Modena Matters GT, or not GT: that is the question: Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer...... It wasn’t so long ago that prototype racing was reported to be on its last legs, about to be kicked out in favour of massive manufacturer interest in the GT1 class, interest that has spawned the Corvette C6-R, the Aston Martin DBR9, the Maserati MC12 and the Ferrari 550 and 575. Audi was dominating prototypes and no one else wanted to come out to play. Who would ever raise the budget to race them? That has all changed in the space of seven months since Porsche announced an LMP2 programme, and at Road Atlanta, Maserati hinted that it would follow suit. The Trident marque was badly caught out by the rule changes in GT1 and the MC12 can never race at Le Mans. The ACO still refuse to scrutineer the car in the ALMS. Negotiations are continuing between the IMSA organisation, which invited the MC12 to race in the States, the ACO and Maserati to get the car to score points next year. If those talks fail, Maserati will not race in the ALMS at all next year, Guiseppe Risi confirming that he would instead switch classes to the GT2 with the new Ferrari 430. Risi has two MC12s, one which races, the other a brand spanking new model sitting in his shop. The Italian Job Maserati has a plan to support Stephane Ratel’s proposed GT3 project and also considered a GT2 effort. That was knocked on the head at a recent meeting at which it was decided that Maserati could not race against Ferrari’s new 430. What is happening with the 575 Maranello, in that case? We understand there will be little or no development on the car in 2006. Will the new 600 Imola, replacement to the 575 on the streets, race in GT1? Maserati’s plan was always to race at Le Mans. Unless the ACO opens the door to GT3 cars, Maserati cannot do it with a GT2, or its GT1. That leaves only a prototype option, and they won’t race against a diesel with the rules as they currently stand. Porsche have already looked at doing that and discounted it as a waste of time, money and effort. Diesel will dominate LMP1 in the future with Peugeot and Audi, which has been receiving a tanker full of racing diesel to its test facility every month for the past six months. Petrol-powered customer cars in LMP2 will form the support system. Smoke signals What of the future of the ALMS, then? There is currently no diesel market in the US passenger car scene, but with prices sky-rocketing thanks to the effects of the war in Iraq and the devastation left by two hurricanes which have badly hit oil production, the gas guzzlers are not as popular as they once were. We hear that Audi is planning to introduce its diesel engines into the US market, and what better way to market the performance diesel than to show off its Le Mans contender in the ALMS? Will that encourage Peugeot to do the same? That is a real punt in the dark but the ALMS will need either that, or for Audi to supply customer teams. If neither happens, and Audi races in the US alone in LMP1, the race for overall wins will be as dull as the Petit Le Mans at the weekend – a one- horse race and you would need to look at LMP2 for the excitement. Now, what of that excitement? Porsche versus Maserati on the American circuits, in customer hands in 2007 in Europe, and will they go head-to-head at Le Mans? And the class has attracted interest from Honda, Mazda already produces its rotary engine for the class which, in the words of Scott Atherton “have made our ears bleed all year”, Radical is coming and will join Lola, Courage, Pilbeam and Tampolli. GT3 that’s the one for me............... What will happen with GT1? Corvette has its C6-R which has put on a stunning performance against the Aston Martin DBR9, a car that has won now on both sides of the Atlantic in both customer and factory guise. If Ferrari is indeed stopping the GT1 programme, and the Aston Martin is the successor to Prodrive’s 550 Maranello, where will the opposition come? Ratel has said that the GT1 World Championship will live or die on the decision of General Motors to produce customer C6-Rs. Two are for sale, and Toine Hezemans is in the running to buy them at the end of the year, but can GM build, sell and support six? We can, says project manager Doug Fehan, but it requires cash up front, and politically GM is not in that position right now. The new superclass is the GT3, which will be the closest to showroom spec cars and has already attracted interest from Aston Martin (DBRS9), Lamborghini (Gallardo), Lotus (Exige), TVR (Sagaris) and Maserati (Trofeo). The class is aimed at wealthy amateur drivers who wish to race solely in Europe. If Maserati do go ahead and make this announcement, and we have been told that “the channel is open”, the predictions of a year ago will be worth diddly squat and the future of prototype racing will be safer than at any time anyone can remember. |
Andrew Cotton |
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