too, having worked so hard over the year; the car was always good, and very well prepared. I think I made more progress in my four races in the FIA GT Championship than at any other time in my career. There is still pressure, but it is a different sort of pressure than in single-seaters - in Formula 3, your whole life depends on every result. And the atmosphere is good - for example, Stephane Ortelli really helped me, giving me plenty of advice throughout the season. I would love to do the full Championship this season - with a good team-mate, I think we could aim for a top-three ôverall finish."
THREE FERRARI MARANELLO 550 CARS FOR BMS SCUDERIA ITALIA
BMS Scuderia Italia is extremely busy at the moment, as the Italian team is preparing to enter three Ferrari 550 Maranello cars in this season's FIA GT Championship. "The drivers have not yet been decided for the first car, which is our leading car," Team logistics manager Marco Strepavara explained. "The second car will be driven by Enzo Calderari, Lilian Bryner and Stefano Livio, who won the last Ferrari Challenge in Italy. We have great expectations for him, although it is his first time with such a powerful car. I think this car will be able to do well." The third car will be driven by Luca Capellari and Fabrizio Gollin, moving to a Ferrari 550 Maranello after a successful season with a Carsport Holland Chrysler Viper. The drivers for the leading car will be announced within the next three weeks.
"There is plenty of work for us," Strepavara continued. "22 people will be working on the cars this year. We will be picking up the third car next week, from Clermond Ferrand, where Michelin is undergoing tyre tests." The car is from Prodrive like the two already run by the team this year. "We have a very strong relationship with Prodrive. There is still considerable work to be done on the other two cars, mainly on the electrical systems. We were very happy with last year's performance, with four race wins - more than anyone else - and six pole positions. It would have been even better to have won the Championship, but it was still very good, especially considering that we only received the car two days before the first race. So we are very pleased to have more time and more opportunities to test the car."
January 29,2003: 2003 Schedule
FIA GT Championship
Date Country Name of the circuit
April 06 E Barcelona
April 27 F Magny-Cours
May 25 CZ Brno
June 29 GB Donington
July 27 B 24 Heures de Spa
September 07 S Anderstorp *
September 21 D Oschersleben
October 05 P Estoril
October 19 I Monza
* Subject to the FIA Homologation of the circuit, with a number of
improvements to be made including garages, Video control and run-off areas.
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