21.04.2004 AFTER DISAPPOINTMENT IN MONZA JMB RACING WERE DELIGHTED TO SEE ALL THREE OF THEIR FERRARI 575GTC CARS FINISH IN THE POINTS AT VALENCIA

After mixed results from the first round of the FIA GT Championship, JMB Racing were keen to climb back into a challenging position in Valencia, and to write its name at the top of the classifications, as it has done during the last two seasons.

In Monza, Lady Luck did not smile on the team’s three cars, but the wind changed during the Spanish round of the FIA GT Championship.

In Valencia, the LG Super Racing Weekend started under driving rain. However, the hostile weather conditions suited the JMB Racing cars, as they performed very well on the drenched circuit, and during the first free practice session, were always positioned near the top of the classification.

The qualifying sessions were less favourable and it seemed difficult to find the right set-up on the dry track.The nr 17 Ferrari 575 GTC, driven by the all-Austrian line-up of Wendlinger, Wolff and Lechner, nevertheless managed to reach the fifth row of the starting grid, giving them a good opportunity to put up a fight during the race.

It was an opportunity that Karl Wendlinger was able to seize, and after making an excellent start, he handed the Ferrari 575 GTC over to Toto Wolff in third position.

Wolff was able to maintain position, even if the car was beginning to show some weakness in the braking area by the end of his stint.

Therefore, Robert Lechner inherited a car which was significantly handicapped by a brake problem. However, having adjusted his driving to optimise the performance of a tricky and ailing car, he only conceded a single place, and took the chequered flag in fourth position.

This also marked the first points finish for 1999 series Champion Karl Wendlinger since his return to the Championship this season.

"The goal for us for this race was to finish, and we got that," Karl said. "We learned a lot this weekend, I think, and I hope we can use that experience for the next races. It was a good weekend for us. I think we will be well prepared for Magny-Cours, and we should be able to use everything we have learnt here for our team's home race. We will aim to improve each time." 

Alongside this excellent but frustrating result, the two other cars entered by the Team put in strong performances. Both of them had a new driver, who had to undergo a baptism of fire in the F575 GTC, Thomas Bleiner, another Austrian driver, who reinforced the line-up of the nr 18 car and helped out Bert Longin and Ian Khan, while Andréa Garbagnati joined the nr 19 crew.

It proved to be an extremely successful first attempt for both of them, both scoring points on their maiden drive in the Ferrari, finishing in seventh and eighth places in the GT classification respectively.

During this second round of the Championship, the drivers proved the reliability of the cars, giving the Team the great satisfaction of seeing its three Ferrari cars cross the finish line.

The three cars finished in the points, which is the finest reward for all the preparation work undertaken by JMB Racing since the end of last season, which had not given the expected result during the first round of the Championship, but which has now paid off.

However, far from resting on its laurels, JMB Racing is already turning towards the future, putting the final details to a test program which should allow them to aim for overall victory.