Xavier Maassen has inked a deal with Luc Alphand Aventures to remain in the FIA GT Championship for the 2009 season.

Maassen, who won the Monza round last season while with SRT, will line-up alongside Guillaume Moreau for the season ahead in the team's Corvette C6.R in a change from the expected line-up within the team. Prior to Christmas, it had been announced that Yann Clairy would partner Moreau during the season ahead.

Having raced against Moreau in the World Series by Renault, Maassen said he was now looking forward to competing alongside the Frenchman during the season ahead and said he was confident that the team would be a front-runner during the season ahead.

“We are both very ambitious and I think people will have to take account of us,” he said. “We are aiming for an optimum result, Along with Luc Alphand Aventures and Guillaume, we are aiming for the top three in the FIA GT with our highest ambition being the title.

“Over the winter period, one of the priorities was to remain in GT1. Not only is the FIA GT a high-level championship on the sporting front, but the commercial and marketing aspects of the promoter, SRO, are extremely professional. We will have more TV coverage in Belgium this year, an important argument for entrants and their commercial partners. Also, I know the format and the circuits now, which is very important in order to go forwards and win races.

“As for the car], the Corvette is quite simply one of the best GT cars around at the moment. Why change our weapon of choice?”