The Swiss Matech Concepts outfit has revealed that its new Ford GT1 will make its debut in the FIA GT Championship in the season opener at Silverstone in May.

The new car, which has been designed to the new regulations that will come into play for the 2010 season, will make its first public appearance during the annual series media days at Paul Ricard next month before a race debut in the British round of the series.

Matech, which won the FIA GT3 teams' title last year with its GT3-spec Ford GT [pictured], plans to run one car itself alongside a customer entry.

“We consider 2009 as a development year to gather as much knowledge as possible before the launch of the FIA-GT World Championship in 2010,” Matech boss Martin Bartek said, “but based on last year's successful GT3 experience we feel extremely confident about the car's competitiveness right from the start of the season.”

The Ford will become the second 2010-spec GT1 machine on the grid after the announcement that Gigawave will enter a NISMO-developed Nissan GT-R in selected events this year.