Ferrari 458 confirmed for FIA GT1 Championship

[Mugen_Ferio]

SRO Motorsports Group has announced the 2012 FIA GT1 Championship grid will be joined by a pair of Ferrari 458 race cars. The identity of the team entering the 458s will be revealed later this week as well as the 458s in full livery.

The addition of Ferrari is quite a coup for the GT1 Championship and adds to an exciting field. Other automotive companies involved include Audi (Team WRT), BMW (Vita4One), McLaren (Hexis) and Mercedes (All-Inkl.com Munnich Motorsport).

"The addition of Ferrari to the 2012 line-up makes for a mouth-watering array of supercars racing in one world championship," Stephanel Ratel, Founder and CEO of SRO said. "The Ferrari team brings to five the number of confirmed teams and we are in advanced talks with a number of other teams. For reasons of confidentiality, we are respecting the wishes of those teams to announce their participation in their own time."

The opening race of the 2012 calendar will commence on April 9th in Nogaro.

Pic is a rendering of a 458 GT1

[pimento]

So.. they're running the 'same' car in GT3, GT2 and GT1? I guess there's a bigger restricter and more aero..? Seems kind of a shame that they didn't use the 599 GTO to 'omologate a GT1 racer.

Also, what's with the backwards facing side exhaust? Bad 'chop or weird exhaust routing?

[Mugen_Ferio]

Seems like that. I read elsewhere that they have adopted GT3 specifications for the GT1 W.C, but I wonder if the old GT1 manufacturers will compete again?

[RacingManiac]

The exhaust location seems totally odd for a mid-engine car...

[Dino Scuderia]

GT racing specs just seem all garbled now.

Hopefully that is a chop, the exhaust is fail.

[Mugen_Ferio]

Originally Posted by Mugen_Ferio

Pic is a rendering of a 458 GT1

Ermm. Guys

[Mugen_Ferio]

Originally Posted by Mugen_Ferio

Pic is a rendering of a 458 GT1

Umm. Guys read above

[demonrunning07]

Originally Posted by pimento

So.. they're running the 'same' car in GT3, GT2 and GT1? I guess there's a bigger restricter and more aero..? Seems kind of a shame that they didn't use the 599 GTO to 'omologate a GT1 racer.

I agree. It definitely would have been cool to see a(nother) 599 dressed up in racing clothes (I guess the 599XX is kind of a race car). And it would have given the so called "GTO" some much needed validity.