FIA GT 2004: second round on the Valencia Circuit in Spain

The next round of the 2004 FIA GT Championship will be run on the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia, Spain, on April 17/18. The 4-kilometre long track has recently staged the start of the 2004 Superbike World Championship (which uses Pirelli control tyres) and offers stunning modern facilities. Built in 1999, Valencia has a technical yet compact lap that allows spectators an excellent view of the action. After the first race in Monza, the GT teams and drivers have revealed their potential to improve and develop during the season - even though there is a long way to go. With this in mind, the newborn GPC Squadra Corse team's Ferrari 575 GTC, running on the new Pirelli PZero tyres, is sharpening its focus in preparation for the next race. Performance improvements are expected in every area, particularly the aerodynamics. The team's result in Monza, which was very encouraging for a brand new outfit, has provided an excellent starting point to what is expected to be a hard-fought year. Their opposition includes other Ferrari F575s and the Ferrrari 550 of the BMS Scuderia Italia squad. In the middle of the season, Maserati's MC12, running on Pirelli tyres, will also join the fray. Another car to watch will be Konrad Motorsport's PZero-equipped Saleen S7-R, which was fastest but ultimately ill-fated at the Monza race. In Valencia, it will have to demonstrate optimal reliability as well as outright engine power. In the N-GT category a great Ferrari-Porsche duel is expected, as was the case last season. After their second place in Monza, Fabrizio De Simone and Christian Pescatori have demonstrated that their magnificent PZero-equipped Ferrari 360 is the only car on a level playing-field with the German competition. And its development has only just begun...