FIA GT Championship

Nogaro preview- FIA GT

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With just a week between Brno and Nogaro, the FIA GT Championship has reached its top speed, and is heading straight for the end of the season - and the eventual naming of the 2007 Champions. This weekend’s race, around the beautiful and popular Brno circuit, had the effect of dramatically closing up the Drivers’ classifications, meaning that all eyes will be on Nogaro.

© Planetlemans - Marcel ten Caat

Christian Montanari and Miguel Ramos claimed their first ever FIA GT victory at Brno, while in GT2, an all-Ferrari podium was led by another one-two from AF Corse Motorola. The first of the titles were also decided, with AF Corse Motorola securing the GT2 Teams title, while Maserati and Ferrari claimed the GT1 and GT2 Manufacturers’ Cups respectively.

So on to Nogaro, with everything to play for ! The circuit is new to the Championship, and is the fourth circuit in France to be visited by the FIA GT teams and drivers. The event will be a busy one. The FFSA French GT Championship will also be holding a round during the event.

The only SRO-promoted national Championship to run GT1, GT2 and GT3 categories, Nogaro will be the penultimate round for the 2007 season, which finishes in Magny-Cours in October. The fourth event of the GT4 European Cup will also take place in Nogaro, before carrying on to Magny-Cours where its season will finish within the context of the FFSA Super Série. The ecologically-minded Diester Racing Cup will also take part in the busy Nogaro weekend. Last but not least, the event will also feature exciting single-seater action from the Formula 3 Euro Series, which will be visiting Nogaro for the first time and will hold its penultimate event there.

The Paul Armagnac circuit has been a regular feature on the calendar of the FFSA GT Championship, and regularly attracts large crowds, and it is hoped that this busy and exciting autumn meeting should be no different !

What the drivers think:
"I’m looking forward to Nogaro: good food, good wine, nice people!"
Stephane Ortelli - nr 51 AF Corse Motorola Ferrari 430 GT2

"Nogaro is an interesting circuit as it has long straights, not extremely fast, with some slow corners. It is technical. I really like the track - I won my first Formula Three race there. There are always big crowds at Nogaro, which is a real bonus, and the spectators can really see the track. The organisers at the circuit really do a good job."
Christophe Bouchut - nr 7 All-Inkl.com Lamborghini Murciélago

What a difference a race makes ! Brno, which saw Vitaphone Racing Team’s Christian Montanari and Miguel Ramos take an excellent first FIA GT victory in their Maserati MC 12 not only closed up the points, but also greatly redistributed the handicap weights.

With just two races to go, everything is wide open heading for Nogaro. Nearly 2000 kilometres separate the Brno Circuit in the Czech Republic from the Nogaro - Paul Armagnac Circuit in the Gers region of France. With the races being just a week apart, the teams and drivers do not have much time to recover before the battle recommences.

And what a battle ! The top nine drivers in the GT1 classification are separated by just seven points : Maserati, Corvette and Aston Martin drivers, all fighting for the 2007 title. After two difficult races, long-time GT1 leader Thomas Biagi has now been joined at the top by Scuderia Playteam Sarafree drivers Andrea Bertolini and Andrea Piccini. With their first win crowning a season where they have scored points at every race, Christian Montanari and Miguel Ramos are joint second, three points behind.

© Planetlemans - Marcel ten Caat

One point behind them are Jetalliance Aston Martin drivers Karl Wendlinger and Ryan Sharp. And a further three points behind, Spa winners Jean-Denis Deletraz and Mike Hezemans, with their Corvette C6. However, a closer look at the handicap weight shows that the nr 33 Aston Martin now has 70 kg penalty weight, which could be penalising on Nogaro’s tight and technical circuit. And both Thomas Biagi, in the nr 1 Vitaphone Maserati, and the Carsport Holland duo, have now lost all the penalty weight they accumulated in the Belgian Ardennes.

The Scuderia Playteam Sarafree Maserati, finishing fourth, also lost weight, and will be able to fight to take the lead. But they will not be the only ones looking for a win in France. Finishing third in Brno, PK Carsport are still in the title race with their Corvette C5-R. The All-Inkl.com Racing Lamborghini is in the hands of Christophe Bouchut, a triple FIA GT Champion, who knows the track well, having claimed his first-ever F3 victory there many years ago.

Unfortunately, the Reiter Lamborghini will miss the event for safety reasons, further to the loss of a wheel in Brno. Aston Martin Racing BMS was one of the few teams to attend the official test day at the track in March, which could give them a welcome advantage. Whatever happens, the title fight is sure to go on to the final round, in Zolder !

In GT2, AF Corse Motorola has dominated the 2007 season, and apart from a slight hiccup at Spa, has won every race this season. Another one-two in Brno, with the fifth victory for Dirk Müller and Toni Vilander in the nr 50 Ferrari 430 GT2, allowed the Italian team to move out of reach of their rivals in the Teams classification.
However, the fight is not yet over in the Drivers classification. Müller and Vilander still lead, with a margin of 11 points over their team-mates Bruni and Ortelli. Fifth after the exclusion of the Edil Cris Racing, Collard and Malucelli are now one point behind Bruni and Ortelli. But they have also lost some of their penalty weight, and Nogaro could see a closer fight.

The rest of the GT2 teams would dearly like to step up to the top of the podium, and now there are only two opportunities left. Racing Team Edil Cris have finished second and third, but their first victory still eludes them. Scuderia Ecosse have had a very difficult season, but their luck appears to be turning, and the Scottish team is determined to finish the year on a high. Ebimotors has been extremely consistent, and with Pompidou on home ground, a first podium of the season is long overdue. Advanced Engineering will return for this round, and will see the return of Philipp Peter to the GT2 category, racing alongside Rui Aguas. With two strong drivers and not much
penalty weight, they could really create a surprise…

The Citation Cup has had six rounds todate, with two remaining. JMB Racing’s Ben Aucott now has a six-point lead, after teaming up with experienced French driver Alain Ferté in the last two rounds. Their Maserati MC 12 has taken three wins, after the first three went to SRT’s Corvette C5-R and Belgian driver Tom Cloet. The Corvette had engine problems in Brno, but hopefully the problem will be fixed for the French round. The regulars are likely to be joined by two Ferrari 550 Maranellos for this round : the Solution Fcar seen earlier this season, and a new entry from multiple FIA GT Champion Larbre Competition. This car would be driven by Jean-Yves Adam and Philippe Dumas. A sixth Citation Cup car is the Red Racing Chrysler Viper, which will run in the G2 class, alongside the Gillet Vertigo.

Nogaro is the 37th different circuit to be visited by the FIA GT Championship in its 11 seasons of competition, as well as the fourth French circuit, after Dijon-Prenois, Nevers Magny-Cours and the Paul Ricard HTTT. It was also visited by the fore-runner to the FIA GT Championship, the BPR Global Endurance Series, in 1996. The race was won by the Gulf Racing McLaren F1 GTR of James Weaver and Ray Bellm, with the GT2 class being claimed by the Konrad Motorsport Porsche 911 GT2 of Franz Konrad and the late Bob Wollek. Having undergone massive renovations this year, the track is now one of the most modern in the country, and will certainly be a fine setting for the penultimate round of the 2007 FIA GT Championship.

What the drivers said :
Andrea Piccini - nr 11 Scuderia Playteam Sarafree Maserati MC 12 : "It’s a long time since I’ve led the Championship - this is the first time since 2002 - and it’s a nice feeling! It will not be easy, but I think we have a good chance. The mood in the team is very good. We made a poor start to the season but we’ve made a great recovery. I’m looking forward to Nogaro - I don’t know the track but it looks like one where the Maserati could be competitive. But the weather could be a factor.."

Jamie Davies - nr 23 Aston Martin Racing DBR9 : "We tested at Nogaro in March, but I don’t think it will give us a big advantage as the weather was so poor during the test day, so it will hopefully not be representative of what we’ll face next weekend ! I know the track as I’d done Formula 3 and F3000 testing there. The circuit is tight and twisty in places; I hope the Aston will be quick there but we’ll have to see."

Philipp Peter - nr 59 Advanced Engineering Ferrari 430 GT2 : "I am definitely happy to be back in the GT2 category of the FIA GT Championship, especially with a team, car and co-driver who are all on the pace. Nogaro is a tight circuit, with not much room for mistakes, and overtaking will not be easy."

Darren Turner - nr 62 Scuderia Ecosse Ferrari 430 GT2 : "I’ve never been to Nogaro and don’t really know much about the circuit but it’s always nice to go to a new place and learn a new track. When this deal with Scuderia Ecosse came about I was quite excited about it, as much for driving with the team as for the prospect of learning three new circuits, Adria, Nogaro and Zolder. I’m really looking forward to the challenge. I know we don’t have that much time in testing when we are there but hopefully it won’t take me long to find my way around. I also hope it’s a circuit which suits the Ferrari 430 and we’ll have a winning combination."

PROVISIONAL HANDICAP WEIGHTS R9
nr 2 Maserati + 40 kg
nr 4 Corvette + 20 kg
nr 11 Maserati + 35 kg
nr 33 Aston Martin + 70 kg
nr 50 Ferrari + 50 kg
nr 51 Ferrari + 50 kg
nr 62 Ferrari + 10 kg
nr 59 Ferrari + 10 kg
nr 97 Porsche + 35 kg

All Maserati MC 12 cars have +25kg from the GT Bureau for performance balancing.

All newcomers, or cars which have missed a race have 40 kg in GT1 and 20 kg in GT2, plus any weight they might have from previous races in the Championship this season.
GT2 cars deemed to have two professional drivers have an additional 28 kg

NOTE : Weights from the GT Bureau can be changed up to the day before scrutineering for the next event.

Credit: FIA-GT