FIA GT1 World Championship Abu Dhabi - Preview
Ratel’s Brave New World Makes Its debut (Images to follow) Abu Dhabi is the stage this weekend for the biggest step change in Stephane Ratel's long career as the ringmaster of European rules GT racing. as the inaugural GT1 World Championship gets underway, bringing with it the biggest change in GT1 racing since the classes inception back in the mid 1990s. From a class based around the Grand Touring principle of long distance racing the new format concentrates on the latter part of the Grand Touring moniker, double header race weekends featuring 1 hour sprint races have alienated many purists but its a format that SRO believe will attract TV audiences. Year One has yet to make a breakthrough with mainstream terrestrial TV coverage in the UK - What we do have is Bloomberg TV and, we believe, live coverage on ESPN too. We'll miss the familiar voices of Greenlight TV coverage in recent seasons though, but we'll reserve judgement on the product that replaces it on our TV screens until we've seen it for ourselves. In no small part the potential for the product on TV is dependent on three other factors - The cars, the teams and the drivers. 6 Marques, 12 Teams, 24 Cars and 48 Drivers will be on track at Yas marina - That's some achievement after the choppy financial waters which swamped the sport last year. The cars can be neatly categorised in two groups - the cars which were designed for the 2010 Championship and the cars which have been grandfathered down to 2010 GT1 levels of performance. It’s a complex task to balance the performance of some very different machines and the powers that be have put in place a comprehensive process to ensure that performance remains balanced at a variety of circuits. That may rankle with some purists but the reality is that unless the racing in the chosen format is closely contested it will not draw an audience, and it will risk inroads being made into what is currently an impressively full grid. The 2010 Rules Cars Ford GT Matech Concepts are behind the GT1 (and GT3) versions of the reborn Ford GT. It's a handsome beast with the classic styling of the iconic GT40 wedded to (what else?) a big rumbling V8. Last year's interim car was sometimes rather too close to the pace of the leading GT2 cars for comfort but the full 2010 spec car is a different proposition. - It should be rather quicker but it will still require the grandfathered cars to be reeled in to create a level playing field. In commercial terms it seems odd that this car is based on a production model that went out of production 4 years ago, many of the fans won't care but this is not the only car on the grid that is not currently in production Lamborghini Murcielago LP670 R-SV The Murcielago is brought to the grid by long-time Lamborghini racecar developers Reiter Engineering. The third of the three 'new rules' cars, the Lambo is perhaps the one with most to prove, the car has not yet been race tested and that's a potential weakness in the Championship's early days. On the upside this is a another big banger supercar, this time with the sonorous Lamborghini V12 - One downside though is that the Murcielago's days as a road car (and the V12 that powers it) are numbered. Nissan GT-R Perhaps THE driving force behind the establishment of the current format is the commitment from NISMO and Nissan. The roadgoing GT-R is becoming one of THE iconic supercars of the moment. In racing form though the 'trick' GT-R loses its engine (turbo 6 replaced by racing V8), 4 wheel drive (the race car becomes rear wheel drive) and much of the electronic wizardry that puts the Nissan on the pedestal it occupies over much more glamorous marques, The car will be unmistakable on track, its slab fronted look presents a very different aspect to all of the other runners - Dramatic is one opinion, Unattractive is another.## The Grandfathered Cars Aston Martin DBR9 Prodrive's successor programme to the all-conquering Ferrari 550 Maranello became a real fan favourite. Its good looks and V12 howl ticked all of the boxes for race fans with real road car relevance provided by the continued production of the DB9 and DBS road cars. The preparation of this car to grandfathered specification has been comprehensive. This is a car that is likely to require measures to slow it down under the Balance of Performance process. Corvette C6.R The sworn enemy of the DBR9 clan, the Corvette is, for many, THE iconic GT1 car of the Noughties, massively successful, visually and aurally dramatic and with an unrivalled record. These cars have won every significant race and title available to them. As with many of the classic GT1 cars the Vettes are perhaps closer to an LMP prototype than to their road car cousins but that, somehow, doesn't matter - The challenge to balance the performance for these monsters is a considerable one. Reeling in the performance of something like a C6.R must be somewhat akin to holding an angry pit bull on a string.
Maserati MC12 The MC12 has always been an enigma - beloved of those fascinated with roadgoing hypercars, less loved by the endurance racing rulemakers. It's another dramatic looking beast, and a car which has been a major force to be reckoned with in recent seasons of FIA GT racing. Again we are yet to see how much the grandfathering process thus far has reeled in the MC12, and what else might be required to seal the deal. Teams And Drivers A flurry of impressive driver announcements has transformed the opinions of many over the potential for the opening season of the World Championship. Early announcements of a solidly Pro-Am nature all of a sudden began to look very exposed. Aston Martin Three of the four DBR9s have had a full, back to bare metal, rebuild at AMR's Banbury factory - the fourth (one of the Young Driver AMR cars) is a brand new chassis.
Hexis Racing AMR #9 Jean Denis Deletraz/ Frédéric Makowiecki
#10 Clivio Piccione/ Jonathan Hirschi Hexis Racing step up form FIA GT3 (with the odd outing in GT2) where they have been solid rather than dominant performers. There's a similar feel to their #9 crew, both Deletraz and Makowiecki are good pedallers, neither though immediately come to mind near the top of a list entitled "Potential 2010 World Champions" Piccione and Hirschi though might just break through into the top rank, both though have to first get to grips with very different machines from their 2009 weapons of choice (Piccione - GP2, Hirschi - Megane Silhouette). Young Driver AMR #7 Tomas Enge/ Darren Turner
#8 Christoffer Nygaard/ Stefan Mücke The Danish funded, Austrian run Young Driver AMR squad is a spin-off from 2009 FIA GT3 entrants Fischer Racing. Their #7 driver squad of Enge and Turner pairs two of the most experienced and fastest GT1 pilots of all. Nobody is more familiar with the DBR9 than favoured factory man Darren Turner, he's spent hour after hour pounding around in testing and he's been part of most significant race effort too. Helpfully for the Aston men DT also has race experience with the Gigawave Nissan (albeit the 2009 car) too and experience too of sprint race formats with his recent forays into BTCC with SEAT. Enge needs little introduction here. Many feel that the World Championship format will suit his press-on style. If Tomas is on form he'll be a massive plus in this entry. In the #8 car Mucke too is a top class driver, as fast as anyone on this grid. We'll need to wait and see whether Nygard's pace can match that of his three team mates - If he's anywhere close this could be a two car effort that can really shine. Corvette C6.R Toine Hezemans is the man behind the move to grandfather the C6.R and the two, two car teams here are actually formed up of four previous teams Mad-Croc Racing #11 Xavier Maassen/ Alex Müller
#12 Mika Salo/ Pertti Kuismanen This is a team formed from 2009 C6.R teams DKR Engineering and the Selleslagh Racing Team (SRT) Maassen proved to be a driver of some quality in 2009 and if Alex Muller, another man who impressed in FIA GT racing, has his Abu Dhabi deal extended this pair might challenge for podium finishes or better. The #12 car will see Mika Salo start the season, but Oliver Gavin will be in the driving seat for most of the season (Long Beach clashes with the opening race weekend) Salo will be mighty, but the pairing with Pertti Kuismanen will prevent even the talents of Salo or Gavin from troubling the podium slots. Phoenix Racing Carsport #13 Marc Hennerici/ Andreas Zuber
#14 Mike Hezemans/ Andrea Piccini Carsport Holland again team up with the crack Phoenix Racing outfit to form the second Corvette equipe. The #13 car pairs ex single seater race Andreas Zuber with Touring Car and GT3 racer Marc Hennerici. Both have pace - Neither have experience in this machinery - They may come good later in the season but are unlikely to stay with the real front runners at Yas Marina. #14 pairs Mike Hezemans, a man who knows the C6.R very well indeed, with another man who currently is only confirmed for the opening rounds, Andrea Piccini. Both are quick, the Corvette should be bulletproof - They have potential for a good weekend in Abu Dhabi Ford GT Marc VDS Racing Team #40 Bas Leinders/ Maxime Martin
#41 Renaud Kuppens/ Markus Palttala The former Belgian Racing Team binned its Gillet Vertigo last year for a season with the early spec Ford GT - After becoming the first team to announce their participation in the World Championship they rock up to Yas Marina with a pair of full 2010 spec Fords. The #40 squad is an interesting one - Leinders is capable of real pace and Martin impressed in FIA GT3 last year. Are the pair ultimately quick enough? We - and they - are about to find out! In #41 the affable Renaud Kuppens is joined by quick Finn Palttala - This is the less likely of the two to shine over the full race distance but, will be in the mix when Palttala is at the wheel. Matech Competition #5 Thomas Mutsch/ Romain Grosjean
#6 Natacha Gachnang/ Cyndie Allemann The Matech factory team have the advantage of having developed the 2010 car themselves and they have two more advantages too, the driver squad of the #5 Ford is another top notch crew. Mutsch knows the Ford inside out and is likely to shine. Grosjean makes the surprising move from Renault F1 to Ford GT1 and if he makes the transition well he's likely to be as quick as anyone out there. The all-lady crew aboard the #6 car won't trouble the podium places. Lamborghini Murcielago LP670 R-SV Reiter Engineering #24 Peter Kox/ Christopher Haase
#25 Ricardo Zonta/ Rafael Daniel Hans Reiter talked a good fight in the fringes of the launch of his newest iteration of the Murcielago racing line, power is up, electronic trickery down. He's another man who has the advantage of running a car that his own team has developed. Reports of mass interest in running and driving the dramatic-looking Lamborghinis though seems to have been a little premature. The #24 car pairs Peter Kox, yet another man with acres of experience in GT1 cars, including race wins in the previous iteration of Lamborghini GT1, with 2009 FIA GT3 Champion Christopher Haase - This pair could shine if the Lamborghini has the required pace and reliability. The #25 car meanwhile is a late deal for Yas Marina which pairs Ricardo Zonta, latterly a Peugeot factory driver but an FIA GT Champions as long ago as 1998 (for Mercedes Benz) with fellow Brazilian (and 2009 GT3 racer) Rafiel Daniel. It's a late deal in an unproven car but Zonta could be quick. All Inkl - Munnich Motorsport #37 Marc Basseng/ Thomas Jäger
#38 Dominik Schwager/ Nicky Pastorelli
Mark Basseng is Team Manager and leads the #37 squad. He's joined in Abu Dhabi by ex DTM racer and 2009 German Carrera Cup Champion Jäger (subbing for Christophe Bouchut who is busy in the ALMS this weekend). Much again depends on the car but this pair could impress. The #38 crew too have potential to shine - Podiums rather than victories are likely to be the realistic ultimate goals for Schwager and Pastorelli. Maserati MC12 Vitaphone Racing Team #1 Michael Bartels/ Andrea Bertolini
#2 Enrique Bernoldi/ Miguel Ramos Triple H Team Hegersport #33 Altfrid Heger/ Alex Margaritis
#34 Bert Longin/ Matteo Bobbi The 600lb gorilla in the room - The predominant FIA GT team of recent years has, after initial refusal, been allowed to grandfather the predominant car of recent years. It’s good news for lovers of the traditional image of GT1 cars, racing versions of roadgoing hypercars. Vitaphone have a deserved reputation for excellent preparation, there are very few weak links in the MC12 package and that theme has been carried over into the driving squad. The lead #1 car pairs team owner Michael Bartels' speed and commitment to the (winning) cause with Maserati factory man Andrea Bertolini. This is a pair that on prior record and potential shoot straight into the group with the label - 'potential winners'. In the sister #2 car Enrique Bernoldi proved last season that he is a class act behind the wheel aboard the Team Sangari Corvette - The plans for his 2010 though have been somewhat disjointed as he was first named and then tested for Matech, then moved the focus to mad Croc and his familiar Vette. That he eventually rocked up at Vitaphone might reasonably be viewed as a major endorsement of the package against those on offer elsewhere. Miguel Ramos is capable of good speed - It's just that he hasn't shown huge amounts of it of late. If he can tap into the fire that undoubtedly resides in his belly this pair can be in contention for some good results.
The second pair of cars are, in effect, campaigned by Vitaphone too, albeit under the Triple H Team Hegersport banner fronted by Altfrid Heger. The team Principal himself is joined by ex DTM man Alex Margaritis in the #33 MC12 - numerically the lead car in the squad but likely to be outshone by the #34 car on track which pairs FIA GT long service man, the ever cheerful Bert Longin, with 2003 FIA GT Champion Matteo Bobbi. This is a pairing that has real potential - If both men can find their best form they will trouble the very best out there. Nissan Sumo Power GT #23 Jamie Campbell Walter/ Warren Hughes
#24 Peter Dumbreck/ Michael Krumm The new 2010 Nissan GT-R was expected to be campaigned in 2010 by Gigawave (as the development car was last season) but a failure to agree on costs saw that relationship bite the dust. Out of the wreckage of that deal emerged a new name - Sumo Power GT is the brainchild of Team owner James Rumsey and they wasted no time at all in hoovering up much of the know-how that informed the NISMO campaign last year. As significant as the driver line ups are the men on pit wall, Nigel Stepney and Geoff Kingston add real steel to the Nissan attack. And they are bolstering still further a pair of very impressive driver line-ups. The #23 car sees a pair of very experienced men set out to prove that wise old(er) heads can succeed in a sprint race environment. Jamie Campbell Walter has FIA GT Championship winning form on his cv whilst Warren Hughes has LMP, GT and BTCC strategy in his memory bank. Both are capable of taking the fight to the rest - Expect them to be right there in the fight for overall honours if the car is up to the task. The #24 car too should be right there. Peter Dumbreck and Michael Krumm are both class acts too and both have experience aplenty in big banger GT cars both in Europe and Japan. Swiss Racing Team #3 Karl Wendlinger/ Henri Moser
#4 Seiji Ara/ Max Nilsson Othmar Welti is another top name in the backrooms of GT racing and his new squad brings one of the fastest men in the sport back to FIA GT racing in 2010. Karl Wendlinger has lost none of the fire in his belly and he will match, and potentially beat, just about anyone else on the entry list. Henri Moser joins him after impressive form in FIA GT3 in 2008 but perhaps a rather less stand-out performance in GT2 last year. If Moser can't step up impressively there will be potential for long faces at SRT. The #4 car meanwhile pairs 2004 Le Mans 24 Hours winner Seiji Ara with F3 man Max Nilsson. That looks in theory to be a strong pairing but neither man has yet shown the required pace to join the leading group. Ara was outpaced by both Warren Hughes and Jamie Campbell Walter in a test that determined the final line-up for Sumo Power whilst Nilsson needs to prove quickly that he can step up from the midfield performances that have characterised his recent F3 career. All in all then the first weekend promises much - The reality though is that it MUST deliver in this first season if Stephane Ratel’s vision is to gain a safe foothold. He'll be placing a lot of faith in the clutch of leading crews to provide the drama and spectacle that a new World Championship needs to gather new fans and backers around it - By Sunday afternoon we'll know whether the signs are good!
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