28 cars expected in Paul RicardCorvette joins FerrariPorsche duel in Super GTGTS category steps up, as strong title bids by McLaren, Mercedes and Aston teamsjoin traditional Ferrari and Porsche contenders
Time to restart the engines for the International GT Open!
The kick-off of the 2013 season, which marks the 8th edition of the successful GT series launched by GT Sport, will take place for the first time at the Circuit Paul Ricard. Everything including springtime!) is ready in the landmark track in Southern France to welcome the teams and drivers of the GT Open for a new exciting season.
The series has not changed its format: it features GT2 and GT3 cars, included respectively in the SuperGT and GTS categories, offers 8 events in top level tracks around Europe (each one featuring a Saturday race of 70 minutes and a Sunday race of 50), and relies on stable regulations, controlled costs and a quality TV coverage. The only novelty introduced this year is a Gentlemens Trophy, open to amateur drivers over 45 years old who have never won a title in a FIA-sanctioned series.
On the sporting side, the 2013 International GT Open looks as promising as ever, with Corvette joining the traditional Ferrari-Porsche in the Super GT category and the GTS category getting richer in numbers, quality and variety thanks to presence of a number of top teams. While some key contenders will only appear as from round 2, the battle between Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, Aston Martin, Porsche and Mosler will already be on show at the Ricard, where 28 cars are expected.
In the Super GT category, the traditional Ferrari-Porsche duel is getting expanded to three players thanks to a strong Corvette delegation. There will be no less than four Vettes, all prepapered and entered by Dutch squad V8 Racing. Nicky Pastorelli and Miguel Ramos will share the wheel of the C6R version, while Bert Longin-Diederik Sijthoff, Nick Abresch-Wolf Nathan and Danny Werkman (with a team mate still to be designated) will drive the others.
The Ferrari camp will count on the 458s of Scuderia Villorba, with a top pair at the wheel composed of Andrea Montermini-Luca Filippi, Mtech (Matt Griffin-Duncan Cameron), Kessel Racing (with Broniszewski-Peter leading a two-car entry) and AT Racing, with the Talkanitsa family, very successful in the Winter Series. On its side, Porsche is represented by Spanish team Drivex, which enters a 2012 RSR for young guns Niccolo Schiro and Archie Hamilton, and a 2011 car.
In GTS, the Ferrari representation is the most numerous. Reigning champion Kessel Racing enters four cars, with Lorenzo Bontempelli-Nicola De Marco and Stefano Gattuso-Marco Zanuttini clearly bidding for the title, while GT and sportscar legend Jan Magnussen will partner with fellow Dane Johnny Laurssen, and Stephen Earle-Freddy Kremer share another of the 458s. AF Corse will be present with Matteo Beretta-Michael Lyons and Michele Rugolo- Claudio Sdanewitsch, while Ombra Racing doubles its presence, entering a second car, with Stefano Costantini as first confirmed driver, alongside the one of Mario Cordoni and double GT Open Champion Joel Camathias. Also defending the colors of the Prancing Horse will be SMP
Racing Russian Bears with two cars for Rosell-Mavlanov and Ladygin-Maleev and Ukraine Racing with one machine for Kruglyk-Tsyplakov.The main novelty in the category will be the debut of Bhai Tech Racing, the team based in Italy that comes in with a very strong McLaren entry. The two MP4-12C are entrusted to a poker of formulae aces, composed of Rafael Suzuki-Giorgio Pantano and Chris Van Der Drift-Luiz Razia. Other top contenders will come from Belgium and Germany: on one side, the GPRPino Racing Aston Martin Vantage will be in the safe hands of Maxime Soulet and Enzo Ide, on the other Seyffarth Motorsport has recruited Miguel Toril to drive one of its Mercedes SLSAMG. Porsche will be again represented by one of the stalwart GT Open teams, Italys Autorlando Sport, with a driver line-up still not disclosed. Finally, the Mosler GT3 of Rafael Unzurrunzaga will once again be faithful to the series.
As usual, the European F3 Open will partner with the GT Open throughout the season and offers this year a very strong grid, while the Radical European Masters and the Maserati MC Trofeo will contribute to an exciting racing programme at the Ricard.
TV coverage for the GT Open has further been strengthened, and will count again on pan- European live coverage by Motors TV, with major national broadcasters also offering races live in key markets such as Italy (Raisport), Germany (Sport1+), Spain (Teledeporte and Canal + Deportes, and Portugal (Teledeporte).
GT Open Ricard Timetable / Horario GT Open Ricard (All times local, CET / Hora local, CET)
Friday, 26th April 2013 / Viernes 26 Abril 201310:35-11:35 Free Practice 1 / Libres 114:10-15:10 Free Practice 2 / Libres 2
Saturday 27th April 2013 / Sbado 27 Abril 201309:45-10:00 Qualifying / Clasficacin1 GTS10:00-10:05 Qualifying / Clasficacin1 SGT + GTS10:05-10:20 Qualifying / Clasficacin1 SGT11:40-11:55 Qualifying / Clasficacin 2 GTS11:55-12:00 Qualifying / Clasficacin 2 SGT + GTS12:00-12:15 Qualifying / Clasficacin 2 SGT16:00-17:10 Race 1 / Carrera 1 (70 - Rolling Start / Salida lanzada)
Sunday 28th April 2013 / Domingo 28 Abril 201312:20-13:10 Race 2 / Carrera 2 (50Rolling start / Salida lanzada)
