Champions Graff Racing to debut Mercedes AMG SLS in FFSA GT

Reigning teams’ champions Graff Racing will enter a pair of Mercedes AMG SLS GT3 cars in this season’s FFSA GT Championship having previously run with Corvette.

The Chinon-based outfit missed out on the drivers’ title at the final round to Larbre Competition’s Patrick Bornhauser and Laurent Groppi in 2010, but clinched the teams’ title after a strong year with their Renaud Derlot / Arnaud Peyroles and Julien Canal / Gerard Tonelli-crewed cars.

For the 2011 season, Graff has retained Derlot and Tonelli and also swooped to sign former F1 driver Olivier Panis and Eric Debard from DKR Engineering for its FFSA campaign.

“I’m very pleased that Graff Racing will be running two Mercedes AMG SLS cars,” said team boss Jean-Philippe Grand. “This model is very successful and reliable and with two crews of this calibre, I have no doubt that we’ll perform well.

“The four drivers get along well, share the same values and will work in harmony. My only question mark lies in the decision to be taken (by the organisers) with regards balance of performance.”

Derlot and Tonelli will team up in one Mercedes, while Panis stays with Debard for a third successive season in the other car, leaving the former Ligier F1 driver looking forward to the new year.

“It’s with pleasure that I share a car in this championship with my friend Eric Debard,” Panis said. “We have a beautiful car, developed by a major manufacturer. This season, the field is very competitive, but with Eric and Graff Racing I’m extremely motivated to win the title.”

To date, the Graff Racing cars will be the only Mercedes on the FFSA GT Championship grid in 2011.


Andy Wilkinson

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