Dubai races to decide Championship winners

It all comes down to this: with two races remaining there is still everything to play for in the FIA GT3 European Championship. Seven drivers are heading to the Dubai Autodrome with hopes of being crowned champions – five (or possibly six) of them will be leaving disappointed. The whole weekend will revolve around which of the contenders manages to shrug off the pressure, stay clear of trouble in the opening laps and claim the title.

 

Arnaud Peyroles and James Ruffier, in the No.1 Martini Callaway Corvette Z.06R GT3, enjoy an eight-point lead due to their victory in the previous race, at Nogaro in France. That points lead, and their consistency over the season, makes them favourites, but the pair recognise that in racing, anything can happen. “I am really looking forward to the races in Dubai – I’m counting the days,” said Peyroles. “We know it will be a hard track, even with our eight-point advantage; we hope it will be enough, but we can’t be sure. There will be no calculations involved, it will just be all-out attack.”

 

Their nearest rivals are Ian Khan and Thomas Mutsch, in the No.20 Matech GT Racing Ford GT. With two wins at Silverstone and another at Brno, theirs is the only car to have won three races – that could be crucial if they finish the Dubai weekend level on points. “I’m looking forward to Dubai, I love the circuit,” Khan said. “I think the circuit will suit the Ford GT – although I fear it will suit the Corvette more! Nogaro was a massive disappointment, it was our only mechanical failure of the year, so we’ll have to win in Dubai to stand any chance.”

 

Thomas Accary and Pierre-Brice Mena, in the No.10 Hexis Racing Aston Martin DBRS9, have mounted a late-season charge. Over the first six races they could only pick up twelve points, including a second-place finish at Monza, but in the last three races they have claimed 23 points, including second place at Brno and a win at Nogaro – the first win in the FIA GT3 European Championship for both the drivers and the Hexis Racing team. “It would be great to win the Championship, and we are going to Dubai determined to fight for it,” said Mena. “We are nine points behind, so we’re not in complete control of our destiny; a top three finish will be great. The whole team has made progress during the season, and so have Thomas and myself. The Aston Martin is one of the fastest cars on the track.”

 

Bradley Ellis is level on points with Accary and Mena – in the opening races at Silverstone, he was paired with Ed Morris in the No.21 Matech GT Racing Ford GT, and picked up two points. Since then he has been reunited with Alex Mortimer, with whom he shared the British GT Championship in 2007, but the situation means that Mortimer cannot win the GT3 series. “It’s a shame for Alex, but we have already agreed that, if I win, we will share the prize,” Bradley said. “That would only be fair, and I want to race with him again next year. I think we’ve got as good a chance of anyone – we went to the final round of the British GT Championship last year eight points behind, and we won that, so it can definitely be done.”

 

The Teams’ Championship may not have been decided yet, but Matech GT Racing already have one hand on the trophy. They bring a 26-point lead over Hexis Racing to Dubai – and although a Hexis 1-2-3 in each race would net them 48 points, it seems certain that Matech GT Racing will take the title.

 

 

2008-12-03
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