GP Masters announces Qatar entry list
The Grand Prix Masters World Series has announced the provisional driver entry list for the opening round at Qatar's Losail International Raceway on 29th April.
In addition to the legendary names that graced the inaugural race event last November at Kyalami (South Africa), the series is delighted to announce the involvement of ex-Formula One racers Pierluigi Martini (Italian), Eric van de Poele (Belgium) and Alex Caffi (Italian) who will assume the role of Official Test & Safety Car driver for the series.
With less than four weeks remaining between now and the season-opener at the state-of-the-art Losail International Raceway, the organisers are busy undertaking testing and preparation work for the field of 15 race cars that will contest the first four-wheeled motor race ever held in Qatar. Ahead of the move to a brand new purpose-designed facility, the Grand Prix Masters World Series is making temporary shared use of a facility at Silverstone (Northamptonshire, UK) and it was from there that last week's nine car shakedown was successfully undertaken by the three new driver signings.
Bob Berridge, Head of Race Operations: "It's been an extremely busy time for us recently as we continue to push hard in preparation for our season opener in Qatar. Signing new drivers, new sponsors, new personnel and preparing for our up-and-coming move to a new facility are just a few examples of the behind-the-scenes activity we have all been preoccupied with recently. The most important thing right now, however, is the pre-event testing programme and I am delighted to report a successful two-day test undertaken at Silverstone at the end of last week. Our three new driver signings shared between them a total of nine cars and between them accumulated around 500 miles of trouble-free mileage. It's been quite a while since Martini, van de Poele and Caffi hung up their F1 boots and to see them blasting around Silverstone last week in Grand Prix cars was quite something, especially considering how on the pace they were! They were all lapping within a few tenths of each other thereby reminding us yet again of how little raw speed any of our Masters have lost since their glory days in the sport. We will be undertaking more testing this week with six more chassis'."
Alex Caffi (Italy): "I actually tested for Grand Prix Masters last October at the first Silverstone test but I am too young to be eligible to race given the 45-years age limit. Too old, yes, but I never believed I'd see a day when I was considered 'too young' to race! Anyway, they say life begins at 40 right and here I am! I am delighted to be assuming testing duties alongside some of the greatest names in motorsport.I believe immensely in this series and the golden history of Grand Prix racing that it represents and did so well to re-create in Kyalami last year. I have now accumulated considerable test mileage in these cars and I cannot tell you how much fun they are to drive! The speed and grip on offer are on par with what many of these Masters won their world championships with and from speaking to my fellow drivers in the series, everyone is besotted by the machinery Grand Prix Masters have produced. All I have to now do is age by one more year before being in a position to race the machinery that I am so proud to test and develop for this outstanding new series."
Pierluigi Martini (Italy): "The Grand Prix Masters car is better than the last Formula One car I drove back in the mid 1990s! Last week at Silverstone was my first-ever outing in what many other drivers have described to me as a sensational racing car - and they're not wrong! I achieved around 60 laps in total but it was certainly enough to have me hooked and signed-up to the series. I have raced against many of these guys in the past including Mansell, Fittipaldi, Patrese and DeCesaris to name but a few and the camaraderie and team spirit amongst us all is ultimately the defining difference between Grand Prix Masters and anything else in motorsport. The rivalry and desire to beat each other, however, will be no different to yester-year, if not even greater this time round!"
Eric van de Poele (Belgium): "Signing up for the Grand Prix Masters World Series is the big present in life I never expected! I left Formula One in 1992 and while there were many other race series to keep busy with, nothing was ever as satisfying or as exhilarating as top level single seater racing. After leaving the sport, I tried my hand at sports car racing in North America and alongside Fermin Velez, we took Ferrari to victory at the 1995 12-hour endurance race at Sebring. I now run my own business in Belgium and never ever expected to find myself sitting in a 600bhp Grand Prix car like I was at Silverstone last week. My fellow countrymen will be more surprised than I am! Apart from the fabulous cars we have, the biggest incentive for me was the opportunity to work with and drive alongside these guys in what is a refreshing environment. Our series is not a technology war, political war or spending war as we see in F1 right now. We are therefore under no pressure apart from what we put onto ourselves. It is this personality-driven team spirit which the fans loved so much in Kyalami last year and what we hope to re-create at the fantastic circuits we will be gracing over the course of this year."
1. Rene Arnoux (France)
2. Eddie Cheever (USA)
3. Christian Danner (Germany)
4. Andrea de Cesaris (Italy)
5. Emerson Fittipaldi (Brazil)
6. Stefan Johansson (Sweden)
7. Jan Lammers (Netherlands)
8. Nigel Mansell (Britain)
9. Pierluigi Martini (Italy)
10. Eliseo Salazar (Chile)
11. Hans Stuck (Germany)
12. Riccardo Patrese (Italy)
13. Patrick Tambay (France)
14. Eric van de Poele (Belgium)
15. Derek Warwick (Britain)
Alex Caffi (Italy) Official Test and Safety Car driver
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