Italian GT News Round-Up
Another Change To The Calendar

The start of the Italian GT Championship is still more than a month away, but news continues to arrive concerning drivers, teams and, yes of course, the much loved BoP!

We’ll start with the BoP, which has been determined as follows:

Audi R8 LMS: minimum weight from 1250 to 1290 Kg, engine with  2 restrictors of 40 mm
BMW Z4: from 1230 to 1260 Kg - 1 restrictor of 70 mm
Lamborghini LP 560-4: from 1175 to 1235 Kg - 2 restrictors of 47 mm
Porsche GT3 R: from 1200 to 1230 Kg - 1 restrictor of 56mm
Corvette Z06: from 1270 to 1290 Kg - 1 restrictor of 55 mm
Mercedes SLS: from 1310 to 1330 Kg - 2 restrictors of 36mm
Ferrari 458 Italia: from  1250 to 1275 Kg - 2 restrictors of 38 mm
McLaren MP4-12C: from 1245 to 1255 Kg - 2 restrictors of 36 mm

In other news the calendar has been revised a little, with the Imola round now postponed by almost two months (due to local political elections on the last weekend of May). The revised calendar is thus:

May 5 - Misano
June 16 - Red Bull Ring (A)
July 7 -  Mugello
July 21 - Imola
September 1 -  Imola
September 15 - Vallelunga
October 20 - Monza

Now some driver and team news:

Antonelli Motorsport - longtime Porsche aficionados - will be back in the top class, GT3, with Christian Passuti leading the team and a second driver still to be named; but we are hearing from the team that he (or she) will possess “a first class right foot” in order to compete for the crown. The team will also be present in the Cup class with three cars, with Brambati-Galbiati, Cicognani-Magli and Donaviti-Bellini.

The 2012 team champions, ROAL Motorsport, will be back also with two BMW Z4 cars; one for the co-champion Stefano Colombo, partnered this year by another Stefano, Comandini. Michela Cerruti will lead the second car with the second driver yet to be named.

The Black Bull Swiss Racing team will make its debut in the series with two 2013 full spec Ferrari 458 Italias - one for Mirko Venturi and Tommaso Maino, while the second car will be driven by Andrea Invernizzi. Single drivers will be permitted this year (with some extra time to serve in the mandatory pitstops), but only for the gentlemen drivers.

Another Ferrari team entering the series is the new MP1 team, who will use the longtime experience of Franco Sighinolfi, previously connected with the Italian Sportscar series. The car will be the usual Ferrari 458 Italia, updated with the 2013 kit, but at this time the drivers are yet to be nominated.

Still with Italian supercar news, Imperiale Racing will make its debut in the main class - gunning for the big prize with the 2011 Cup co-champion, and official Lamborghini test driver, Giorgio Sanna and the ex-EbiMotors young gun, Giacomo Barri. The car will be the new FL2 Gallardo.

Gabriele Tosi