FIA GT Championship

The official FIA GT Bucharest preview

© DPPI

After the longest race of the season, on to the shortest ! But the experimental one-hour format, specially designed to suit the city circuit, is likely to give the huge crowds of enthusiastic spectators a fantastic show in the 2008 Bucharest City Challenge.

The FIA GT Championship will be heading to Romania for the second time, to the Bucharest Ring and its amazing backdrop of the Romanian Parliamentary building, the second-largest edifice in the world after the Pentagon. Having moved the event from May to August should guarantee better weather, to the relief of the drivers and crowds alike. And with two opportunities to see the cars storm from rolling start to chequered flag – in the qualifying race on Saturday and then the Championship race on Sunday – the magnificent array of GT cars should provide a great show.

As most years, the Total 24 Hours of Spa has had a profound effect on the Championship. Vitaphone Racing Team, taking its first victory of the season with a fine one-two, has further strengthened its lead in both the GT1 Teams and Drivers classifications. With a 13-point lead over their team-mates and nearest rivals, 2006 Champions Bartels and Bertolini go into the sixth round certain to retain their lead, no matter what happens in Romania. And with 32.5 points in hand in the team classification, Phoenix Carsport, Jetalliance and Gigawave will have their work cut out to catch the Germans after Vitaphone’s magnificent victory at Spa - their third win in four years.

In GT2, the Total 24 Hours has closed up the classifications. BMS Scuderia Italia’s first victory with the Ferrari 430 GT2 has brought their four drivers up to joint second and third in the points, with Ruberti and Malucelli now being 14 points behind leaders and three-times race winners, Bruni and Vilander, in the AF Corse Ferrari. Second place in the Ardennes has placed Prospeed duo Westbrook and Collard firmly in contention, the leading Porsche drivers being currently joint fourth. Reigning Champions AF Corse still lead the Teams classification as well as the Drivers, but with a total of 18 points on offer for each two-car team, and six rounds to go, anything could happen !

The FIA GT Championship will be joined on the streets of Bucharest by top-level single-seater action from the British F3 International Series. After this weekend’s round in Silverstone, Oliver Turvey has taken the Championship lead with two fine wins, putting him nine points ahead with just four rounds remaining. The 21-year-old from Penrith also secured the inaugural Mirror.co.uk British F3 Challenge Cup for the best British driver of the season. However, the extremely international field is still very close, with Sergio Perez of Mexico second and Jaime Alguersuari of Spain third. Seven different drivers have claimed wins so far, and everything could still change in Romania.

The Dacia Logan Cup will also be competing during the weekend, giving plenty of national interest. As well as all the on-track action, there will be plenty going on to keep the spectators entertained, starting with a parade of the GT cars on Thursday evening, from the Parliamentary buildings down the Unirii Boulevard, with its fountains and trees, and back to the paddock.

It should be a great weekend !