Manthey Racing Team in test VLN.

Fotos del Manthey Racing Team en el Test que daba inicio al mejor y mas grande Campeonato endurance del mundo.

Fotos Manthey Racing.

Nissan Sumo Power pleased to show potential

Nissan's Sumo Power squad were pleased to show their potential during the 2011 season opener at Abu Dhabi, despite moments of misfortune during the weekend preventing them from taking the points their performance had warranted.

The team had started the weekend in fine fashion as the Brazilian pairing of Enrique Bernoldi and Ricardo Zonta in the No. 20 GT-R collected fourth place in the Qualifying Race. Teammates David Brabham and Jamie Campbell-Walter in the No. 21 car meanwhile finished eighth, despite a delay during their pit stop which dropped them from fifth to 11th.

The team, carrying stickers in support of Japan following the country's recent disasters, looked set for an even better finish in the evening's Championship Race when Bernoldi pulled off a magnificent start to jump from third to the lead by the first corner - holding position until the pit stop window opened.

Misfortune again struck the team however as a pit lane collision between the No. 20 GT-R and the No. 41 Marc VDS Ford GT of Frederic Makowiecki and Maxime Martin - which was later handed a drive through penalty for the incident - dropped them out of the lead and ultimately out of the race due to damage.

After a difficult start to the race, the No. 21 GT-R of Campbell-Walter and Brabham bounced back to ninth at the finish, leaving the team rueing moments of misfortune - but also optimistic that their performance had merited stronger results.

“To get fourth when we had a few problems in the first race was good," Enrique Bernoldi explained. "To be able to go into the lead straight away (in race two) was fantastic - the timing was just right, I saw the gap in front and just drove through it. It was such a shame that we were in a good position for the win and then for Ricardo to be hit in the pit-lane, but at least we know we can be at the front now.”

Team-mate Ricardo Zonta echoed Bernoldi's thoughts, saying: "The team did a great job (giving) us a quick car. Enrique was able to take the lead from the start, but I could not believe that the Ford drove into me in the pit-lane. I don’t know what he was thinking, and of course it put me out of the race.”

In the No.21 Nissan, David Brabham hailed an educational debut in GT1 racing, saying: "Although I’ve competed in lots of GT races, this is my first time in GT1 and the way some of the things work in this championship is different than what I’ve been used to in others. The car was the best it’s been in the championship race and I was able to set a string of respectable lap times, so with a bit more work and spending more time in the Nissan, I think we have a good package.”

Team Manager Hiroki Furuse said he was pleased with the team's weekend, explaining: “Race one was the first for many of us in the team and therefore we were very pleased to score a top-four finish. Before we came to this race, we said we would be happy to take away a few points – and I’m pleased to say that we achieved our aim. We showed the potential of our team and the potential of our Nissan GT-Rs.”

Info and Foto FIA GT1 Championship/Acreditated and Autorized Media Press.

VLN Test/Fotos.

Las Primeras fotos de la temporada 2011 de la VLN - Nurburgring-Nordschleife, y el mas grande campeonato del mundo endurance, el 2 de abril comienza la temporada y la primera carrera. Fotos: Marc Reynders para AmigosRacing. Tenemos sillas disponibles para participar en este gran Campeonato en Nurburgring. Contactanos!!!

Para ver todas las fotos: Clic aqui

Johnny Herbert in the Audi R8 LMS

Mattias Ekström’s cast removed

DTM season start drawing nearer Audi drivers at press conference in Wiesbaden Johnny Herbert in the Audi R8 LMS

Ingolstadt, March 27, 2011 - Mattias Ekström has some catching up to do physically, just as official dates for the start of the DTM season become the focus of attentions.

Things are going according to plan for Mattias Ekström, whose cast has now been removed 34 days after his sporting accident. His doctors at Movemed in Zurich examined his injured left wrist last Wednesday and were happy with the level of healing. The Audi factory driver’s medical rehabilitation then began that same day.

Things are gearing up for the DTM presentation on Wiesbaden’s Wilhelmstraße on April 10: Filipe Albuquerque and Mattias Ekström will be in the city’s Kurhaus on Monday as guests at a press conference concerning the DTM presentation.

Flying visit: Audi factory driver Rahel Frey was at Audi Sport in Ingolstadt for two days last week, where the seat of her Audi A4 DTM was customized to fit the 25-year-old driver perfectly.

Welcome back: The Audi customer sport team United Autosports has signed up the former Le Mans winner Johnny Herbert to enter the 24 Hours of Spa in an Audi R8 LMS. Other team members include the former Formula 1 drivers Mark Blundell, Stefan Johansson, and Eddie Cheever. Herbert previously drove the LMP1 prototype Audi R8.

The 2011 VLN endurance racing season on the Nürburgring got underway last weekend with the first test drives. On Friday Frank Stippler got behind the wheel of an Audi R8 LMS belonging to Phoenix Racing, while on Saturday Mike Rockenfeller and Marco Werner took turns in the GT3. A second Phoenix R8 was put through its paces by Jan Brunstedt of Sweden and Christopher Haase.

Martin Tomczyk went to the Rosenheim-Bad Aibling branch of Sparkasse last Tuesday to give a talk entitled "Achieving success through team spirit—parallels between the trades and motorsport" to 70 guests. At the event to honor newly qualified master craftsmen within the craftsmen’s guilds, the Audi factory driver told the craftsmen and the officers of the chambers of trades and crafts about the impact of team spirit, self-confidence, and changing technology on the trades and motorsport.

On Friday, the TV channel Sport1 welcomed an expert co-commentator to its studios: Audi driver Timo Scheider was there to comment on the first two practice sessions ahead of the Formula 1 race in Melbourne.

Le Mans winner Timo Bernhard came tenth at the ADAC Wikinger Rallye in a Porsche 911 GT3. The Audi sports car driver was hit by a malfunction on the first day of the first stage of this year’s German Rally Championship. But after some repairs, he put in some fast times on the second day, including a special stage best time, and was able to work his way up into the top ten of the overall classification.

An interview with ... Allan McNish

Did the testing of the second development stage of the R18 in Sebring pay off?
It was a very helpful session. We spent four days testing, from Monday to Thursday, and all the Audi sports car drivers were involved. The weather was mainly hot and there was high humidity—all combined with the mercilessness of the Sebring racetrack. So we had authentic conditions as if it were a race weekend. And on one of the days, the track was also slightly wet for a time.

What did the R18 feel like?
I was pleasantly surprised, because the windscreen of enclosed vehicles tends to get dirtier quicker when it’s raining, which means cars without a windscreen are then at an advantage. The last time I drove an enclosed prototype in wet conditions was in 1999. And I was amazed at the progress that has been made since then, because I felt really good in the Audi R18, even in these conditions. It felt great to drive in dry conditions too and the vehicle responded with precision.

So what’s your conclusion after testing the second evolution?
On the Monday, I got behind the wheel of the R15 TDI for comparison purposes. The Audi R18 is one step ahead of the R15 TDI in an incredible number of areas—even though the rules stipulate a much smaller and therefore less powerful engine. It goes without saying that we are still learning a lot about this new car and haven’t yet put it to the test against the competition.

Coming up next week

March 28 Kurhaus Wiesbaden (D), DTM press conference
April 2 Nürburgring (D), 1st race of the VLN Endurance Championship
April 3 Estoril (P), 1st race of the Portuguese GT Championship
April 5 Audi Contact Center, Kortenberg (B), presentation of the Audi customer sport team Belgian Audi Club

Info and Fotos Audi Motorsport/Acreditated and Autorized Media Press.

Race Win for Aston Martin After Action Packed Race

Round 1 – Abu Dhabi Championship Race 26th March 2011

Race Win for Aston Martin After Action Packed Race Clivio Piccione and Stef Dusseldorp scored a maiden victory in the Championship Race at Yas Marina after the Hexis AMR team produced a lightening pitstop that leapfrogged the nr3 Aston Martin DB9 from 5th into the lead. Dusseldorp had to soak up immense pressure from former FIA GT2 Champion Richard Westbrook for most of the second half of the race but the 21-year-old former single seat driver didn't put a wheel wrong in his first ever GT race. At the chequered flag the nr22 JR Motorsport Nissan GT-R was less than a second behind to record their second top 3 finish of the weekend. After a rollercoaster weekend the nr All-Inkl.com Muennnich Motorsport Lamborghini Murcielago of Marc Basseng and Marcus Winklehock finished in 3rd place to record the team's first ever podium finish in the FIA GT1 World Championship. The race began with the nr41 Marc VDS Racing Team Ford GT of Maxime Martin on pole position, with Peter Dumbreck in the JR Motorsport Nissan alongside on the front row. At the start the Sumo Power Nissan of Enrique Bernoldi shot through from the second row to take the lead at the first corner, with Dumbreck getting into T1 before Martin. Further back Stefan Mucke in the nr8 Young Driver AMR Aston Martin was storming through the field from 15th, ending the opening lap in 8th place. At the front Dumbreck was pressurising the leading Nissan of Bernoldi, while Martin was close behind the second placed JR Motorsport Nissan. For lap after lap the three cars circulated in formation, each trying to push the other into a mistake. Their battle allowed Winklehock and Piccione to close up to make it a five way battle for the lead as the pitstops approached. On lap 13 Martin finally got past Dumbreck's Nissan at T18 for second place just as the pit window opened. Bernoldi, Martin, Piccione and Mucke all pitted together. The Sumo Power pitcrew went to work and got their car, with Ricardo Zonta now at the wheel, turned round in quick time. However the Marc VDS crew were even quicker and as the Nissan approached the Ford pit Makowiecki dived out in front but the two cars collided. They rubbed wheels for several metres before the Ford went through the tunnel ahead of the Nissan but Zonta's Nissan was damaged and had to return to the pits for a new tyre. Makowiecki was given a drive through penalty for the incident. Meanwhile the Hexis pit crew had turned the nr3 car round and when the pitstops finished Stef Dusseldorp found himself leading the race, six seconds ahead of Richard Westbrook in the JR Motorsport Nissan. Westbrook then closed the gap and spent the next 20-minutes trying to pass the flying Dutchman in vain. At the chequered flag it was Dusseldorf and the rest of the Hexis team who celebrated a unexpected but very welcome victory. Clivio Piccione, Hexis AMR Aston Martin DB9 No. 3 “It’s just an amazing feeling. I have to say a big thank you to the team, they made this win possible today – we had an amazing pit stop, the car has been good all the way through the weekend and it’s just the best start we can have! There was a lot happening at the front, but my aim was to stay as close as possible and out of trouble. Everything went to plan, and we knew we had a good pit stop and then Stef had a great drive at the end and I have to say a big well done to him for his first race in GT!” Stef Dusseldorp, Hexis AMR Aston Martin DB9 No. 3 “I feel incredible! I have no words to say, except that the team made this possible. We did a great pit stop in the first race and now the team did the same job and out me in first. All I had to do was finish the race, which wasn’t as easy as it sounds because of the Nissan so it feels incredible. I have good memories from Zolder (the next round), so hopefully we can have a repeat performance there!” Clivio Piccione and Stef Dusseldorf leave the Middle East with a two point advantage in the Championship, while Hexis AMR leads JR Motorsports by 11 points in the Team title race. Round 2 of the FIA GT1 World Championship will take place in Belgium at Zolder on Sunday 10 April. Info and Fotos FIA GT1/Acreditated and Autorized Media Press. Fotos DPPI

Young Driver AMR shows big team effort in Abu Dhabi

Young Driver AMR shows big team effort in Abu Dhabi
Fifth and sixth place for Young Driver AMR in Championship Race

Paderborn (GER), 26.03.2011 [GT1 World Championship]

Young Driver AMR started with a really big team effort into the 2011 season of the GT1-World Championship. After a setback in a troubled Qualifying Race, when neither of the two Young Driver AMR-Aston Martin DBR9 saw the chequered flag, both cars fought back in the Championship Race. In a great recovery, Stefan Mücke (GER) and Darren Turner (GBR) finished fifth, Alex Müller (GER) and Tomas Enge (CZE) finished one place behind their teammates in sixth position.

The Qualifying Race didn’t went as expected. Darren Turner started from Pole-Position and stayed in the lead for the first half of the race. After the driver change, a problem with the wheel nut forced Stefan Mücke to retire the number eight Young Driver ANR-Aston Martin DBR9. Tomas Enge in the sister car started from third, but had a crash in the first corner and had also to retire the car in the pits.

But the task to start from the back of the grid into the Championship Race after to the two retirements in the Qualifying Race, shouldn’t be this weekend’s biggest challenge for Young Driver AMR. After the start crash of Enge, the Aston Martin DBR9 was heavily damaged at the front and right side. In less then four hours, the Young Driver AMR-team repaired the Aston Martin and enabled Enge and teammate Alex Müller to start into the Championship Race.

From the back of the grid, both Young Driver-Aston Martin then had a good start into the Championship Race. Stefan Mücke stormed to the front, once the starting light turned to green and jumped from 15. to eight position in the very first lap. He subsequently overtook another car, until he handed over the DBR9 to teammate Darren Turner. During the second part of the race, Turner also gained two positions and finished fifth. In his maiden race with Young Driver AMR, also Alex Müller coped with the challenge to start from the back. Müller battled trough the field and handed over the car to Tomas Enge in 11. position after a quick pit stop. Enge finally finished sixth, just one spot behin Darren Turner.

After the season opener Young Driver AMR is third in the team championship. The Young Driver AMR-team heads now quickly back to Europe, as they start already next weekend at the season opener of the Le Mans Series in Le Castellet with their brand new Aston Martin Vantage.

Driver quotes after the race:

Tomáš Enge (#7 Young Driver-Aston Martin DBR9): “The most exciting race was the race against the time to get into the Championship Race today, after the accident in the Qualifying Race. At the start of the Qualifying Race, I stayed too long at the inside-line, where the track was very slippery. I didn’t miss the braking point, but there was simply no grip at the inside and unfortunately I badly damaged our Aston Martin, when I hit another car. Our mechanics then did an absolute mega job, when they managed to repair the car in time for the Championship Race, I also tried to help them as much as possible with repairs. I really have to say my apologizes to the team. They prepared the cars so well during the off-season and today they showed again, how strong we are altogether. Finally it was great to get some points in the Championship Race. But we collected some points and it was a much better result then last year. The task for the next races is now to be consistent up in the front.”

Alex Müller (#7 Young Driver-Aston Martin DBR9): „First of all, I have to thank our crew, who were able to repair our car for the race. My start into the Championship Race wasn’t good, I stuck behind some other cars, but managed to get trouble free through the first corner. During my stint, I had some bad vibrations in the car, we must now analyse if this was caused by the tire or something else. We had a good pit stop and I finished sixth in my first race with Young Driver. Although we collected points, I not entirely satisfied with myself this weekend. The car is bit different to the car, which I last drove last time and I spotted some details where I have to work on myself. But let’s wait for the next race at Zolder, I’m very optimistic for the next round and not only because that’s my hometrack.”

Stefan Mücke (#8 Young Driver-Aston Martin DBR9): „I had a good first lap, I spotted a small gap in the first corner and it was big enough that I could go through and make up some positions. The start was crucial for our result, as all cars are so tight-knit that’s it’s difficult to overtake on this track. After the troubles in the Qualifying Race, our position in the Championship Race is o.k. We got some good points, but no penalty weight.“

Darren Turner (#8 Young Driver-Aston Martin DBR9): „During my stint, I stuck behind another Aston Martin. I had the feeling that I was a bit faster, but couldn’t manage to overtake him. Before the weekend, we thought fifth would be great result on this track. But after our performance in the Qualifying and Qualifying Race, I’m a little bit disappointment.”

Hardy Fischer (team principal): “The day didn’t start very well with the bad result in the Qualifying race, but finally the day had a positive end. Our mechanics did a really amazing job, when they repaired the car of Tomas and Alex in less than four hours. There are certainly not many teams around capable of doing this in this very short amount of time and I’m really proud of my crew. After that big effort, we were rewarded with a fifth and sixth place. We collected some good points with fifth and sixth place and will certainly attack at the next race in Belgium in two weeks.”

###

Young Driver is on Twitter

Follow all the action @YoungDriverAMR

Schedule GT1-World 2011

24. – 25. March Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi (VAE)
08. – 10. April Zolder (B)
06. – 08. May Algarve, Portimão (P)
13. – 15. May Sachsenring (D)
03. – 05. June Silverstone Supercar 2011 (GB)
01. – 03. July Navarra (E)
15. – 17. July HTTT Paul Ricard, Le Castellet (F)
02. – 04. September Ordos (CN)
21. – 23. Oktober Curitiba (BR)
05. – 06. November San Luis (ARG)

About Young Driver AMR

Young Driver AMR was founded by Hardy Fischer and his friend and long-time associate Jan Struve in late 2009 and is representing Aston Martin as one of only two teams in the FIA GT1 World Championship with two Aston Martin DBR9. The abbreviation AMR in the team name stands for Aston Martin Racing, Young Driver AMR is the only official German partner team of Aston Martin Racing. Young Driver AMR is a sister-team of Fischer Racing and based in Paderborn. In it’s first racing season 2010, Young Driver AMR took three victories in the FIA GT1 World Championship and finished on the class podium in it’s first ever outing in the legendary 24 hours of Le Mans in France.

Further information’s:

Young Driver AMR www.youngdriver-amr.com
Fischer Racing www.fischer-racingteam.de
GT1 World www.gt1world.com
Aston Martin Racing www.astonmartinracing.com
Stefan Mücke www.stefan-muecke.de
Alex Müller www.alex-mueller.net
Tomas Enge www.tomas-enge.cz
Darren Turner www.darrenturner.net

With best regards from Paderborn

Young Driver AMR GmbH
Max-Planck-Str. 3a
D-33104 Paderborn / Germany

phone: +49 5254 93 06 295
Phone media: +49 176 222 18 308
email: oliver@youngdriver-amr.com
www.youngdriver-amr.com
Www.fischer-racingteam.de

Director: Erhard Fischer
Info anf Fotos/ Young Driver Team.

Ford triumph in Qualifying Race

Ford Marc VDS Racing's Maxime Martin and Frederic Makowiecki claimed a hard-earned victory in today's qualifying race, resisting heavy pressure from the No. 22 Nissan JRM to triumph in the first race of the season.

Racing together for the first time, the duo started from second and held position until the pitlane opened, when an excellent stop by the Marc VDS team allowed them to jump into the lead.

They came under severe pressure for the duration of the second half of the race, but remained composed throughout and held on to claim a maiden GT1 win. Nissan meanwhile celebrated as it occupied the next three slots, with the No. 23 JRM and No. 20 Sumo Power GT-Rs following the No. 22 JRM home.

"This is our first race together, so it's a fantastic result," Maxime Martin said. "The team did a very good job in the pit stops, and we are very happy with this result."

There was drama at the start of the race as the No. 7 Aston Martin Young Driver car of Tomas Enge and Alex Muller missed its breaking point and tapped the inside of the No. 41 Ford, before spinning on the exit of turn one.

That caused a chain reaction in the field as first the No. 37 All-Inkl car - demoted five places from the pole Nicky Pastorelli and Dominik Schwager claimed in qualifying - and then the No. 47 Corvette DKR made contact with Enge's Aston Martin, ruling all three cars out of the race.

As the field reassembled it was the No. 8 Aston Martin Young Driver of Stefan Mucke and Darren Turner which set about establishing an early lead, with the No. 41 Ford Marc DVS second and the No. 22 Nissan JRM in third.

The order remained consistent at the front until the pit stop window opened on lap 12, when disaster befell the No. 8 Aston Martin as a slow pit stop dropped them behind the Ford GT, before a problem with the left-front tyre caused them to retire completely from the race.

The No. 22 Nissan meanwhile had opted to stay out one lap longer, and the move almost paid dividends as it rejoined the track side by side with the No. 41 Ford Marc VDS. A frantic battle for position ensued over the next series of corners, with Maxime Martin eventually emerging in the lead but under severe pressure in the Ford.

That pressure remained for the duration of the race, with the gap between the lead two cars only exceeding one second on the penultimate lap.

There were similarly enthralling battles throughout the field, particularly at the start as a five way battle for fourth raged between Nissan, Corvette and Lamborghini. The No. 20 and No. 23 Nissan GT-Rs eventually came to the fore, but there was late drama as Lucas Luhr and Michael Krumm in the No. 23 dived down the inside to snatch third from their sister car of Enrique Bernoldi and Ricardo Zonta.

Clivio Piccione and Stef Dusseldorp finished fifth in the No. 9 Aston Martin Young Driver, ahead of Lamborghini All-Inkl's Markus Winkelhock and Marc Basseng and Corvette DKR's Mike Hezemans and Nicky Catsburg - who completed an impressive 360 spin when fighting for position in the early stages of the race.

Eighth meanwhile went to the No. 21 Nissan Sumo Power GT-R of David Brabham and Jamie Campbell-Walter, the duo fighting back from problems at their pit stop to make up two places in the final seven laps.

Qualifying Race

Qualifying Race

Pos.	Cl.	Car	Team / Drivers	Nat	Car	Time	Laps	Gap
1	GT1	41	Maxime Martin / Frederic Makowiecki		Ford GT Matech	1:00:11.256	31
2	GT1	22	Peter Dumbreck / Richard Westbrook		Nissan GT-R	1:00:12.732	31	1.476
3	GT1	23	Lucas Luhr / Michael Krumm		Nissan GT-R	1:00:29.325	31	18.069
4	GT1	20	Enrique Bernoldi / Ricardo Zonta		Nissan GT-R	1:00:32.770	31	21.514
5	GT1	3	Clivio Piccione / Stef Dusseldorp		Aston Martin DB9	1:00:33.716	31	22.460
6	GT1	38	Markus Winkelhock / Marc Basseng		Lamborghini Murcielago 670 R-S	1:00:34.305	31	23.049
7	GT1	11	Mike Hezemans / Nicky Catsburg		Corvette Z06	1:00:49.084	31	37.828
8	GT1	21	David Brabham / Jamie Campbell-Walter		Nissan GT-R	1:00:54.893	31	43.637
9	GT1	4	Christian Hohenadel / Andrea Piccini		Aston Martin DB9	1:00:59.831	31	48.575
10	GT1	5	Karl Wendlinger / Peter Kox		Lamborghini Murcielago 670 R-S	1:01:00.710	31	49.454
11	GT1	40	Marc Hennerici / Bas Leinders		Ford GT Matech	1:01:07.035	31	55.779
12	GT1	10	Martin Matzke / Milos Pavlovic		Ford GT Matech	1:01:19.133	31	1:07.877
13	GT1	6	Max Nilsson / Jiri Janak		Lamborghini Murcielago 670 R-S	1:01:20.122	31	1:08.866
14	GT1	9	Antoine Leclerc / Fabien Giroix		Ford GT Matech	1:02:00.959	31	1:49.703
15	GT1	8	Stefan Mücke / Darren Turner		Aston Martin DB9	30:35.811	15	29:35.445
16	GT1	7	Alex Müller / Tomas Enge		Aston Martin DB9	3:02.716	1	57:08.540
0	GT1	37	Nicky Pastorelli / Dominik Schwager		Lamborghini Murcielago 670 R-S		0
0	GT1	47	Michael Rossi / Jaime Camara		Corvette Z06		0
Pos.	Cl.	Car	Team / Drivers	Nat	Car	Time	Laps	Gap

New Season Gets Underway in Abu Dhabi

On Saturday 17 April 2010 the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi made motorsport history by hosting the first ever FIA GT1 World Championship event and one year later the venue is staging the opening race of the 2011 season but this time on the shorter 'Corkscrew' circuit rather the longer Grand Prix track.

In 2010 Andreas Zuber and Marc Hennerici took the chequered flag in the Qualifying Race ahead of Romain Grosjean and Thomas Mutsch, with Zuber setting a GT1 lap record of 2m07.156. Later the same day during the Championship Race, staged under the circuits floodlighting, the positions were reversed with Grosjean storming through in the Ford GT to take the 25 points for himself and Mutsch. Last December, at the end of the action-packed season, these points were crucial for Thomas Mutsch, helping him to claim the Vice Champion’s title in Argentina, with Andrea Bertolini and Michael Bartels being crowned the inaugural FIA GT1 World Champions. Twelve months on, the FIA GT1 World Championship grid has some new teams and drivers as well as some familiar faces as we get ready for a new season of top level sportscar racing.

The two Aston Martin DB9 teams have remained the same, with Hexis AMR and Young Driver AMR looking to build on the success both teams enjoyed in 2010. Hexis have retained the services of Clivio Piccione, who will be joined by Stef Dusseldorp, the 2009 ATS Cup Formula 3 Vice Champion. The second car will be driven by Andrea Piccini, who finished on the Yas Marina podium last year in a Corvette, and reigning FIA GT3 European Champion Christian Hohenadel. The Young Driver team retains three of the regular drivers from last season. Race winner Darren Turner is now paired with Stefan Mücke, while Turner’s partner from last season, Tomas Enge, has been joined by Alex Müller, who raced a Corvette at Yas Marina last year before switching to a Maserati, scoring a podium finish in Belgium with Altfrid Heger.

There is a new Ford GT team for 2011 with the Belgian Racing team lining up alongside the Marc VDS Racing Team, both outfits flying the flag for Belgium. The Belgian Racing team have announced two of their four drivers with Antoine Leclerc in the number 9 Ford GT and Czech driver Martin Matzke moving up to GT1 from GT3 in the number 10 car. Marc VDS have retained the services of Bas Leinders and Maxime Martin, with Martin being joined by GT1 race winner Frederic Makowiecki, who moves to the team from Hexis AMR, and Leinders partnering Marc Hennerici, who is hoping to at least equal his exploits in Abu Dhabi last year.

All-Inkl.com Münnich Motorsport is looking forward to building on a solid first year in the FIA GT1 World Championship with the Lamborghini Murcielago 670 RS-V. Dominik Schwäger and Nicky Pastorelli all remain with the German team for a second season while Team Manager and driver Marc Basseng will be joined by fellow German Markus Winkelhock. Swiss Racing, who ran Nissan GT-Rs last season, switch to Lamborghini for 2011 and have retained the services of Karl Wendlinger and Max Nilsson, with Wendlinger being partnered by reigning GT Masters Champion Peter Kox, who raced the same car for Reiter last year.

There is also a new Nissan team this season with JR Motorsport taking over the Nissan GT-R from Swiss Racing Team. Sumo Power GT, who won twice in 2010 at Silverstone and the Algarve, will be lining up for a second season of GT1 racing. Peter Krumm and Peter Dumbreck move from the Sumo Power team to the new JR Motorsport outfit and are joined by former FIA GT Champions Richard Westbrook and Lucas Luhr. GT1 World Championship race winners Enrique Bernoldi and Ricardo Zonta, who also won the FIA GT title in 1999, join the Sumo Power team to make an all Brazilian line up, while the second car will be driven by Tourist Trophy winner, and former FIA GT Champion, Jamie Campbell-Walter, who is also a former FIA GT Champion, and Le Mans 24 Hour winner and ALMS Champion David Brabham.

The Corvette will also be back in the Championship with two new teams. Exim Bank Team China will be running a two car team with drivers to be announced. The second Corvette team will be DKR Engineering and again will announce their driver line up in the week leading into the event.

There have been some slight changes to the regulations for the new season to help improve the show even further. The teams are now allowed to use six sets of tyres, instead of four, during the weekend, which means each team get two sets of tyres for both races. There are more championship points available for the Qualifying Race, with the top six finishers scoring 8-6-4-3-2-1 instead of just the top three finishers. The first and second placed finishers in the Qualifying Race will also receive success ballast of 10kg and 5kg respectively at the next event.

There will be live television coverage of every round of the FIA GT1 World Championship in many parts of the world, with a full rundown of the TV channels on the official Championship website, www.gt1world.com, where the races will also be streamed live and the latest championship news, results and other information will be available immediately after each race.

CLICK HERE for pre event driver quotes

CLICK HERE for the official FIA Entry list

CLICK HERE for the entertainment rundown at Yas Marina this weekend

WHAT THE DRIVERS SAY.....

Some of the leading drivers in the 2011 FIA GT1 World Championship give us their thoughts on the eve of the opening race of the new season.

Maxime Martin – Marc VDS Ford GT
“We are a lot more prepared than last year. The team has one year of experience now. We still worked a lot during the winter to be as good as we can for the first race in Abu Dhabi.
I do a lot of sport to be well prepared for the warm conditions we will have there.

“It's an interesting track because there are a lot of slow corners and it's very technical. Not so bad for our Ford GT. It's difficult to say because there are a lot of very very good pairings. I hope to score as much points as possible for the championship. We will see.”

Marc Hennerici – Marc VDS Racing Team Ford GT
“I´m really happy to be again part of this great championship, so I have to thank mo-we-ko motorsport for supporting me for 9 years now. The first test with the team was really exciting, because the atmosphere is really great and the work is extremely professional.

“But I don’t want to predict anything for Abu Dhabi. We saw in the past weeks, how the level of drivers is rising in the second year of the championship. Nevertheless it`s time for racing and I`m happy to be back in the car again and compete against the best GT drivers in the world.”

Antoine Leclerc – Belgian Racing Ford GT
“Unlike most other teams and drivers of the GT1 World Championship who are already familiar with the track and weather conditions, I’ve not had the opportunity to train on the Ford GT and to work with the team. I’ll discover all these parameters. But I’m very confident because the technical staff are very competent, highly-skilled and extremely motivated. We are fully committed to making a good performance.

“It’s the first time for me in Abu Dhabi. I’m not familiar with the track but I’ve been learning it on my simulator. I’m looking forward to taking part to the competition on it. First, to discover the working conditions. Then to adapt to these conditions, and finally to take the best of this opportunity. I’ll do my maximum and work hard with the team to claim a good result.”

Stef Dusseldorp – Hexis Aston Martin DB9
“We are very well prepared for the start of the season. With 8 days of testing we did a lot of mileage before the cars were shipped to Abu Dhabi. We spent a lot of time together and i'm sure it will be even better during the first race weekend. The circuit looks nice on TV, internet and on my Playstation, but I’m very curious how it looks in real life.

“It's hard to say, as I don't have any reference on our standing compared to the rest of the field. Yas Marina Circuit is not so good for Aston Martin, but we'll do our best to end as high as possible.

“I think we're well prepared for the first race. We've done some good testing days in February in France with the 4 drivers so we got to know each other, know the car and the team.
Hexis is a young team but very motivated and well organized...the team spirit will be one of our strong point!"

Andrea Piccini – Hexis Aston Martin DB9
“The Yas Marina facilities are great! Honestly I like more old style tracks, but I can't wait to be out there at the wheels of my DB9. We know from last year that it is not the best circuit for Aston, so our target is to start scoring good points from the first race. I think the Key of such a competitive championship will be not making mistakes and always be in the points...if possible with the maximum score!!!”

Christian Hohenadel – Hexis Aston Martin DB9
“I’m looking forward to the first race in Abu Dhabi and I hope to finish the two races in the points. This year will be a big challenge, but I am well prepared with Team Hexis and my new partner Andrea Piccini.”

Tomáš Enge - Young Driver-Aston Martin DB9
“I’m really happy to compete this year again in the GT1 World Championship with Young Driver AMR. We are really well prepared for our second season, the team did a good job with preparing our racecars during the very short off-season. This year I will have a new teammate, Alex Müller and I’m really looking forward to share the car with him. Last year we had a really good season, I hope this year with one year experience under our belt and with Alex, we can do even better. Abu Dhabi is certainly not an Aston Martin-track, but this year we will use a shorter version of the track and not the Grand-Prix-Version, this should suit us a bit better. The competition this year seems to be at least as strong as last season, with some very big names on the entry list. But we will build on our experience and the most important thing for the first race is to score some good points.”

Alex Müller - Young Driver-Aston Martin DB9
“I`m really looking forward to my first race with Young Driver AMR. I know the track already from last season, when I drove with another team. But as I drove another car last season, I quite don’t know yet what to expect with the Aston Martin at Abu Dhabi. The first race will be very interesting; there are some new driver and team/car combinations, which are hard to judge. But we will start relaxed into the new season and don’t set ourselves under too much pressure. The season will be very long, and our main objective for Abu Dhabi is to score some good points.”

Stefan Mücke - Young Driver-Aston Martin DB9
“Finally the season starts, I can’t wait to get back in the car. As last season ended very late and cars had to be shipped very early to Abu Dhabi, there was no off-season testing for us. So everybody likes to be back on track again. After last year we know that Abu Dhabi is a very difficult track for our type of car, but together with my new teammate Darren Turner we will make the best of it. There is a great atmosphere at Abu Dhabi, with the amazing facility and race at night. The track offers many tight corners; you have to drive very precious. From a driver’s perspective, the track is what we call technical. My aim is to finish the Championship Race on the podium. I know that will be a very tough job, but if we have a good Qualifying and Qualifying Race, I’m quite optimistic we can reach this goal.”

Darren Turner - Young Driver-Aston Martin DB9
“Since last year’s season finale in Argentina I have not driven the car, so it’s really time for the season to start again. This season I’m driving with Stefan Mücke for the first time. We are both driving for Aston Martin for a couple of seasons now, haven’t shared a car up to now. Last season, Abu Dhabi wasn’t really successful for us, but I expect that we will perform much better this year and get some points. I’m really looking forward to Abu Dhabi, not only because it’s the start of the season and I really love the facility there, but we will also have some nice weather and really warm temperatures.”

Enrique Bernoldi- Sumo Power Nissan GT-R

How well prepared are you ahead of the first race of the season?
"As we haven’t been able to text the car very much, I can only make sure I am as race-fit as possible and have been going to the gym, running and karting."

What are your thoughts about the Yas Marina Circuit?
"I think Yas Marina is an excellent track with a great facilities and I really enjoy competing there. It has a lot of overtaking places, which makes for a good race."

What are your objectives for the race weekend?
"To work well with the team and try as hard as I can to win the race."

David Brabham - Sumo Power Nissan GT-R

How well prepared are you ahead of the first race of the season?
"With my deal being so late, time in the car has been limited. I would have liked to more time to prepare of course, but that’s just the way it is. But I really liked the car when I drove it at the recent test. I had a smile on my face after the first lap."

What are your thoughts about the Yas Marina Circuit?
"I’ve never been there before, but from what I have seen on TV it looks like an amazing circuit!"

What are your objectives for the race weekend?
"Simple. To win."

Jamie Campbell-Walter - Sumo Power Nissan GT-R

How well prepared are you ahead of the first race of the season?
"Very well prepared actually. Although my deal with the team was only announced last week, I have been training for the London Marathon which keeps you mentally and physically prepared for anything!"

What are your thoughts about the Yas Marina Circuit?
"It's like a second home for me as I’m the official Yas Marina two-seat F1 car driver, so I spend a lot of time at and on the circuit. It is probably the best facility in the world and a great track."

What are your objectives for the race weekend?
"Only one objective and that’s to win both races and come away from the weekend leading the championship! I’m also looking forward to working with my new team mate."

Quotes from Qualifying

Nicky Pastorelli, All-Inkl.com Munnich Motorsport Lamborghini No.37
"The car was really good, and we managed to have a good lap in Q3 which brought us to this nice result. We hope to do it again tomorrow when it really counts, we will see tomorrow, but I’m really happy not only for myself but also for the team.

"They did so much hard work over the last year, when they started from zero, and if you look at the results from last year the first race we were on the last row. The first row this year shows what a great job they did."

Dominik Schwager, All-Inkl.com Munnich Motorsport Lamborghini No.37
“I’m really happy, I mean Nicky already said basically everything: the team had so much work over the winter to get the cars ready, and last year we were nowhere, the car was undriveable and we didn’t even finish. It’s like a 180 degrees turn and I just hope to have a good race result and collect some points.

"If someone had asked me who I want to drive with I would have said Nicky, it’s great to have a partner at the same level, but what’s really important is a good race result and I’m looking forward to it!”

Stefan Mucke, Young Driver Aston Martin Racing No. 8
“We found quite a good set up, and for everybody it was new to drive in the cold conditions at night but we did a good job, everything was fine so it’s looking good for tomorrow. We made a few changes to the car over winter, and it’s a bit easier to drive, hopefully a bit more consistent in the race, so the plan now is to collect good points tomorrow!”

Darren Turner, Young Driver Aston Martin Racing No. 8
“The build up to the race has been quite interesting, I haven’t really got straight back into the car and up to speed so it all came together in that last session which I was pleased with.

"The team did a great job, over the winter things have changed and we’re starting the season with a much more positive feeling. It’s the first time Stefan and I have driven together in the same car and it’s working very well.”

Maxime Martin, Marc VDS Racing Team No. 41
"Of course the weekend started quite badly with a broken engine on Wednesday but it looks good for the moment and we are very happy. For my first Qualifying with Fred, it’s great!”

Frederic Makowiecki, Marc VDS Racing Team No. 41
“It’s better to be at the front for tomorrow to avoid trouble. I think we can do a good race. I am working well together with Maxime and that’s really important in this championship.”

Marc Basseng, All-Inkl.com Munnich Motorsport Lamborghini No.38
“We had a problem with the gearbox. It was missing downshifts so we had to stop so as not to destroy the gearbox too much. It was not so good for us but I am happy that the 37 has gone well today. Markus (Winkelhock) and I showed that we are very competitive and I think we could have got third in qualifying. Anyway, I am really happy as a team manager. We have pole position for the first time. Nicky (Pastorelli) and Dominik (Schwager) did a phenomenal job.

"I hope we have the luck in the race tomorrow to bring the right result. Last year we were a fresh team last year with fresh people. We have two new engineers this year, one of them has 10 years of Formula One experience and the No.37 car is now on pole position. I know we had the best drivers last year but we messed it up with inexperience. Today is the result of hard work and much better preparation.”

Mike Hezemans, Exim Bank Team China Corvette No.11
“I’m pretty happy with fifth place when you consider we put this team together in a last-minute deal. I can’t complain. The first sector and second sector are very good but we are missing a lot of top speed compared to the other cars. For the race, let’s see, we are well placed and anything can happen around here.”

Richard Westbrook, JR Motorsport Nissan GT-R No.22
“I’m pleased with where we ended up today. I drove in Q2. It was tough, but I was happy to be fourth fastest. Then Peter (Dumbreck) did a great in Q3, bearing in mind he didn’t use a second set of tyres and sixth place sets us up well for tomorrow’s race.”

Ricardo Zonta, Sumo Power GT Nissan GT-R No.20
“The change in temperature from pre-qualifying this afternoon to qualifying this evening seemed to make a lot of difference to the way the car was feeling. We made adjustments during the session which helped, but I still think there’s more to come for tomorrow and think we can do better than our start position of seventh.”

David Brabham, Sumo Power GT Nissan GT-R No.21
“A bonnet clip snapped on my flying lap in Q1 so I came into the pits early and changed onto a new set of tyres. I was therefore able to go out and post a good time before most of the others, which put us in second position for the session. It was a shame Jamie didn’t make it to Q2, but the car was better in Qualifying than it had been all day and I think that with a few minor adjustments and, as I get used to the car, there’s more to come. Not bad for a beginner – in a Nissan that is.”

Marc Hennerici, Marc VDS Ford GT No.40
“We have had engine problems for the last two days so we have not been able to do a lot of running so it’s not the best preparation for the race. As for the car, there is a big difference from driving the Corvette from last year and the Ford GT this year. It’s a totally different driving style."

Lamborghini Pole for Schwager and Pastorelli but Stewards Issue Penalty for Flag Infringement

Nicky Pastorelli and Dominik Schwager scored a maiden pole position for the All-Inkl.com Muennich Motorsport team when Pastoreli set the fastest time of the weekend so far in the nr37 Lamborghini Murcielago 670 R-SV. However a penalty of five grid places was imposed by the FIA Stewards after qualifying for ignoring a black and orange flag during Q1. Dominik Schwager will start in P6 and Darren Turner will line up at the head of the field in the Young Driver Aston Martin DB9.

The five brands competing in the 2011 Championship were all represented in the top 6, with the Stefan Mucke and Darren Turner claiming a front row position in the Young Driver Aston Martin alongside the Lamborghini. Row two is headed by the Marc VDS Ford GT of Maxime Martin and Frederic Makowiecki with the second Young Driver Aston of Tomas Enge and Alex Muller in 4th. The Team Exim Team China Corvette of Mike Hezemans and Nicky Catsburg was 5th with the JR Motorsport Nissan GT-R of Peter Dumbreck and Richard Westbrook alongside meaning all five brands are represented on the first three rows and covered by 0.4 seconds.

Q1 was topped by the Aston Martin DB9 of Stefan Mucke, the German holding off the challenge of David Brabham in the nr21 Sumo Power Nissan GT-R, with Pastorelli posting the 3rd fastest time. In Q2 Dominik Schwager was fastest, edging out the nr7 Young Driver Aston of Tomas Enge, with Turner in 3rd. The nr38 All Inkl Lamborghini had gearbox problems that forced Marc Basseng into retirement and Jamie Campbell-Walter also failed to qualifying for Q3, the only Nissan that failed to make the last eight.

UPDATE: After qualifying had finished the FIA Stewards issued two decisions. In Q1 the nr37 Lamborghini was started on an external battery, which isn't allowed under the regulations and the All-Inkl.com Muennich Motorsport team received a formal reprimand (decision 11). During Q1 a Black and Orange flag was displayed to Nicky Pastorelli, which meant he had to return to the pits, switch off the engine and then start the car under its own power. The nr37 Lamborghini ignored the Black and Orange flag and for this Dominik Schwager will not start the Qualifying race in pole position but in P6, a drop of five grid places (decision 12). Pastorelli's time in Q3 wasn't cancelled so the pole position time still stands.

The first Qualifying Race of 2011 will start at 13:15 (local) - 09:15 (UK) and 10:15 (CET) - and all the action can be seen on GT1world.com with live streaming of the race.

CLICK HERE for the results from Qualifying

Aston Martin Quickest in Free Practice

The nr7 Aston Martin DB9 of Stefan Mucke and Darren Turner set the fastest time in the first official session of the opening round of the FIA GT1 World Championship at Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi. A lap time of 1:53.216 put the Aston at the head of the 18 car field, 0.023s ahead of the nr37 All Inkl.com Muennich Motorsport LAmborghini Murcielago of Dominik Schwager and Nicky Pastorelli. In the 38.9 degree heat (track temperature 57.8 degrees) the top 13 cars were covered by 0.8 seconds with the Exim Bank Team China Corvette of Mike Hezemans and Nick Catsburg third quickest in the 80 minute session.

Pre Qualifying will begin at 15:35 (local time) and qualifying for tomorrow's Qualifying Race will begin this evening at 19:45 (15:45 UK and 16:45 CET), with live coverage on GT1World.com

CLICK HERE for result from Free Practice

Nissan Make the Rest Sweat in Pre Qualifying

As the temperatures peaked at nearly 40 degrees the lap times continued to tumble in the second session of the weekend. The JR Motorsport Nissan GT-R of Peter Dumbreck and Richard Westbrook set the fastest time of the weekend so far with a 1m52.777, 0.038 ahead of the very consistent All-Inkl.com Muennich Motorsport Lamborghini of Nicky Pastorelli and Dominik Schwager. Despite the Ford teams struggling with technical issues, Maxime Martin and Frederic Makowiecki were third fastest in the Marc VDS Ford GT, just 0.069 adrift of the leading Nissan. As in Free Practice the top 10 cars were covered by less than a second and all five brands appeared in the top six, with the second All-Inkl Lamborghini of Marc Basseng and Marcus Winkelhock finishing 4th fastest giving the Italian brand two cars in the top flight.

Qualifying for Round 1 begins at 19:45 (local).

CLICK HERE for the results of Pre Qualifying

Marc VDS Takes First Blood of 2011

Maxime Martin and Fred Makowieki took the honours in the first encounter of 2011 by winning the Qualifying Race at Yas Marina. A clash with the nr7 Aston Martin of Tomas Enge damaged the door of the Ford GT at the start of the race but failed to stop Martin from taking the chequered flag to record his and his team's first GT1 World win. It was all smiles in the Nissan camp as JR Motorsports had both their cars in the top 3 finishers, with Richard Westbrook and Peter Dumbreck pushing the Ford all the way to the chequered flag, while team mates Michael Krumm and Lucas Luhr held on to take third.

The nr8 Aston Martin of Darren Turner led for the first half of the race but a slow pitstop put Stefan Mucke back behind the Ford and a missing locking pin in the front left wheel allowed the wheel to come adrift and forced the German into retirement. The incident at Turn 1 at the start between Tomas Enge and Fred Makowiecki span the Aston around, which was collected by the nr37 All-Inkl.com Muennich Motorsport Lamborghini of Thomas Schwager and then by the nr47 DKR Corvette of Jaime Camara, eliminating all three cars from the race.

Despite misty condition caused by a sand storm, the first race of the season was action packed from start to finish and the battle for the lead between the Ford GT and the Nissan GT-R provided some nailbiting entertainment for the teams and spectators alike.

Maxime Martin will now take his place on Pole Position for the first Champinship RAce of 2011 thsi evening, which begins at 19:45 local time (14:45 UK and 15:45 CET).

CLICK HERE for the result from the Qualifying Race

CLICK HERE for the Race Facts

Driver Quotes

Fred Makowiecki – nr41 Marc VDS Racing Team Ford GT
“This is really great for us for the start of the championship. During the start I had a little contact with Tomas – a little bit of damage – but I could continue and I was still able to push. I had a good stint and tried to stay constant, to give Maxime the car in a good condition. The team did a really good job at the pit stop, and we continued to push and Maxime took the win!”

Maxime Martin – nr41 Marc VDS Racing Team Ford GT
“The team did a very good pit stop, we had a little problem with the door because of the crash so we lost a bit of time but I got out in front of at the Aston. Then I had a very good fight with Peter and the Nissan, it was very fair and nice to see for the first race of the season. It’s a very nice feeling for me and for sure the rest of the team. Last year was not so easy, so to be here and win the first race is fantastic.”

Richard Westbrook – nr22 JR Motorsports Nissan GT-R
“This is a great result for everyone at Nissan: we’re carrying the Japanese flag on our car and obviously in these difficult times it’s nice to have something to cheer about. The future looks really bright for us: I don’t think we’re quite there on pace yet, but we drove a good race, got a podium and we’ll gladly take the points.”

Peter Dumbreck - nr22 JR Motorsports Nissan GT-R
“I had no idea where Maxime was when I left the pits, and then suddenly he was alongside me and that was the start of the fight really. It took me a few laps to get my tyres working and then I was on his tail. It’s always easier being the pursuer, but he drove very well. If you compare our team to one year ago its night and day really, and this result brings us that bit closer to the front.”

Michael Krumm - nr23 JR Motorsports Nissan GT-R
“I had a good getaway at the start, and then as I turned in I saw cars flying around me but I got back and then made a move on the Corvette. It was a little bit lucky, but the car ran really well, the GT-R proved in the race its really strong and I think Nissan and the entire team have done a fantastic job to get us where we are. I also want to thank Lucas for the move he made on the other Nissan – I think it was the overtaking move of the race, and I’m really pleased with this German combination we have.”

Lucas Luhr - nr22 JR Motorsports Nissan GT-R
“It’s always a little bit exciting doing something for the first time, so I didn’t really know what to expect but I’m really happy. We’re still missing a bit of speed to the cars in front, but our car was really good and I’m looking forward to the main race later today!”

INFO and Fotos FIA GT1/ Autorized and Acreditated Press media. Fotos Petr Gabriel.