www.QV500.com - Ferrari 360 Part 7: 360 GT - 2001 FIA GT Championship
 

118775, 2001 Monza Test		 The first 360 GT’s prepared initially by Ferrari prior to being passed onto Michelotto were completed in March 2001. These revised cars received further chassis evolutions and beefier 380mm Brembo brakes with six piston calipers at the front and fours at the rear. Michelotto re-mapped the engine management to maximise torque, power and fuel efficiency and the result was 415bhp at 8500rpm, despite the FIA’s mandatory 30.8mm air restrictors sapping 25bhp.
   
Good for over 180mph even with the increased drag of its aero pack, the 360 GT could sprint to sixty in just 3.8 seconds, the svelte Challenge bodywork having by now evolved into a mean GT endurance racer with its gaping air intakes and deep front spoiler. Michelotto’s flat-face nose incorporated massive meshed ducts carved from the front and side portions while a jutting carbon chin spoiler wrapped around to the flared front arches. Customers could also opt for a pair of supplementary driving lights to be fared into this front valance, a must for those considering night racing in 12 and 24 hour events. Other bodywork revisions saw a NACA duct located on the pin-fastened front lid for extra cabin ventilation while front and rear wings were subtly flared to accommodate the quick-release 10 and 11-inch wide, 18-inch diameter wheels. Michelotto’s first car, chassis 118775, was delivered direct from the Ferrari factory to JMB in time for the FIA’s second official pre-season test session at Monza where David Terrien shook it down. Finished with a black Giesse livery, 118775 would become the car campaigned by Terrien and Pescatori in every round of the 2001 FIA GT Championship. The second example was completed in time for Round 1, also at Monza, chassis 119073 having been rebuilt and updated to 2001 spec. The first four Michelotto GT’s were all delivered to JMB who ran a pair of similar cars for Alliot / Hallyday and Malcher / De Sadeleer in the FFSA-organised French GT Championship.
 

118775, 2001 Silverstone 500km		 Officially a test year to see if the 360 was quick enough to challenge Porsche, things got off to a disappointing start when both cars retired from the Monza 500km race with brake problems (although not before Pescatori had posted what would be the second fastest race lap). At this time, chassis 118775 (Terrien / Pescatori), was again run in black Giesse livery while 119073 (for Garbagnati, Pregliasco and Lambertini) was finished in white. JMB's luck was in for Round 2 at Brno though and it was here that the team scored the 360's first international victory.
   
Terrien and Pescatori took chassis 118775 (still finished in black) to tenth overall and first in the N-GT class. This particularly significant result was followed up with class wins in Round’s 3 and 4 (Magny Cours and Silverstone), Terrien and Pescatori thus recording a hat-trick of consecutive victories and finishing in the top ten overall every time. Silverstone also saw JMB revert to their more traditional red, green and white liveries. Garbagnati and Pregliasco returned in 119073 (the pair having been absent since the opening round at Monza) and secured a fine 13th overall for fifth in N-GT. Just chassis 118775 went to Zolder for Round 5 where, having taken class pole, Pescatori thumped the barriers and was forced to retire. In Round 6, a win at the Hungaroring 500km handed Terrien and Pescatori the lead in both championship standings although Porsche were almost certain to dominate the FIA’s showpiece event, Spa's epic 24 Hours. After holding out for nearly 20 hours, JMB were forced to retire 118775 with technical problems. Another win at Austria’s A1 Ring hadn’t seemed on the cards after Terrien and Pescatori only managed to qualify 12th in class and 26th overall, but a lack of power couldn't keep them from regaining their standings lead with a famous victory. However, the lead was exchanged again following Round 9 after JMB struggled with pace and strategy at the Nurburgring.
 

118775, 2001 A1 Ring 500km		 RWS Motorsport’s Red Bull Porsche GT3 RS regained the team standing’s lead while Luca Riccitelli headed the driver’s league. Round 10 at Jarama saw Terrien and Pescatori’s sixth N-GT win of the year confirm the championship race would go down to the final round in Estoril where the Ferrari pair would need to finish well in order to take both driver and team titles. JMB turned up in Portugal with no less than three cars and the Terrien / Pescatori pairing didn't disappoint coming home third in class to secure Ferrari’s first GT championship since the 1960’s.
   
Rd. Circuit Drivers Entrant Overall N GT Chassis
1 Monza 500km Terrien / Pescatori JMB Racing DNF - 118775
Garbagnati / Pregliasco / Lambertini JMB Racing DNF - 119073
2 Brno 500km Terrien / Pescatori JMB Racing 10th 1st 118775
3 Magny Cours 500km Terrien / Pescatori JMB Racing 9th 1st 118775
4 Silverstone 500km Terrien / Pescatori JMB Racing 7th 1st 118775
Garbagnati / Pregliasco JMB Racing 13th 5th 119073
5 Zolder 500km Terrien / Pescatori JMB Racing DNF - 118775
6 Hungaroring 500km Terrien / Pescatori JMB Racing 7th 1st 118775
Garbagnati / Pregliasco JMB Racing 21st 12th 119073
7 Spa 24 Hours Terrien / Pescatori JMB Racing DNF - 118775
8 A1 Ring 500km Terrien / Pescatori JMB Racing 8th 1st 118775
Garbagnati / Pregliasco JMB Racing 18th 11th 119073
9 Nurburgring 500km Terrien / Pescatori JMB Racing 20th 8th 118775
Garbagnati / Kutemann / Alexander JMB Racing DNF - 119073
10 Jarama 500km Terrien / Pescatori JMB Racing 7th 1st 118775
Garbagnati / Lambertini JMB Racing 17th 9th 119073
11 Estoril 500km Terrien / Pescatori JMB Racing 9th 3rd 118775
Kutemann / Alexander JMB Racing 14th 7th ?
Pregliasco / Lambertini JMB Racing 15th 8th ?