CR Scuderia’s FIA GT programme got off to a flying start with a productive test session at Snetterton. The day’s running was delayed by freezing fog over Norfolk but, once that lifted, the engines were fired up and the cars took to the track.

The Snetterton test provided the first opportunity for the team to run its two GT2 class Ferrari F430 GTs on Michelin tyres. They had a lot of work to get through but with Andrew Kirkaldy, Rob Bell and Tim Mullen on driving duty, they worked steadily through the job list, and all reported that the cars felt good.

“It’s good to have a trouble-free run during the first GT2 test of the year,” said CRS Team Manager, Malcolm Swetnam. “We will continue our preparations with a three day test in Spain next week, as planned.”

The CRS team is heading for a warmer climate next week, to the Monteblanco Circuit, close to Seville. The team will run from Monday until Wednesday with its FIA GT and British GT cars.

The new team will race Ferrari F430 GTs in the FIA GT and British GT Championships, alongside a single-seater campaign in the Formula Renault UK Championship. Although the CR Scuderia (CRS) name is new, the team has strong roots in the industry. The team is the brainchild of Chris Niarchos, Chairman of the Cobra Group, a long-time sponsor of British motorsport talent. As the Team Principal of CRS, Chris has built a strong team around him to take on the formidable challenge of entering three competitive championships.

The Team Director at CRS is Andrew Kirkaldy, a former winner of the McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award, who has also run his own successful race team. Malcolm Swetnam is the CRS Team Manager and with 20 years of experience with manufacturers such as Ferrari, Ford, Honda and Seat, he knows a thing or two about running a top team. CRS has a group of top engineers, including Steve Bunkhall, Eddie Hinckley and Lee Penn, along with mechanics and marketing personnel with long careers in the worlds of Formula One, Touring Cars, sportscar racing and single-seaters.

Perhaps the biggest challenge for CRS in 2008 will be the FIA GT Championship. The team will run two Ferrari F430 GTs in the fiercely competitive GT2 category, fielding a group of talented drivers who know what it takes to win at an international level. Andrew Kirkaldy has proved many times that he is the fastest GT2 driver in the FIA GT Championship; now he will be joined by the current Le Mans Series GT2 Champion, Rob Bell, creating what could turn out to be an unbeatable partnership.

In the sister car Chris Niarchos and Tim Mullen will recreate the successful partnership that brought them many race wins and the title victory in the 2006 British GT Championship. “We have taken the time to talk to the best people in the industry to make sure we build a team with a winning pedigree,” said Team Principal, Chris Niarchos.