ILMC, Zhuhai - Race Preview - Part 2 - The GTs

LM GTE Pro

51 ILMC AF CORSE ITA M Ferrari F458 Italia Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA) Gianmaria Bruni (ITA)
55 ILMC BMW MOTORSPORT DEU D BMW M3 Augusto Farfus (BRA) Jörg Müller (DEU)
56 ILMC BMW MOTORSPORT DEU D BMW M3 Andy Priaulx (GBR) Uwe Alzen (DEU)
58 ILMC LUXURY RACING FRA M Ferrari F458 Italia Anthony Beltoise (FRA) Dominik Farnbacher (DEU) Ralph Firman (GBR)
59 ILMC LUXURY RACING FRA M Ferrari F458 Italia Frédéric Makowiecki (FRA) Stéphane Ortelli (MCO)
64 ILMC LOTUS JETALLIANCE AUT M Lotus Evora Oskar Slingerland (NLD) Martin Rich (GBR) Rene Rasmussen (DNK)
65 ILMC LOTUS JETALLIANCE AUT M Lotus Evora James Rossiter (GBR) Johnny Mowlem (GBR) David Heinemeier Hansson (DNK)

The only titles still up for grabs are in GTE Pro where AF Corse need just two points to mathematically secure the teams title from the still chasing BMW Motorsport, and Ferrari need just a single point in the Manufacturers standings to secure that title too.

With 5 wins so far this season for AF Corse an upset looks unlikely in the extreme but the BMWs, when on song, are untouchable, unfortunately for the season long battle hat hasn't happened for long enough in ILMC racing.

Luxury Racing have shuffled the pack again here and have included a new face to the team for the first time as Dominik Farnbacher joins the #58 crew, the pair of Luxury 458s looking stronger and stronger as the team builds in experience and confidence.

Over at Lotus JetAlliance we are promised performance developments for the Evora but dsc believes that the original GTE car designers YCom are no longer involved - blame allying or problem solving - we'll soon see whether that move, plus development since PLM, has made the step change that is required onace for the Lotus (Hint, it hasn't!) Rene Rasmussen meanwhile joins the ever enthusiastic Rich/ Slingerland combo in the #64 Evora.

LM GTE Am

50 ILMC LARBRE COMPETITION FRA M Corvette C6-ZR1 Patrick Bornhauser (FRA) Julien Canal (FRA) Olivier Beretta (MCO)
57 ILMC KROHN RACING USA D Ferrari F430 Tracy Krohn (USA) Niclas Jönsson (SWE) Michele Rugolo (ITA)
60 ILMC GULF AMR MIDDLE EAST ARE D Aston Martin Vantage Fabien Giroix (FRA) Roald Goethe (DEU)
61 ILMC AF CORSE ITA M Ferrari F430 Marco Cioci (ITA) TBA TBA
62 ILMC CRS RACING GBR M Ferrari F430 Pierre Ehret (DEU) Tim Mullen (GBR) Roger Wills (NZL)
63 ILMC PROTON COMPETITION DEU M Porsche 911 RSR (997) Richard Lietz (AUT) Gianluca Roda (ITA) Christian Ried (DEU)

There's one major change in the season regulars in GTE Am with the already Championship winning Larbre Corvette crew seeing factory Corvette man Olivier Beretta named ahead of regular man Gabriele Gardel.

The #61 AF Corse Ferrari 430 has its regularly evasive driver line-up in the #61 AF Corse Ferrari 430 still featuring the TBA Brothers alongside Marco Cioci.

Tim Mullen's is included once again for an absent Shaun Lynn (in what looks set to be CRS Racing's final race) and despite his inclusion on the official entry Michael Wainwright's business commitments will keep him from what looks set to be a frosty Gulf AMR Middle East effort.

GTC

94 ZHUHAI HITOTSUYAMA RACING JPN Y Audi R8 LMS Akihiro Tsuzuki (JPN) Michael Kim (USA) Carlo Van Dam (NLD)
96 ZHUHAI TEAM AMG CHINA DEU M Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 Mika Häkkinen (FIN) CongFu Cheng (CHN) Lance David Arnold (DEU)
97 ZHUHAI AUDI RACE EXPERIENCE CHN CHN M Audi R8 LMS Jeffrey Lee (TPE) Florian Grüber (DEU) Hing Tak Mak (HKG)
98 ZHUHAI AUDI SPORT C RACING CHINA CHN M Audi R8 LMS Edoardo Mortara (ITA) Darryl O'Young (HKG) Alexandre Imperatori (CHE)

The second invitation class once again features GT3 spec machinery at Zhuhai after a handful of cars were invited last year too as the ACO attempt to tempt local teams to the fray.

The numbers game shows. 3:1 advantage for Audi with a trio of R8LMS but the headlines are far more likely to feature the Team AMG China Mercedes SLS which features a high quality driver line up composed of Lance David Arnold, CongFu (Franky) Cheng and some bloke called Hakkinen who can apparently drive a bit too!  Joking aside this is a one off for the two time F1 World Champion to help launch the AMG SLS in Asia - There'll be plenty of interest in the Finn's pace though!

The Audi's present a mixed bunch of drivers with the experienced (Mortara, O'Young, van Dam) mixed in with those that want to join them on the 2012 grids - We're happy to see a little more variety on the grid again but this will surely be the final time that the ACO field such an invitation class.