Zele-Racing will take on the challenge to race in AutoGP for the 2012 season and beyond. The decision to join the championship directed by Enzo Coloni was taken recently. AutoGP is utilising the ex A1GP Lola B05/52 chassis which underwent some significant changes in terms of downforce / drag and performance. The 3.4 litre Zytek V8 engine, producing 550 BHP is amongst the best race engine available on the market.
Another significant change for the 2012 season is the switch from Michelin to Kumho tires, which means a new challenge for all the teams as data collected over the past years will become obsolete.
AutoGP is supporting the WTCC championship and will be broadcastet live on EuroSport and EuroSport2 all over Europe. Further it will be the first time for AutoGP to jump overseas for the races in Curitiba (Brasil) and Sonoma (USA). Another highlight, round 3 will be held at Marrakech (Marocco) on the African continent.
Enzo Coloni:
“It’s amazing to see the amount of interest that we are receiving for next season, and Mr. Zele’s commitment is a further proof of that. We had already spoken about a possible commitment in the previous seasons, and his decision to finally step in now means that he has perceived the steady growth of our championship. I’m happy to welcome him in the Series, with such a wide-range experience on high-powered cars I’m sure that it won’t take long for them to be able to challenge for wins and podiums”.
Michael Zele:
“We had been tempted to enter AutoGP already 2 years ago. Nowadays it looks like AutoGP is the only logical stepping stone for ambitious young drivers to gain experience in big single-seaters without spending the horrendous budgets required in other categories. Furthermore, running with the WTCC and having Eurosport coverage is a fantastic media-tool, and the updates introduced to the Lola chassis and Zytek engine made the AutoGP car the best value for money. We are happy to finally have the possibility to work with Enzo Coloni. We know each other for many years and obviousely we have big respect for what he has achieved in the past 30 years in racing. Our aim is to create a winning package with a strong driver line-up. From a technical point of view the Lola chassis is not new to us at all. Our engineering staff with GP2, AutoGP and WSbR experience is top class, so I am confident that we can provide a winning package”.
