04.09.2004 "We are confident, I have good feedback from the team and we are optimistic for the remaining sessions and the race" DAMS FIA GT free practice report from Imola

Yesterday marked the first official FIA GT practice session session for the two new DAMS Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT sportscars at Imola driven by Jean-Denis Deletraz, Andrea Piccini, Felipe Ortiz and Beppe Gabbiani.

In their first run against competitors including the Ferrari 550 Maranello, Saleen S7-R and also making its FIA GT debut, the Maserati MC12, the pair of bright black and orange cars showed good reliability and efficiency, especially so for such new cars.

As with all new cars there are a few small details that needed sorting. The priority was less on recording fast lap times and more on getting experience for the drivers and the technical crew.

Jean-Paul Driot, CEO of DAMS said afterwards, “I am happy with the work of the team today. You can’t expect to have the cars spending all the time on the track like the other teams which have been racing in these series for one, two or more years.

"We are confident, I have good feedback from the team and we are optimistic for the remaining sessions and the race. I think this week-end will be crucial in our acknowledge of the car and we should get the benefits at Oschersleben.”

Meanwhile lead driver Andrea Piccini commented, "It was the first session in the car. I don't think it's too bad. We are two and a half seconds off the pace and we are quite close to the 575 cars. We are a way behind the Saleens but we have 60 kilos on board. On this track, that's maybe one second.

"So there's going to be a big gap. The car is not really easy to drive at the moment. It looked easier during testing, but with the temperatures here, it's not easy at all. We still have to work, but I think we can do a good job.

"The heat is a bit of a problem for us, because the air flow in the car is minimal, and we have to open something in the roof to get some fresh air at least. It's all new, so we have to work a bit on the car."