 |
|
The 2012 Maserati Trofeo MC World Series
season officially got underway with the
pre-season test at the Vallelunga circuit
near Rome; the two test days saw around
forty drivers from twelve countries trying
out the new car. |
|
|
|
The new
Maserati Trofeo MC World Series is ready to go. Now in
its third year, Maserati's single-make series has made a
number of big changes for 2012, the biggest of which
have been to the race calendar. Now, the European
boundaries have been broken with events programmed for
the Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, and the F1
circuit in Shanghai, China. The championship can now be
called 'global'.
Maserati will take care of running the series. The
all-inclusive format aims to suit gentleman drivers and those
who want to race high-performance cars from a marque
that has long been associated with motor racing.
The 2012 season officially got underway with the
pre-season test at Vallelunga to kick off a series won
by David Baldi last year. The two test days saw around
forty drivers from twelve countries trying out the new
car. Drivers from Italy, Denmark, Holland, Belgium,
Austria, Switzerland, England, Germany, Monaco, San
Marino, Hungary and the United Arab Emirates took part.
As things stand, there are 20 crews enrolled, including
three teams, AF Corse, Swiss Team and Konvex Racing,
which battled it out for the title last year. There are
also lots of drivers who have stayed loyal to the
Maserati series, like Cedric Sbirrazzuoli, who last year
scooped the Team title along with Alessandro Chionna,
and Renaud Kuppens (who has competed in the FIA GT).
Among the newcomers are Giorgio Sernagiotto/Giuseppe
Fascicolo (ex-Ferrari Challenge), Riccardo Ragazzi/Alan
Simoni (ex-Italian GT), Andrea Dromedari/Max Pigoli
(ex-Superstars International), Tiziano Cappelletti
(Italian GT4 champion).
The first round in the series is scheduled for 20 May at
Jarama, Spain. It is then on to Portimao, Portugal, on 3
June, Imola (Italy) on 24 June, and Paul Ricard (France)
on 22 July. Then come the two events that wrap up the
season: in North America, on 23 September, and Asia on 4
November.
The GranTurismo MC's new set up, featuring an
aerodynamic bodykit and reduced weight, will make it
more competitive. During test sessions held during the
winter break, the car showed that its performance was
much better as it lapped at an average of 2.5 seconds
quicker than the 2011 version. The 2012 races are also
new, with two formats to be run: the standard 40 minute
event will be run for three rounds with the other three
rounds made up of endurance races of two 30 minute and
one 50 minute event. The 50 minute races will feature a
compulsory pit stop and driver change for cars crewed by
two drivers.
The regulations have also been tweaked: as well as the
usual division between Trofeo and Team standings, this
year will see the introduction of an Absolute
classification. All the drivers can compete for a place
in these new standings with the winning team or driver
being crowned the 2012 Maserati Trofeo MC World Series
champion.
All the cars that appear in the Trofeo are made
track-ready by a dedicated team of technicians to ensure
that the drivers race on a level playing field. Private
teams can take part with cars set up in line with 2010,
2011 or 2012 spec. However, private cars have to meet
homologation criteria and Maserati's technical
requirements. The data analysis session with Maserati
engineers has also been confirmed.
The cost of competing in the Trofeo series is €110,000,
plus the race entry and test fees. €70,000 (excluding
fees) ensures participation in the four European stages.
For private teams fielding their own cars, the cost is
€35,000 (excluding fees) for the entire championship and
€25,000 (excluding fees) for the European legs only.
Maserati's track programme will also see an indirect
competition with a Maserati GranTurismo MC Trofeo GT3
from Swiss Team. The Swiss squad's GT3 will make its
first track outing at Jarama in the Spanish GT and will
then go on to appear in the GT Open. Incidentally, Swiss
Team contributed to developing the Trofeo 2012's kit.
Winter saw the first ever Maserati Trofeo JBF RAK. The
Maserati single-make series was held exclusively in the
Middle East over six gripping rounds. Races took place
on the F1 tracks in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Bahrain
with Lebanese driver Joe Ghanem eventually coming out on
top.ItaliaspeedTV
-
Maserati Trofeo World Series Pre
Season Test @ Vallelunga
|
|
|
