The FIA GT Championship will have an all-Brazilian team taking part in the 2009 season, from the Total 24 Hours of Spa onwards.
Luxembourg-based team DKR Engineering, after discussions with Championship promoter SRO Motorsports Group, has entered into a partnership with a Brazilian company to run an extremely competitive all-Brazilian line-up in their Corvette C6-R. The car, whose livery has just been unveiled, will bear the colours of SANGARI TEAM BRAZIL. The drivers will be former Formula One driver Enrique Bernoldi, and Roberto Streit, a single-seater driver who has mainly been competing in Japan in recent years.
“We are delighted to welcome Sangari Team Brazil to the FIA GT Championship,” commented Stephane Ratel, Chairman of SRO, promoter of the SRO Motorsports Group. “ Attracting drivers from overseas is one of our prime objectives, in order to build up interest for GT racing in their countries. We hope that having a Brazilian car in the FIA GT Championship in 2009 will prove to be a first step towards having a round of the future FIA GT1 World Championship in Brazil in 2010 or 2011. “
The drivers are both looking forward to this new challenge. Enrique Bernoldi commented : “I am delighted with this great opportunity. And I think Roberto and I will form a strong lineup straight away. I am very motivated to work hard, and I know the team and Streit are also fired up. As a racing driver, I am looking forward to driving the Corvette as soon as possible. You know, the car has always a special position in the whole package. You want to know how it handles, what you can do to help the team. I am really looking forward to it”. As for Streit, he added : “This seems to be something special. I have already driven Japanese GT500 cars, which are fast, but GT1 is something different and I now I have a lot to learn. Everything will be new to me, so it is a new challenge altogether. I already know Enrique but I have never worked with him. For sure he is quick and professional, so I have great expectations about what we can achieve with DKR. I am still only 25 years old. Thus a career in GT1 is a very interesting prospect”.
DKR will be testing its new drivers on the Val de Vienne circuit on Thursday July 2nd, just before the next round of the FFSA GT Championship. The team is still looking to finalise its full crew for the highlight of the 2009 FIA GT Championship, the Total 24 Hours of Spa, on July 26th – 27th.
Source : FIA-GT