Full Int. GT Open season awaits FFF Racing, Hiroshi Hamaguchi and Tonio Liuzzi

A full season in the 2017 International GT Open awaits the Lamborghini Squadra Corse-supported FFF Racing Team, which will field a sole Huracan GT3 for Japanese gentleman driver Hiroshi Hamaguchi and ex-Formula 1 racer Vitantonio Liuzzi.

A one-off exploration of the International GT Open format at Circuit Paul Ricard last year yielded a brace of podiums for Liuzzi and Team Principal, Andrea Caldarelli, and it was those performances and proven regulations that promote fairness and produce fast and frenetic racing that ultimately inspired FFF Racing to commit to a full-time GT Open programme.

Italian Pro Liuzzi and Japanese Am Hamaguchi reunite for the first time since their joint attack on the 2015 GT Asia Series, except this time they will be paired in one of FFF Racing’s Lamborghini Huracan GT3s for a tour of Europe’s most revered racetracks.

Buoyed by the successful start to his European racing career in the 2016 Michelin GT3 Le Mans Cup, Hamaguchi vows to take the bull by the horns and utilise all of Liuzzi’s knowledge and experience to build on his burgeoning record on his GT Open debut.

“I enjoyed last season very much, not only because I raced on some incredible and historic tracks, but because everything was new to me,” said Hamaguchi. “I loved every single moment of my journey across Europe. Half of the circuits on the International GT Open calendar will be unfamiliar, so my learning curve will continue, but I should be better than last year when I had zero mileage before the season.

“Because the GT Open allows silver/silver driver combinations, I’ll be against some very fast and experienced Pros. It definitely won’t be easy, but I think Tonio’s (Liuzzi) presence will make a difference. It’s a true honour to race alongside somebody of Tonio’s calibre. Not many Ams get a chance to pair with an ex-F1 driver. I am one of the lucky few! Tonio and I had a great season in the 2015 GT Asia Series and I learned a lot from him back then. I hope his experience helps me improve even more this year.”

The 12th running of the International GT Open begins on Portuguese shores at Circuito do Estoril (29-30 April) and includes halts at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Silverstone and Autodromo Nazionale Monza.

The entry continues to grow and 2017 promises to be the most competitive season yet, with more teams and drivers joining the fray in a wider variety of cars, and Liuzzi feels it would be unwise to underestimate the competition.

“I believe the International GT Open is a great series,” said Liuzzi. “Last year, I experienced the championship with Andrea (Caldarelli) at Circuit Paul Ricard and it was certainly interesting. We worked hard and reached the podium in both races, which were very competitive and hard-fought. Looking at this year’s entry list, the GT Open is growing and the level continues to rise, so it won’t be an easy championship to win.

“However, I’m happy to be back with Hiroshi (Hamaguchi) for the first time since the 2015 GT Asia Series. He’s a more mature and competitive driver who grows every year and he’s a pleasure to work with because he listens, follows instructions, studies telemetry and enjoys himself at the same time.”

Liuzzi continued: “FFF Racing, meanwhile, is improving a lot and are taking some big steps while working more closely with Lamborghini. With a fair Balance of Performance and by applying the developments from the Asian Le Mans Series, we will continue heading in the right direction, but we need to keep pushing for more to win.”

Head of Lamborghini Motorsport, Giorgio Sanna, said: “We at Lamborghini Squadra Corse are excited to be supporting FFF Racing Team during its new journey in the International GT Open, a championship that saw a Lamborghini GT3 win the title in 2016 and where we invest with interest. We are confident that the duo formed by Hiroshi Hamaguchi and Tonio Liuzzi will be a protagonist in the Pro-Am class during the 2017 season.”