Monaco-based Ferrari stalwart sportscar racing team JMB Racing have announced their ambitious plans for the 2005 FIA GT Championship.

As has been expected the team, which has been a loyal Ferrari customer almost since its inception, will now switch to the Maserati marque for their 2005 FIA GT Championship campaign.

JMB Racing will enter two of the new Maserati MC 12 GT1-class sportscars in the series, with the driver line-up to be announced at a later date. The MC 12 arrived on the scene towards the end of last year, and with two wins out of the last four races, it put down a strong marker. This year the MC 12 starts as the clear favourite for overall honours.

The team has also revealed that they will switch to Pirelli tyres (last year they ran Michelin-shod Ferrari 575 GTCs). Pirelli are the official tyre supplier to the MC 12 programme, having being involved from the start, and their official tester, Fabio Babini, has been closely involved in the MC 12's intensive test schedule. 

JMB entered three Ferrari 575 GTC cars during the 2004 FIA GT series, winning the Donington Park round, with Karl Wendlinger and Jaime Melo at the wheel, after a nail biting finish. The team also won the 2001 FIA N-GT Championship, with a Ferrari 360 Modena, driven by Christian Pescatori and David Terrien.
 

In fact since its inception in 1995, JMB Racing has won fourteen titles, among which were three Sports Car World Cups in 1998-1999-2000 with the Ferrari 333 SP and one title as FIA N-GT World Champion in 2001 with the Ferrari 360 Modena.

This year has marked JMB Racing’s eighth season of fidelity to Ferrari, the outfit already having entered a 360 Challenge during last month's 24 Hours of Daytona.

The spirit of partnership and the close cooperation of the JMB race team with Ferrari have been instrumental in the team’s racing achievements including 41 victories, 43 podium finishes, 24 pole positions and 18 track records.

JMB Racing reached a new high with Ferrari in last year. Six Ferrari cars were entered by JMB Racing and JMB Racing USA in four different series including three Ferrari 575 GTC in the FIA GT championship, one Ferrari 360 Modena in the LMES and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, one Ferrari 550 Maranello in the Italian GT series and one Ferrari 360 Modena in four races of the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series including the Rolex 24.