Can't post the article from Atlas because it's subscription based but here is a cut and paste version. Interesting. Not only will it likely be the fastest car in GTS class but it will be driven by a three time F1 champion. Maybe Ferrari/Maserati can help the FIA design the trophy so it'll match whatever else sits in the trophy case. I wonder if the car will be banned or penalized heavily before it every actually turns a wheel in competition? Regards, Jon P. Kofod www.flatoutracing.net Tuesday May 4th, 2004 "Former Formula One World Champion Alain Prost got behind the wheel of a Maserati MC12 car on Tuesday when he tested at Ferrari's Fiorano circuit. The Frenchman, who retired from Grand Prix racing at the end of the 1993 season, was offered the chance to test the car, which will compete FIA GT championship and the Le Mans Endurance series, after paying a visit to Ferrari's boss Jean Todt. "I was in Maranello to visit my friend Jean Todt and I jumped at the chance to try the car," said the four-time World Champion. "It was an emotional moment coming back here and meeting people with whom I had shared unforgettable times." Since he retired, Prost has been racing occasionally in the Andros Trophy. In 1997 he purchased Ligier and became a team boss until the end of 2001, when his Prost Grand Prix team filed for bankruptcy. "
if they were to ban the car and make up rules to prevent it from racing wouldn't it be similar to the McLaren F1? didn't they have to reduce the HP and add some weight to make the car legal to compeat? yet the F1 still dominated. i'd take something like that as a compliment. well i guess it's their way of keeping ALMS from turning into F1.
After Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello, Alain Prost which team of pilot that made in a few days. The rumour speaks already that this test would not be so innocent that that and could lead to a proposal of a wheel in FIA-GT with Maserati Reparto Corse. Wait & see...
The F1 got strangled with a restrictor in the inlet, and had to loose the underbody aerodynamics (the movable stuff) which resulted in a big wing to enable stability; don't know about any weight additions. First race car in history that underperformed the road car version.
i have see on french TV 3 pics of Alain Prost on MC 12 Maserati, test at Fiorano circuit. some one have pics of this event????????
The Maserati MC12 will not be allowed to compete in either the ALMS or FIA GT. An official announcement will be forthcoming shortly. The only way this car, and others like it, would be allowed into ALMS and FIA GT is for the series to create a "Super Car" class resembling the FIA GT of 1997. The MC12 will race, just not in the GTS categories. Entry into this class would seal the series' fate as surely, GM and Aston Marting would pull out. BHW
First of all the rules for the FIA GT and ALMS GTS are clear. The car must be from an origianal road going example. From the windscreen to the rear axle, the car must be original. After that, all bets are off and teams may do anything to the cars they want including use of carbon fibre, front splitter and heavilly modified engines. Michael Cotton sums it up best in his brand new article posted on Sports Car Pros.com today. The MC12 is a heavilly revised Enzo and is contrary to the spirit of the rules of GTS. Were they to allow this car into the GTS, established teams such as GM, Aston Martin, etc. would be forced to pull out just as the class is taking on new form. Let us not forget, there are Ferraris involved in these series as well with the Prodrive-built 550 GT Maranellos dominating the FIA GT points and the new 575 GTCs in the fray (even the 575s were allowed in in a round about way). The sanctioning bodies, FIA and ACO, are not about to shoot their feet off to accomodate the MC12. Dont give up hope, I believe a new class for SuperCars may be created yet which will allow the MC12 and others like it to race but, right now, there is no way this car will be elgible for GTS. BHW http://www.SportsCarPros.com/not-that-it-s-any-of-my-business-features-by-kerry-morse/features/another-nurburgring-klassic/default.htm
Barton, This seems like politics to me. No concerns were raised until word leaked out about the car lapping Fiorano in about the same time as the old 333 SP's did. Then everyone got in a huff. I guess my questions is the following. Is it being excluded from GTS simply because it's being badged as a Maser and it based on an Enzo? If this is correct, then I assume they couldn't ban the Enzo if Ferrari decided to simply rebadge the Maser as a true Ferrari? Am I correct or is there some other rule that the MC12 voilates. It doesn't seem to me to be much different than the Saleen SR7 which was granted race status in GTS at least two and half years before the first street car was built. This all seems like politics to me. The same **** occured with the PTG built M3 GTRV8's. They bent the rules like crap to get them in, then booted them out for non-comliance when all the Porsche people cried foul. ALMS and FIA need to write the rules more clearly or stop playing politics. Regards, Jon
We would like to see Team Ferrari in more than just F1 But ferrari played games. With an Enzo street car, you need a Enzo race car. Not a Maser prototype. I'd love to see a Enzo on slicks with a big fin on the back...I wonder what that might look like? LOL
Sure, its politics but its also good business sense prevailing as well. The new Prodrive/Aston Martin DB9 would have lost all of it's value before it even turns a wheel. The development of the Corvettes would have ended just as they announced at Le Mans that they were coming with a new model for 2005. This seems to be the topic of the day just about everywhere we look but the rules are clear. There must be certain homogulation rules which, in effect, means that if Maserati wants to come racing in this category, they must build X-amount of them. Since they only seem to have built one so far, this alone disqualifies them from taking part in any GT category be it FIA GT, ACO or ALMS. Unless they want another GT-1 Supercar war on their hands, a-la the late 90s, the FIA and ACO must be commended for holding their ground. These sanctioning bodies simply must come up with a new SuperCar formula which would allow Maserati to run the MC12 but, here again, homodulation rules must come into effect. I dont recall anyone holding a gun to Maserati's head telling them they must build this car which, as everyone well remembers, was built on the Enzo platform and heavilly modified for competition use evem though it was clear from the beginning, it would never be legal for GTS. The MC12's inclusion into the ACO/ALMS would have meant the exclusion of the Prodrive/Aston Martin DB9 and then you would see me hopping mad! BHW
Barton all good points, but BMW never built even ONE car to homologate their entry into GT and they were let in. Regards, Jon
Fnck GM ... they obviously have taught Holden how to cheat in motorsport and now spitting the dummy because their cr@p cars will get the just deserves. Maserati made their street version ... instead of crying GM, kick your engineers up their arse and made your version! Grow some shoulders GM and Holden or leave motor racing for real MEN. Pete's opinion
Cool, Last place I saw Prost race was on ICE. He was fast on that as well. One of my favorite drivers ever.
Well, they are going to build 25 street cars... http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11634&highlight=maserati+mc12 ...so that isn´t the point...
Most people want to see a Viper, Lambo, 911, Enzo, .....the same cars that we buy, race against each other. Ferrari did not give us the Enzo. Ferrari made a bad move, and its sad. The game is not to build a race car and then, build enough copies of the race car so rich guys can fool them selfs driving it on the street and calling it a road car. I want to see an Enzo race the Bull.
