FIA-GT: a tough trip to Brno for Pirelli
TO BRNO FOR PIRELLI
Milan, 20 September 2007- The FIA GT Championship calendar contains an extremely busy September for all the teams. Just two weeks after the stunning spectacle of Adria's night race, the crews are back on track this weekend in the Czech Republic.
The race will take place at the well-known Brno circuit, which traditionally punishes machinery and tyres because of its notoriously abrasive asphalt. The variable weather conditions in the area are another constant headache for Pirelli's technicians and all the teams running on Pirelli P Zero Racing tyres.
Following some excellent performances in the Adria race on September 8 - a direct result of a useful test programme during August that ended in Valencia - Pirelli will bring some tried and tested solutions specifically adapted to Brno's unique demands. The circuit will be particularly challenging for cars carrying plenty of ballast.
Pirelli's top drivers in the FIA GT Championship are feeling confident about their prospects in next Sunday's race. Fabio Babini, third overall in Adria driving the AMR-BMS Aston Martin DBR9, said: "Brno is certainly one of the most challenging races on the calendar. It's a tortuous track with an incredibly abrasive surface, which causes a lot of tyre wear. The weather conditions are always inconsistent at the circuit as well.
This can sometimes be of help, as wet weather makes the track less aggressive - but it's certainly not something that you can ever rely on. Pirelli has worked very hard at Valencia and at other tests to come up with P Zero Racing tyres that proved to be excellent at providing traction on the exit of corners at Adria, and delivered consistent performance.
It's true that the abrasive conditions of Brno will not be quite the same as the track conditions we had in Italy, but I'm still feeling confident."
The role of pre-race favourite amongst the Pirelli runners goes nonetheless to Maserati. At the Adria race, the Playteam Sarafree MC12 driven by Bertolini-Piccini and running on Pirelli P Zero Racing tyres was an excellent second overall after a spirited performance from the two Italians.
Another good omen from Adria was the performance of the BMS-Scuderia Italia Porsche 997 GT3-RSR of Collard and Malucelli, which finished on the podium despite carrying a load of ballast - on a circuit like Adria to which it is not best suited for the 997 GT3-RSR.
A Pirelli-equipped Saleen will also be seen at Brno, with Tomas Enge as its star driver. The young Czech will be racing on home territory, with the motivation and the speed to get amongst the frontrunners during the race that starts on the afternoon of Sunday 23 September.
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