Nearly a month after the season got off to a thrilling, close-fought start in Silverstone, the teams and drivers of the 2008 FIA GT Championship will be heading back to Italy, and the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, which hosted the official pre-season tests in March.

The Grand Prix circuit, fast and powerful, is a regular feature on the FIA GT calendar, and this will be the eighth visit in twelve years. The race will also signal the start of the ‘Italian phase’ of this year’s calendar, as the third round – an evening race - will be held in Adria on June 21st.

Strangely, the results from Silverstone, with a win for Wendlinger/Sharp in Jetalliance’s Aston Martin DBR9, while AF Corse claimed the victory in GT2, mirror almost exactly the results last year in Monza – the only difference being the substitution of 2007’s Ortelli for 2008’s Vilander alongside Gianmaria Bruni. Both teams will surely be keen to further strengthen their early lead in the 2008 classifications.

However, they will face plenty of opposition, as Silverstone’s close finish proved.

Among the Aston Martin clan, Jetalliance will face the challenge of new team Gigawave Motorsport, which took its maiden podium on home ground in Great Britain. The Maserati MC 12 has never won at Monza, but both Vitaphone cars put in a strong performance in Silverstone to finish in the points, the lead car of Bartels and Bertolini recovering from 19th in a difficult qualifying session to finish second.

The SRT Corvette C6R, driven by triple Champion Christophe Bouchut and fast newcomer Xavier Maassen, was fastest in March’s Monza tests, while the two Phoenix Racing Corvettes proved their speed at Silverstone, where Marcel Fässler led for much of the race. Furthermore, for Monza, the cars will have the benefit of a larger restrictor, going from 30.6 to 31.6 mm.

The Saleens may not have shone in Britain, but the S7R is still credited with the fastest FIA GT race lap at Monza, and Larbre Competition, PK Carsport and RBImmo all have the car and drivers to equal that record. The IPB Spartak Reiter Engineering Lamborghini should not be discounted for another good performance. And both former Formula One drivers in the ACA Argentina Ferrari 550 Maranello should be on familiar territory, in a car that dominated the Monza rounds between 2003 and 2005.

New entrants for Monza are likely to include the Kessel Racing Ferrari 575 Maranello, and Lanza Motorsport’s Chrysler Viper GTS-R, which should be competing for the Citation Cup, alongside Silverstone Citation Cup winners AT-Racing, with Aliaksandr Talkanista and Wolfgang Kaufmann, and ARC Bratislava’s Saleen S7. ARC is also competing in the G2 class, up against category regular Belgian Racing, with their Gillet Vertigo, and G2 class winners GTO Charouz Racing, with their two Mosler MT900R cars.

In GT2, AF Corse started 2008 as they finished 2007 – on top of the podium. The reigning Champions won nine out of ten races last year, but it looks as if they will face plenty of opposition this year. New team CR Scuderia took pole in Silverstone – Andrew Kirkaldy’s eleventh – and finished second. BMS Scuderia Italia proved that they had made a successful move to the GT2 category and the Ferrari 430 GT2, finishing third. Paolo Ruberti took pole in Monza last year, and will be keen to extend that dominance to a first class win.

Scuderia Ecosse was fastest in March’s Monza test sessions, and their strong duo of Fabio Babini and Jamie Davies should be one to contend with next weekend, while Kessel Racing’s Henri Moser claimed a win at the track last year in the FIA GT3 European Championship. The second all-Argentine crew, in the Advanced Engineering Pecom Racing Team, will be on more familiar territory, having tested well in March.

This Ferrari armada is likely to face strong opposition from the Porsches, both those from Prospeed Competition, which was on form in Monza in the official tests, and the TrackSpeed car. They will be joined by Italian team Victor Racing, joining the Championship for the first time, with a Porsche 997 GT3 RSR for Victory, Giovanni and Giorgio Coggiola. A further change sees Tim Sugden replace Chris Niarchos in the nr 55 CR Scuderia Ferrari, for this race. Tim took pole in Monza in 2005, in the GruppeM Porsche.

A full and exciting weekend of racing, including two rounds of the FIA GT3 European Championship and three races in the GT4 European Cup, as well as top single-seater action from the British F3 International Series, and touring car action from the Superstars series, should put on a great show for the Monza spectators, and for the ever-increasing numbers able to watch the race live on television. And, hopefully, the sun will join in too…

Driver Comments :

Xavier Maassen – nr 3 SRT Corvette C6R : "I am optimistic for a number of reasons. Of course, our strong opening performance in Silverstone should have a good follow-up. Everything looks as if it is falling into place, and so we can be positive. We are now fourth in the Championship, a Championship where consistency is the key to success. Moreover, we have already spent two days in Monza earlier this season.

The FIA GT Championship had two official test sessions, one of which was in Monza. I was on the pace right away, and we were running in the top two or three during the whole session. Of course, that gives you plenty of confidence for the race weekend. Last, but not least, I know Monza, while Silverstone was totally new to me. I had to get to know a new track with a new car, which will not be the case in Monza. So I can't wait to get to Italy !"

Karl Wendlinger – nr 33 Jetalliance Aston Martin DBR9 : " I’m looking forward to Monza as I like the circuit – we had the official test there, so we were able to sort out the main things for the set up the car, and we know what we have to do when we arrive. Even with 40 kg, we should be competitive there. Monza is a good circuit for the Aston Martin – we have good braking, good acceleration, good top-speed, so it suits us, there’s no question."

Gianmaria Bruni – nr 50 AF Corse Ferrari 430 GT2 : "Monza is one of my favourite circuits. I did the Le Mans Series race there two weeks ago, and set the fastest category lap time in the race. Last year, I also got my first GT race win there. I also raced there in Formula One, but the car caught fire in the pit stop, so that was not so good. I qualified quite well for the car I had, but we had a fuel lead in the pit stop, and it went over the exhaust and caught fire, so not the sort of thing you want to happen.

As for this year, we’ll see. The Porsche will be very fast, and they don’t have any weight at all. So I think that will be the car to beat. I’ll try to get as close and possible and see what we can do. It’s a very nice Championship this year, as until five laps to go, you really don’t know who will win !"

Tim Sugden – nr 55 CR Scuderia Ferrari 430 GT2 : "I’m delighted to have been offered the opportunity to race with CR Scuderia at Monza. I know all the people in the team very well and can’t wait to drive for such a well-equipped and well-organised team. Monza is also one of my favourite tracks and I’m sure the combination of myself and Tim Mullen will work brilliantly."

Paolo Ruberti – nr 77 BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari 430 GT2 : "Regarding Monza, I really like the circuit with its high speeds. After a podium in the first race, I am hoping for a great result in front of the Italian fans, driving an Italian Car with Italian tyres, for an Italian team and with an Italian team mate."

- Jacquie GROOM, FIA -