| Founded | 2004 |
|---|---|
| Founder(s) | Giampaolo Coppi |
| Base | Milan, Germany |
| Teamprincipal(s) | Batti Pregliasco |
| Former series | FIA GT Championship Italian GT Championship European Le Mans Series FIA GT3 European Championship International GT Open Speedcar Series |
Squadra Corse G.P.C. srl,[1] operating asGPC Sport, was an Italianauto racing team founded byGiampaolo Coppi as part of his GPC Group.[2] The team raced with a close connection toFerrari in variousgrand touring championships from 2004 to 2008. Coppi, formerly a sponsor and backer of theJB Racing (later JMB Racing) team through hisGiesse corporation, decided to go his own direction in 2004 and launch his own racing team in theFIA GT Championship,[3] later expanding to theItalian GT Championship,European Le Mans Series, andInternational GT Open. GPC Sport also representedMaserati in theFIA GT3 European Championship.
Purchasing two newFerrari 575 GTCs as well as twoFerrari 360 GTCs,[4] the team employed several former Grand Prix drivers includingEmanuele Naspetti andGianni Morbidelli.Christian Pescatori,Jaime Melo, andFabrizio De Simone scored class victories with the 360s, while the 575s finished on the overall podium three times, including at theSpa 24 Hours, finishing second in the teams' championship. The operation was expanded for 2005, adding theItalian GT Championship alongside their FIA GT campaign with the 575s, as well asLe Mans Endurance Series and Italian GT for the teams' 360s. The FIA GT campaign earned only a single podium in each class after several retirements, while the Italian GT program had several programs throughout the season.
For 2006 GPC Sport abandoned their 575 program with Ferrari, instead investing in the newFerrari F430 in the Le Mans Series as well as the newInternational GT Open series. Two class victories were earned in the Le Mans Series, including the first competition victory for the F430, as well as two overall wins in International GT. GPC also representedMaserati in the newFIA GT3 European Championship with theMaserati Trofeo Light. More victories came in 2007, a lone win in the Le Mans Series as well as two more wins in International GT Open. GPC Sport also had their only entry at the24 Hours of Le Mans where their Ferrari retired. The team also sampledstock car racing with theSpeedcar Series.[5] The team trimmed down to just two entries in International GT in 2008 but were not victorious. Giampaolo Coppi would later go on to managing theRoma Racing Team after GPC Sport went bankrupt in 2008.[1]
