Aston Martin and Mercedes consider return to Sports Car Racing London, September 4, 2003 Maserati confirmed Aston Martin almost certain Mercedes new playground ? Le Mans Endurance Series a popular concept Audi considering a Diesel Two major manufacturers will, at the end of this month, make their decisions regarding their racing activities and, pending the outcome of high-level meetings, the future of sportscar racing will be sealed. For a few years now we have had, in particular, Porsche and Ferrari steering the regulatory bodies towards a top class of sports car that resembles the cars that they sell, and they have succeeded. |
Maserati confirmed Maserati has already confirmed that it will build a new car, a carbon-tub GTS machine related to the Ferrari Enzo, which will run in direct competition with the officially sanctioned, N-Technology-built Ferrari 575 in the FIA GT Championship. The Maserati will also face competition from the privately-developed Pagani Zonda, powered by a version of the Mercedes V12 engine, the only other carbon- tub GTS car in existence. |
| Aston Martin almost certain Aston Martin will make its announcement at the end of this month after a few years of looking into sports car racing. The British manufacturer commissioned a study by Graham Humphreys to look into the viability of the discipline and, it seems, they liked what they saw. They are now in discussion with Prodrive as partners in the project and the likelihood is that Swiss oil shipping magnate Frederic Dor, who financed the development of the Prodrive Ferrari 550 Maranello, will be involved. French team ORECA withdrew from the discussion with Aston Martin as the proposed deal required the company to take a substantial stake in the project. |
| Mercedes new playground ? The other manufacturer considering this month a return to top flight endurance racing is Mercedes, though the top brass are said to be very jumpy about anything appearing in print, but should have a thicker skin than that. The German manufacturer is building a carbon tub road car, in association with McLaren, which has been tested by journalists, and sources within the company report that those with racing in their blood desperately want to take it racing. There are obvious obstacles to such a plan, including the marque's history at Le Mans and certain company line on Formula One and the DTM series, but the car is there and it must be in the back of their minds that someone will turn it into a racing car regardless. Look at Ray Bellm and the McLaren F1 project, and Toine Hezemans with the Pagani. If those two top line-manufacturers take the decision to race, the whole shape of sports car racing will change with a return to closed-top, manufacturer-backed super cars, the "dream cars" that Stephane Ratel has been advocating for many years. Now, for the first time in many years, there are already established platforms in which to race these cars in the American Le Mans Series and the FIA GT Championship, and these stable platforms are drawing the manufacturers back. A stable set of regulations is a contributory factor, with an alliance, or rather an understanding, formed between the ACO and the FIA. There is also considerable interest in the discipline, from Stephane Ratel who has put his heart and soul into the FIA GT Championship, and Don Panoz who has worked similar wonders in the US with the American Le Mans Series. |
| Le Mans Endurance Series a popular concept The FIA GT Championship has grown in stature, attracting Ferrari and Maserati over the next two years, the Le Mans Endurance Series is proving to be a popular concept, and the American Le Mans Series is still going strong with private Audis, Panoz, MG, Ferrari, factory Corvettes, semi-factory Porsches, and some fine, household-name drivers. Porsche's plans for a return to racing are, we understand, a little circumspect despite its obvious and ill-hidden interest in the new rules. While the enthusiasts are horrified that the company can build the Carrera GT, a car already based on the still-born prototype project, and not automatically take it racing, the decision of Mercedes and Aston Martin may be enough to persuade even the most atheistic hearts in top-level management. We can draw some comfort from the fact that, if you talk to different departments, you get a different opinion on the racing activities. That is because some are working on racing parts for the car, others aren't, and they are all independent of each other. |
| Audi considering a Diesel Audi is considering a closed-top challenger to succeed its R8, but will probably concentrate on the LM-GTP class and is rumoured to be considering a diesel. We will know more in October regarding the VW Group's plans. SEAT has a concept car on the drawing board, Lamborghini is building a car through German tuner Reiter Engineering, and Bentley has a proven race winner with a 'hardly raced or rallied' sticker attached. Aston Martin, Mercedes, Porsche, Audi, Bentley, Ferrari. These are the manufacturers who have formed the backbone of sports car racing in years gone by, who have supported the growth of the ALMS and the FIA GT Championship in its various stages. These are the manufacturers who are looking to return again. They are the cycle, and they are evaluating coming around again |
Andrew Cotton |
|
