Monza : Half-way there !

Monza, which will host the FIA GT3 European Championship for the first time, will mark the half-way point of the season.  After Silverstone and Bucharest, the teams and drivers will face a fast circuit, meaning that the two one-hour races will be more action-packed than ever, with just one aim for most of the competitors : to catch up with leaders Henri Moser and Gilles Vannelet.

Gilles Vannelet and Henri Moser, with the nr 38 Kessel Racing Ferrari 430, are currently in control of the 2007 Championship.  With two wins and a third-place finish, the two men have made a near-perfect start to the season.  Only their retirement from the second Bucharest race slightly delayed their relentless progress.  Nevertheless,  Moser and Vannelet will undoubtedly be the men to watch on the fast Monza track.  Currently second in the Championship classification, Stéphane Daoudi and Ian Khan, winners of the first Bucharest race, will be their closest rivals, but there is a long list of potential winners.

Currently third, Maxime Dubrulle and Nicolas Navarro, driving the nr 10 First Racing Lamborghini Gallardo have been very consistent this season, but the young French duo are still looking for their first win.  This rapid circuit could suit the Lamborghini cars well, both those of First Racing and S-Berg Racing. The two teams are looking to this round in order to make up their deficit, as are the Corvette teams.  Riverside and Martini Callaway Racing have put everything in place in order to claim a first win of the season as soon as possible.

The most recent winners, Romain Bera and Stefan von Campenhoudt (nr 43 Matech Racing Ford GT) are determined to continue their winning ways, as Romain Bera explained : «The first win is always the hardest to get.  We managed that in Bucharest during the second race, while Martin Martek and Thomas Mutsch came very close during the first.  We are therefore extremely motivated for  Monza ».

The Aston Martin DBRS9 cars will also try to change the established order, after two difficult races in the streets of Bucharest, which saw damage for a number of cars.  At home, BMS Scuderia Italia will be keen to shine, with five Italian drivers who know the circuit perfectly, while Hexis Racing is also ready to put Bucharest behind it.  The Ascari cars also suffered badly in Romania, and it is not sure that all six cars will be ready for Monza.  But the Ascari KZ1R GT3 cars entered by Damax and Team Berlanga will certainly be potential podium finishers.

The Porsche cars were on the pace in Bucharest, and both Trackspeed Racing and Tech9 Motorsport intended to use the gap between Bucharest and Monza to work on their cars.  Second in the FIA GT3 European Teams Championship, Trackspeed needs a good score to catch up with Kessel Racing.  Last but not least, the RPM Dodge Viper Coupe Competition cars and the Auto GT Racing Morgan Aero 8 will also be aiming for good results.
With over forty cars expected, two thrilling races are on the cards.  Both one-hour races will take place on the Sunday, and after this third round of the season, the season will be more than half over, with Brno and Dubai still to come.

Richard WILLIAMS – nr 5 Trackspeed Porsche 997 GT3 Cup : “The Ferrari, the Aston Martin and the Ford GT will be hard to beat. Monza is a high speed circuit, it is not really the best track for our car. But we work hard and I hope will be on the pace. In Bucharest the car was OK, but for us Silverstone was much more difficult.”

Gianmarino ZENERE – nr 22 Aston Martin DBRS9  : “Monza is the fastest track in Europe and one of the most technical, with all the curves slow and fast, it is a track with a straight where you can push and drive as fast as you can but has also a lot of demanding bends both for the cars and for the drivers. I am preparing myself both physically and mentally; concerning the physical activities I am going to the gym, biking etc.., concerning the mind, I am learning the track on my PlayStation”

Diego ALESSI - nr 23 Aston Martin DBRS9 : “I always had a great feeling with Monza! I think it is one of the last remaining tracks where you can feel something really special. Technically Monza is a place for very “hard brakers”...so I think we are going to see two very close races. Ferrari will still be the car to beat together with the Lamborghini. Anyway, I think the Corvette is now strongly competitive everywhere and Porsches will can take advantage from his excellent aerodynamics. Obviously I hope that we will be on the fight for the victory: if we still want to fight for the Championship, we have to score two top 3 finishes, at the least....“

Stephane DAOUDI – nr 34 JMB Racing Ferrari 430 : “I think the Ferrari is going to be efficient on this track. Our main goal is to finish in front of Moser and Vannelet in order to catch them in the Championship. It is possible, as since the beginning of the season we have been on the right pace, and we have a real change to succeed. Monza is a perfect track for the Ford GT, so we have to keep an eye on them. For the Championship we also have to take care of the Lamborghini, which could also be very fast there.”

Stefan van CAMPENHOUDT – nr 44 Matech Racing Ford GT : “We planned a lot of work between Bucharest and Monza. Our top speed was not so good since the beginning of the season, and for Monza you need a real good top speed. So we need to win speed somewhere and I hope we will have the solution. We’ll see!”

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