FIA-GT: Mansell and his Ferrari-Pirelli the anxiously awaited stars of Silverstone
FIA-GT: MANSELL AND HIS FERRARI-PIRELLI
THE ANXIOUSLY AWAITED STARS OF SILVERSTONE
New developments include the switch to PZero Racings by the Corvette that came second in China, driven by Peter-Hines. All the teams on Pirelli will be at Silverstone after the test sessions in Portugal at the end of April.
Milan, 2nd of May 2007 - More than two months after the first race of the season at Zhuhai, China, the international FIA-GT Championship is back with one of the most anxiously awaited races of the entire season. The Silverstone event will assign the prestigious Tourist Trophy to the winning crew, while on a decidedly more sporting note the race sees the return to official FIA racing of Nigel Mansell at the wheel of a Ferrari 430 GTC on Pirelli PZero Racing tyres, entered by Scuderia Ecosse.
As well as the 1992 F1 world champion, who competed on Pirelli P7s fitted to his Lotus-Renault in the Eighties and raced extensively in Formula One, other matters of notable interest to Pirelli include the switch by the Team PSI Experience Corvette C6-R - the car that came second in Zhuhai with Peter-Hines - to PZero Racings. This gives the Milan tyre manufacturer an additional, highly competitive crew for the British event. There was also notable progress made at the recent Portuguese tests by all the teams racing on the tyres produced by Pirelli Competizioni.
Philipp Peter, ex-standard bearer of the works Audi team at Le Mans and Sebring and for years a member of teams supported by Pirelli who raced the Ferrari 550 Maranello or 575 GTC and the Maserati MC12, said, "I am extremely pleased to have the opportunity of competing on Pirellis again. If the car is able to adapt quickly to the PZero Racings, it is certain that there is the possibility of us achieving an optimum result, like the second place at Zhuhai. In fact, my C6-R campaigned by other drivers in France during the GT FFSA was fitted exclusively with PZero Racings and it won at Nogaro and finished second at Ledenon three days ago. I hope that this positive series of results continues at Silverstone", Peter concluded.
As Pierluigi De Cancellis, Pirelli Competizioni's Circuit Manager, explains, "We have prepared for Silverstone by conducting many far reaching test sessions at Estoril a few days ago. We worked on many fronts, developing and test driving new tread compounds and constructions designed expressly for the individual cars for which they are destined. Silverstone is a track that demands perfect equilibrium between the chassis and the suspension and the circuit's layout puts great stress on the engine and brakes. The weather conditions are another inconstant variable, so much so that we will also take to Britain a wide range of rain tyres".
For more information and pictures on Pirelli's motorsport activities visit: www.pirellicompetizioni.com
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