16.09.2003  FIA GT SERIES HEADS TO OSCHERSLEBEN AS TITLE RACE CLOSES UP

Oschersleben should see the return of both Eurotech Porsche 996 GT3-RS cars, while Jürgen von Gartzen's JVG Racing will also make a welcome return to the Championship, with two Porsche 996 GT3-RS cars, one for Mark Mayall and Ian Khan, the other for frequent GT competitors Horst Felbermayr and Horst Felbermayr Jr.  This should bring the field up to 32 cars, with 33 expected for Estoril and 36 for Monza.

Having failed to finish the last two races, the nr 23 Ferrari 550 Maranello will only carry 20 kg in Oschersleben, with the nr 22 car on 55 kg after a fourth-place finish in Sweden.  The nr 14 Lister will have 40 kg, with the nr 2 Konrad Saleen on 30 kg and the nr 15 Lister on 20 kg.  In N-GT, Freisinger Motorsport's nr 50 still has the maximum penalty weight, 50 kg, while EMKA Racing and MENX will both be on 20 kg, and the nr 99 RWS Yukos Porsche on 35 kg. The nr 88 Team Maranello Concessionaires Ferrari will carry 10 kg after finishing third in Anderstorp.

BMS MAINTAIN POINTS LEAD

Italian team BMS Scuderia Italia still has a healthy lead in both the Team and Drivers classifications, after winning the first six rounds of the year.  In Anderstorp, for the first time this season, the Ferrari 550 Maranello did not finish on the podium. "It was bad luck for us, but good for the Championship," Thomas Biagi explained.  "I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to drive there in the race, but these things happen.  Matteo Bobbi and I have already set a record for consecutive wins in our first season.  We are quietly confident for Oschersleben; we'll only have 20 kg penalty, and I think the circuit will be good for the car, better than Estoril and Monza, where our smaller restrictors might be more penalising."  Biagi is familiar with the circuit, having raced there in Formula 3000 during the same meeting as the first FIA GT Championship race there, in 1998.  "I have some good memories, as I started in 19th place on the grid, and finished fourth in the rain, after overtaking Juan Pablo Montoya, among others !"

TMC LOOKS FORWARD TO OSCHERSLEBEN

With third place in Anderstorp for the nr 88 Ferrari 360 Modena , Jamie Davies moved ahead of JMB Racing's Fabrizio De Simone, as the closest rival to points leaders Ortelli and Lieb.  Team Maranello Concessionaires, despite only one car finishing, also maintained second place in the Teams Championships.

"Team Maranello Concessionaires is enjoying a productive year in the FIA GT Championship," team spokesman John Newman explained. " We came to the series having achieved success in British GTs in 2002 and committed to being competitive in our first full year of the European series.  After seven rounds, we find ourselves in second place in the Team's Classification behind last year's champions and our driver and recent Le Mans winner, Jamie Davies, is also second behind the leading pair in the Drivers' Championship.  However, whilst being competitive is gratifying, our aim is to ensure that we arrive in Oschersleben for round eight fighting fit and ready to challenge for the top step of the podium. Our confidence level is as high as ever and our people are motivated, as always."

JMB RACING AWAITS NEW CAR

The racing version of the Ferrari 575 Maranello was on display this week at the IAA Frankfurt Motor Show, with JMB Racing planning to enter the new car for the last two races of the year.  "We had a number of minor problems during the race in Anderstorp, which meant we could not do as well as in free practice or the warm-up," Philipp Peter explained, after the team took one point for eighth place.  "But we are definitely progressing.  We hope to test the 575 shortly and run it at Estoril and Monza.  As for Oschersleben, it is a tight circuit where you need a good-handling car.  I'm sure the Saleen and Lister cars will be the favourites.  But we will try to be up there, and to really finish a race competitively.  We would like to go out on a high point before moving over to the new 575."

In the N-GT Championship, JMB Racing is lying third, with Fabrizio De Simone fourth in the Drivers points. In Anderstorp, the nr 52 JMB Racing Ferrari 360 Modena was competitive all weekend but dropped out of contention after a throttle problem.  "We were increasingly competitive, and it could have been our race.  I really hope that the car will be as good in Oschersleben," Fabrizio De Simone explained.  "The track should suit us, but as it's in Germany, the Porsche cars will be keen to win.  In terms of the Championship, we are currently third, but we are a long way behind. But we will do all we can, and go for the wins !"

HOME RACE FOR WIETH RACING

Oschersleben will be the home round for German team Wieth Racing and its Ferrari 550 Maranello. "The car is now beginning to be really competitive, as could be seen by the lap times in Anderstorp," team manager Florian Hebel explained.  "During the first part of the race, Wolfgang had no problems to follow the BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari driven by Fabrizio Gollin, even though he had flat-spotted his tyres due to braking hard to avoid being part of the first-corner crash.  His lap times have made us really confident for Oschersleben, which will additionally be our home race, with a lot of important guests."    The name of Kaufmann's team-mate for the eighth round will be announced shortly.

LAMBORGHINI MURCIELAGO FOR LAST TWO RACES

During the IAA Frankfurt Motor Show, it was announced that Reiter Engineering would be entering the new Lamborghini car, the Murciélago R-GT, in the Estoril and Monza rounds of the FIA GT Championship.  The car, derived from the super sports car, the Lamborghini Murciélago, was developed jointly  between Reiter Engineering in Germany and Lamborghini's parent company Audi's sports division, Audi Sport.  The car will be tested, and driven at Estoril, by Peter Kox, of the Netherlands, and British driver Oliver Gavin.  The duo also drove for Reiter in the final round of the 2001 FIA GT Championship, at the wheel of the Lamborghini Diablo GT, giving the car its best-ever result with a fine 5th place.  "I am obviously very excited to be involved in the first stages of this programme," Kox said . "I have known Hans [Reiter] for many years; he was my engineer when I drove in touring cars with BMW.  Ollie and I have also driven together at Estoril before, so it will be fun to team up again for this one-off occasion rather than being against each other as we are in America."