Aside from Britain, me and Peter have continued running in the GT Open series out in Europe and its been going well out there. There was some disappointment at Spa when Peter had an accident that forced us out of the weekend, but these things happen. It’s just a shame it happened as Spa as it’s such a magical place and you don’t get many chances to compete there.
The GT Open is a really good championship and there are more than 20 GT2 cars lining up on the grid for each race. They aren’t just any old cars and drivers either. When someone like Xavier Pompidou can’t qualify inside the top ten, it shows how strong the series is and I believe it is stronger in GT2 than the
FIA GT Championship where I have raced in the past.
AF Corse is a fantastic team and through the GT Open, I have the chance to build something with them. I think they have been a bit surprised by the pace that I have shown so far this season and are now looking at the possibility of doing something with me in the future. That is fantastic for me as they are the factory Ferrari team and having a close relationship with a manufacturer and its factory team is something I have been building towards.
Of course, the biggest race of them all takes place this weekend at Le Mans, and I think Peugeot are the team to beat and the team I think will win. They have the stronger package which makes sense really as the 908 is only in its second year of development and Audi’s R10 is getting closer to the end of its racing life.
I actually think the big battle could well come in GT2 between Porsche and
Ferrari. Ferrari is really taking the race seriously this year and has some top teams like Risi, Virgo and of course AF Corse to represent them. Porsche have always had the upper hand and they have a good record at La Sarthe, but I think this is the year when Ferrari will really push them hard. I’ll be cheering on my mate Rob Bell at Virgo, and of course AF Corse, as they chase victory.
Until next time,
Matt
http://www.matt-griffin.co.uk/.
