05.03.2004 BMS SCUDERIA ITALIA FASTEST AFTER FIRST FIA GT CHAMPIONSHIP TEST SESSION AT MONZA

Sixteen GT cars travelled to Monza to take part in the official two-day test for the FIA GT and European Touring Car Championships which kicked off yesterday.  With Thursday's weather bright and cool, the teams were able to take part in a number of practice sessions, some of which were shared with the cars of the FIA European Touring Car Championship.

They included the championship winning BMS Scuderia Italia and Care Racing, with three Ferrari 550 Maranello cars, and drivers Bobbi, Gardel, Cappellari, Gollin, Calderari, Bryner and Livio.

New face among this line up is Swiss driver Gabriele Gardel who has been signed up to join Matteo Bobbi for BMS Scuderia Italia in 2004, replacing Thomas Biagi who has joined Barron Connor Racing for an LMES program. The 26-year-old, who joined the FIA GT Championship last year, drove for Freisinger Motorsport in N-GT, with a best result of third at Donington Park.

"I am really happy to have signed for BMS," Gabriele said. "Last year I drove for the top N-GT team, and I have to thank Freisinger for teaching me how to drive in endurance racing. Now I will be driving alongside the 2003 Champion in the GT class, it's really a dream come true."  With ten years of motorsport experience behind him, Gabriele is looking forward to the season ahead. "It's too early to say what the season will hold, but I am sure we will have a competitive car. Both Prodrive and Michelin have worked hard over the winter months to develop the car."

In Monza Walter Lechner Jr is testing the Konrad Motorsport Saleen S7-R with which he set pole on two occasions last year, while the Vitaphone Racing Team also has a Saleen S7-R, raced by Uwe Alzen and Michael Bartels. The two Germans previously raced in the Championship in 1998. The third Saleen on track yesterday was the RML car, driven by Mike Newton and Tommy Erdos.

New outfit GPC Sport have a Ferrari 575 Maranello, shared yesterday by Philipp Peter and Fabio Babini, while Joël Camathias and Emanuele Naspetti should be in the car today.  FIA regulars Autorlando Sport, Mastercar and Autopalace were in the N-GT field.

During the first session, the Vitaphone Racing Team Saleen S7-R of Alzen and Bartels was fastest, with a time of 1:46.044, ahead of the BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari of Bobbi and Gardel. The nr 15 Lister Storm of Pearce and Wolff was third, ahead of the Lechner Jr in the Konrad Saleen. 

BMS Scuderia Italia went fastest in the second session, with the Ferrari 550 Maranello shared by Gollin and Cappellari fastest, with a time of 1:45.001. Tom Coronel, in the nr 14 Lister Storm, was second, with Uwe Alzen third in the Saleen, with a time of 1:45.614

The GT cars were next out in the fourth session, with Gollin and Cappellari once again fastest, this time with a lap of 1:44.734. The Care Racing Ferrari of Calderari, Bryner and Livo was second, with a time of 1:45.652, with the Vitaphone Racing Team Saleen S7-R of Alzen and Bartels third.  The fastest N-GT car was the Yukos Freisinger, with a time of 1:52.506.

The final session of the day also gave the fastest time, with Gollin setting a time of 1:44.119 in the Ferrari 550 Maranello, ahead of the Care Racing Ferrari and the second BMS car. The nr 14 Lister was fourth, Tom Coronel setting a time of 1:45.537. The leading N-GT car, the Porsche 996 GT3-RS, also improved, setting a time of 1:51.353.

Testing continues at Monza for a second day today.

Meanwhile, after the closing date for entries to the 2004 FIA GT Championship, at midnight last Saturday, the SRO has announced that it has received copies of 35 full-season entry forms, which have been sent to the FIA. It would appear that there is a big increase in the GT class for this eighth season of the Championship, with no fewer than 27 cars sending in entry forms, while the N-GT class has received eight full-season entrants.

In the GT class, a total of seven Ferrari 575 M and four 550 Maranello cars will bring the total number of Ferrari cars taking part to eleven. Their main opposition would come from a strong squad of five Saleen S7-R cars and four Lister Storms, with two Chrysler Viper cars also taking part.

Two Maserati and two Lamborghini R-GT cars have sent in full-season registrations, while using the option laid down in the Sporting Regulations to defer their starting date to later in the season. With the Aston Martin likely to enter the Championship at the very end of the season, this would mean no fewer than three new Manufacturers entering the GT class during the course of the 2004 season.

In the N-GT class, a number of programmes are still being finalised, but there would appear to be a well-balanced category for 2004, with four Porsche cars battling against four Ferrari 360 Modena cars. This limited number of full-season entrants will be completed by a number of race-by-race entrants, bringing the grids up to close to the maximum number of cars allowed by the regulations.

A complete list of the full-season entrants will be issued by the FIA during the second week of March, after the receipt of the entry fees has been confirmed.