FIA GT Championships - They Are Off
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Zhuhai, China
Mar 19, 2007
The cars will soon be loaded into the plane, and will set off for Zhuhai, China, where the first event of the 2007 season will take place. The first in a new era of two-hour races, with two obligatory pit stops including driver change - ten years after the first FIA GT race took place in 1997.
The entry grid for this first race is impressive, and with so many top driver line-ups in GT1 and GT2, it is extremely difficult to predict the eventual winner. Five former Champions are in contention in GT1: Bartels and Biagi in the Vitaphone Maserati, going for its third consecutive title, Bertolini in the Playteam Maserati, Bouchut in the All-Inkl.com Lamborghini Murciélago, and Wendlinger in the Jetalliance Racing Aston Martin. In GT2, double Champion Stéphane Ortelli will be in the AF Corse Motorola Ferrari 430 GT2 - and GT3 Champion Sean Edwards in the Tech9 Porsche 997 GT2.
With six Maserati MC12, five Aston Martin DBR9, three Corvettes and two Lamborghinis lining up in GT1 in China, and more cars due to join the grid in Silverstone, the GT1 category looks delivering a fantastic competition in 2007.
As for GT2, the eternal Porsche vs Ferrari battle is set to continue, with the new Porsche 997 competing officially for the first time in Zhuhai. As for the drivers, they include some of the most impressive line-ups seen to date. Not forgetting the valliant Gillet Vertigo, entered in G2, not eligible for points but a vital part of the grid.
This will be the fourth time the FIA GT Championship has visited Zhuhai. The track is popular with many of the drivers, as are the large crowds of friendly, interested spectators. In 1999, a Chrysler Viper won in Zhuhai, Karl Wendlinger at the wheel. In 2004, it was the Maserati MC12, with Andrea Bertolini one of the drivers. And then in 2005, the Corvette C5 was victorious, Hezemans, Kumpen and Longin at the wheel. Five drivers who will be looking to add a second win to their tally, and to start of the season in the best possible way. It’s a long way from Zhuhai to Zolder, in October, when the Championship will draw to a close. But as the past has frequently shown, the results of the first race can so often shape the whole season…
WHAT THE DRIVERS THINK
“The Zhuhai race is extraordinary for a number of reasons. First of all, it’s a long, enriching journey, with the unavoidable visit to Hong Kong, a fascinating city full of colour and history. Then the ferry to Zhuhai, after which everything is different and new. As for the track, I like it, although the layout is not among my favourites. But the braking at the end of the straight is good, as well as the fast corner before it. The rather abrasive track is hard on the tyres. It can be very humid, which is hard on the driver. I set pole position the last time the FIA GT visited Zhuhai, and I’d like to do as well this year !” --Christophe Bouchut
