Matteo Bobbi rejoins Marc VDS

During the final few races of the 2010 season of the FIA GT1 World Championship, Matteo Bobbi will rejoin the Marc VDS Racing Team. The Italian, one of the mainstays in international GT racing, will drive the Ford GT #41, together with Markus Palttala.

There are three races left in the 2010 FIA GT1 World Championship: there is the new race on the Spanish track of Navarra (24th October), then a visit to Interlagos in Brazil (28th November), to conclude with the final a week later (5th December) on the Argentinean track of San Luis.

During that last part of the season the Marc VDS Racing Team will use the services of a new driver, Matteo Bobbi. The 32 year old Italian (born 2nd July 1978) is one of the references in GT racing. "In Paul Ricard, at the beginning of July, Matteo started to show interest in our team and the Ford GT", Bas Leinders says, not only sharing the Ford GT#40 with Maxime Martin, but also the Managing Director of the Belgian team. "We came to an agreement and I am very much looking forward to welcoming a highly valued GT-driver in our team."

Matteo Bobbi started his career during the nineties, in karting. At the turn of the century that logically evolved in a career in single-seaters (Formula Nissan 2000, F3, F3000, etc.), and the Italian eventually became the test driver for the F1-team Scuderia Minardi (2002 and 2003). In 2003 Bobbi then went for a career in GT racing and in his first full season he became the GT1 world champion with a Ferrari 550 of BMS Scuderia Italia (6 wins, 1 pole, 7 podiums). The next year he conquered the title of vice-champion for the same team (2 wins, 3 poles, 6 podiums). Then for the next six years Bobbi drove all over the world, from the United States to Europe, at the wheel of cars like the Saleen S7-R, Ferrari 430 or Maserati MC12, cars with which he won at the highest level. Him rejoining the Marc VDS Racing Team can only be considered a great reinforcement for the Belgian team.

"I am very much looking forward in meeting the team and driving the Ford GT, a car that has fascinated me deeply since it made its first GT1-appearance last year", the Italian states. On the Ford GT #41 he will take the place of Renaud Kuppens at the side of Markus Palttala. "The Ford certainly is one of the most iconic cars and has proven its competitiveness. I can hardly wait to get behind the wheel!"

That will happen during the last weekend of October, in Spain...

-source: marc vds