On the
glittering occasion of Capacete de Ouro 2009,
Brazil's annual motor sports awards, Fiat Automóveis,
which also sponsored the 2009 edition which was held last month,
presented in detail its two exciting new junior racing
series that are set for a national programme this year:
Trofeo Linea and Fiat Formula Future.
The two new sporting categories will be part of the new multi-series
Racing Festival, which is to be organized by RM
Racing Events and will also have a 600cc motorcycle
category. Its sponsor will be Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1
driver Felipe Massa. In addition to Fiat, the Racing
Festival is to be sponsored by Santander, Shell, FPT
Powertrain Technologies and Pirelli.
The Trofeo Linea will be a single-make category racing
car focused
on the production Linea T-Jet, which is marketed by the Italian
brand in Brazil. To turn the Linea into a genuine
'touring car' racer, preparations that have been made include
the 1.4-litre turbo being prepared for the stresses of
competition. Powered by ethanol fuel the 4-cylinder
turbocharged engine will have maximum horsepower
of 210 bhp. This unit will be fitted to a 6-speed
sequentially-operating Sadev STR3 gearbox imported from
France.
The Koni dampers
used meanwhile have been specially developed
for the racing Linea, while the dashboard's new racing
data-logging
instrumentation is sourced from the Fiat Group's Magneti
Marelli division. Finally new Brembo brakes, imported
from Italy, will stop the car and the interior harnesses
and other safety equipment (including a carbon-fibre
steering wheel) are supplied by Sparco.
The development of the Linea is being conducted by
MetalMori together with the engineering of Fiat
Automobiles. "Our goal was to make a real touring car
with high technology at an affordable price," says
Carlos Henrique Ferreira who is responsible for the
project at Fiat.
The Linea ready-to-run costs R$ 155.000, but it is worth
noting that the teams and drivers will not have to bear
out the cost of an engine change, new bumpers and fuel
throughout the year. FPT Powertrain Technologies and LG
bumpers, in conjunction with MetalMori, will give full
their support at the tracks all year to ensure smooth operation
without additional costs to competitors, except in the case of
collisions. The ethanol fuel will be supplied by the organisers free of charge.
Meanwhile Formula Future Fiat is set to be a
first-rung-on-the-ladder category for young racing talent to
get their budding careers underway. It will use new cars
imported from France that are fitted with 1.6-litre
16-valve engines developed by FPT Powertrain
Technologies. The biggest advantage of this category
will be the low cost, enabling continuity for pilots
looking to make the next step from karting into a good
'formula school' to gain more experience at the wheel of
next-generation single-seater racing cars.
"The Formula Future Fiat category is unprecedented in
having the characteristic of being a 100 percent
school," said Felipe Massa on the occasion of Capacete de Ouro 2009 where Formula Future Fiat
was presented. The Brazilian driver also presented his fellow countryman Rubens Barrichello with the Capacete de Ouro 2009 award for
F1 Driver of the Year, while the top award was
clinched by Helio Castroneves. Other winners included:
Rafael Derani e Cláudio Ricci (Brazilian GT
Championship), Jonathon Louis (kart), Miguel Paludo
(Porsche GT3), Rafael Tulio and César Valandro (rally),
Maurício Nevez and Eduardo Bampi (off-road) and Júlio
Campos (touring cars).
"I believe fully in this format,"
continued Massa. "The pilots will have the same conditions throughout the
tournament and it will be at the cutting edge, which is
very important for everyone to gain technical experience
in their careers. In other words, everyone will have the
correct path to grow in motorsports," added the
Brazilian F1 driver who hasn't raced in a grand prix
since his serious accident in Hungarian qualifying last
summer.
During the presentation of Capacete de Ouro 2009
the first drivers already confirmed for Formula Future
Fiat were announced. Leonardo and Fernando Nienkotter
from Santa Catarina, along with one of the winners of
Capacete de Ouro 2009, Caca Bueno, who will double up
with his brother Popo Bueno, have all committed to the
series in 2010.
There will be twelve races spread over six weekends for
the Trofeo Linea
and Fiat Formula Future series', kicking off at
São Paulo on 24/25 April.
Round two will take place at Rio de Janeiro (15/16 May)
before the series reached the halfway mark when it moves
onto Brasília (24/25 June) for the third round. The
second half of the year will see the championship return
to São Paulo (21/22 August), before the penultimate
round is held at Curitiba (18/19 September). The series
will then wrap up with the sixth and final round at Porto Alegre (23/24 October).
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