06.10.2004 The FIA GT teams took to the new 5.39km Dubai track today for two free practice sessions ahead of tomorrow's final qualifying AND it was the AF Corse-run Maserati MC12 sportscars that led the way

For the first time since 1999, the FIA GT Championship has left Europe, with the tenth round of the Championship being held at the brand-new 5.39km Dubai Autodrome, in the United Arab Emirates.

Today's free practice sessions have seen times improve over the day, with the best times set in the afternoon, and  fastest overall times of 1:58.152 from the nr 34 Maserati MC12 and 2:04.744 in N-GT from the GPC Giesse Squadra Corse Ferrari 360 GTC.

It was extremely hot in Dubai today, with the sun blazing down after a misty start to the morning. Temperatures were over 35°C with the asphalt over 40°C, but humidity made the conditions seem worse. Night falls relatively quickly, with the circuit plunged into darkness shortly after 6pm.

Thirty cars are due to line up for Friday's 10th round of the FIA GT Championship, with the 500km race exceptionally starting at 3pm in the afternoon, running almost into dusk. Nineteen cars are running in the GT category, the remainder in the N-GT category.

2003 FIA GT Champion Thomas Biagi has returned to the  FIA GT Championship for the first time this year. He is sharing the nr 3 Care Racing Ferrari 550 Maranello with Lilian Bryner and Enzo Calderari.

GPC has changed its drivers around, with Morbidelli sharing the nr 11 Ferrari 575 GTC with Fabio Babini, while Philipp Peter and Emanuele Naspetti are in the nr 13 car. Jaime Melo moves to the team to join Christian Pescatori in the nr 62 N-GT class Ferrari 360 GTC, while the Italian outfit has also entered a second N-GT car for Marco Lambertini, Luca Drudi and Vincent Vosse.

The nr 19 JMB Racing Ferrari 575 GTC is being driven by Andrea Garbagnati, Peter Kutemann and Stephane Daoudi this week, while the French team has also entered a Ferrari 360 Modena in the N-GT category, for French drivers Jean-Pierre Malcher and  Jean Yves Mallat.

DAMS has drafted its Formula Renault V6 stars into its Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT line-up for this round, with Neel Jani listed alongside Deletraz and Piccini, while Jose Maria Lopez of Argentina joins Gabbiani and Ortiz.

FIRST FREE PRACTICE : BOBBI IN THE LEAD

Outgoing Champion Matteo Bobbi was the fastest in the first free practice session around the new Dubai Autodrome. His nr 1 BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari 550 Maranello set a time of 2:00.509, seven tenths faster than the nr 8 RML Saleen. The nr 33 AF Corse Maserati MC 12 was third, ahead of the nr 7 RML Saleen.

The nr 11 GPC Giesse Ferrari was fastest at the start of the session, followed by the nr 28 Graham Nash Motorsport Saleen. However, Bobbi's time, set half-way through the session, was not to be beaten, and improvements from the Maserati and later the RML cars saw the GPC and GNM cars slip down to sixth and eighth by the end of the session. 

In N-GT, the best time was set by the nr 62 GPC Giesse Squadra Corse Ferrari 360 Modena of Christian Pescatori and Jaime Melo, ahead of the nr 99 and 50 Freisinger Porsches. The fastest time was of 2:06.271, significantly faster than the times set yesterday in the test session.

FREE PRACTICE 2 : AF CORSE AND GPC IN THE LEAD

The second free practice session took part in the early afternoon, and despite the heat, the times continued to come down around the impressive Dubai racetrack. 

The nr 11 GPC Giesse Ferrari was fastest early on, however fifteen minutes into the session, the nr 1 BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari set the best time, with a lap of 2:00.050.

Twenty minutes later, the two-minute barrier was broken, with the nr 34 AF Corse car setting a time of 1:58.961, while the nr 1 car improved to 1:59.418. Both the AF Corse cars further improved their times, the nr 33 moving up to second place. But these remained the only three cars to go under the 2:00 barrier.

In N-GT, the nr 99 Freisinger Motorsport Porsche of Maassen and Luhr was fastest for much of the session, until the nr 62 GPC Ferrari improved shortly before the end, setting a time of 2:04.744, which remained the best time of the session in this category.