FIA GT Entry Coming Together
A number of driver pairings have firmed up during the last few days, in both the GT1 and GT2 classes.

In GT2, one of the top Porsches, the BMS Scuderia Italia example, will be driven by Emmanuel Collard and Matteo Malucelli. The Italian driver won the Italian GT Championship for the BMS Team in 2005. A number of other drivers were thought to be under consideration for this plum drive, but the 22 year old Malucelli has secured it.

We confirmed the lead pairing in the Aston Martin Racing BMS team earlier this week – Jamie Davies and Fabio Babini – and indicated that Alessandro Bonetti and Ferdinando Monfardini also drove the team’s DBR9 Aston Martin at Paul Ricard a week ago. These two are now definite in the second car.

The All-Inkl team was known to be entering one Lamborghini Murcielago, for Jos Menten and Peter Kox: a second one is now going to join the championship, this one to be driven by Christophe Bouchut and Stefan Mücke.

“We have worked on the traction control and we have a modified aerodynamic package; the process is continuous,” says Hans Reiter. “Our aim is to close the gap to the front of the field; we are still a relatively small team compared to Vitaphone or BMS Scuderia Italia. But we have the right drivers and the right tyres, with Michelin, and if we make no mistakes, we should be there!”

Vitaphone may only be entering one Maserati MC12 this year, to be driven by Michael Bartels and, probably, Thomas Biagi, but there will be plenty of other MC12s in the field.

JMB Racing has confirmed two cars, as has the Scuderia Playteam Sarafree, which has been testing at Adria recently.

“The traction is great, and it is more like a single-seater than other GT cars I have driven,” said Andrea Piccini, who moves across from the Phoenix Aston Martin to drive with 2006 (Vitaphone) champion Andrea Bertolini. “The team is very well organised and it looks like being a good season.”

Giambattista Giannoccaro and Alessandro Pier Guidi will drive the team’s second, Pirelli-shod, MC12.