In class GT1 number of full-time entrants dropped from 14 to 13. Of the race teams having entered a GT1 car in 2008 only three came back to the 2009 FIA GT edition: Vitaphone Racing Team with its two Maseratis MC12 (and even a third copy for the Total Spa-Francorchamps 24 hours race), Selleslagh Racing Team with its Corvette and PK Carsport with a Corvette too.
At the Vitaphone Maseratis Christian Montanari (I) has been replaced on the #2 car by Alex Muller. Michael Bartels (D), Andrea Bertolini (I) and Miguel Ramos (PT) maintain their seat.
At the Selleslagh Racing Team Corvette Christophe Bouchut (F) has been replaced by Bert Longin (B), coming from PK Carsport, and Xavier Maasen (D), going to the Luc Alphand Aventures Covette, has been replaced by new comer James Ruffier (F).
At PK Carsport Bert Longin has been replaced by Mike Hezemans (NL) coming from Phoenix Carsport. Anthony Kumpen (B) conserves his seat. Phoenix Carsport retired its two Corvettes C6-R from competition and let race this year the new 500 bhp strong Audi R8 LMS, but only at the Spa-Francorchamps 24 hours race. That means that Jean-Denis Deletraz (CH) and Fabrizio Gollin (I) have no longer a wheel in FIA GT Racing. Marcel Fässler (CH) continues to race for Phoenix Carsport and was seen at the wheel of their Audi R8 LMS - entered as a G2 car - at the Spa 24 hours, where he brought the car home in third position.
Two new teams show with a Corvette Z06. Luc Alphand Aventures - last year involved in LMS racing and coming only to Spa - has now a full-season contract with Xavier Maasen (NL) and Tomas Biagi (I) as drivers. DKR Racing shows with Jos Menten (NL) and Markus Palttala (SF). However, already after one single round the team, having no sponsor, was in financial trouble and didn't show at the following rounds. At Spa Menten joined the winning PK Sport Corvette Z06. Last year Menten drove the Reiter Engineering Lambo Murciélago R-GT together with Peter Kox. The last named has no FIA GT wheel for this season. Markus Palttala drove last year one of the Prospeed Porsches 997 GT3-RSR at the FIA GT Series.
For the 2009 season we have not one but four Saleens S7R having subscribed a full-season contract. The old Saleen of Labre Compétition, shared last year by Vincent Vosse (B) and Gregory Franchi (B), is no longer there. Two new teams run each two Saleens. Full Speed Racing shows with Stéphane Lemeret (B) and Mike Hines (GB) on their first car and with Michel Orts (F) and Fernando Monfardini on their second car.  Orts drove earlier in the FIA GT Series (2003 and 2004). Monfardini drove last year one round the Scuderia Ecosse Ferrari F430. At Oschersleben Orts was replaced by Johnny Mowlem who was already seen in FIA GT racing from 2001 to 2003 and in 2006. Lemeret had in 2008 t he opportunity to drive the Vitaphone Maserati at the Spa 24 hours. Hines drove in 2007 the PSI Experience DBR9 at the Series.
K plus K is new in FIA GT racing. On their first Saleen they put Karl Wendlinger (AU) and Ryan Sharp (GB), last year still drivers of the Jetalliance Aston Martin DBR9. This year there are no more DBR9s at the start. All three (the two of Jetalliance and the one of Gigawave) didn't return, what implies that Philipp Peter (A), Allan Simonsen (NZ), Sean Edwards (GB) and Dieter Svepes (D) are no longer involved in 2009 FIA GT Racing. The second K plus K Saleen is shared by Adam Lacko (CZ) and Mario Dominguez (MEX). Lacko drove earlier for Charouz and for Konrad. Dominguez is a full new comer.
Coming from FIA GT3 racing are the two Fords GT of the Swiss Matech GT Racing team. Their Fords GT - based upon the 1965 Ford GT 40 version!!! - are now in GT1 spec. On the first car we find Bas Leinders (B) and Renaud Kuppens (B), in former years always seen on the Vertigo which is no longer there. On the second car we find two new comers Thomas Mutsch (D) and Marc Hennerici (D).
The most innovative car of this year is undoubtedly the Nissan Motorsports Nissan Z 350GT. It is a full works car what implies that the car can not score championships points. Drivers are Darren Turner (GB) and Michael Krumm (D). Turner, an ex-works Aston driver, was seen last year at the Spa 24 hours at the wheel of the Gigawave DBR9. Michael Krumm comes from Autobacs FIA GT Racing in Japan. At this year's Spa 24 hours the Nissan, having been long time fourth, caused a real stir.
The Rock Media Motors Pagani Zonda R, having failed to confirm last year, wisely didn't return.

In GT2 we find nearly the same teams as at the 2008 edition of the FIA GT Series. No longer involved is Scuderia Ecosse. That implies that the its drivers Jamie Davis (GB) and Fabio Babini (I) have no longer a regular seat. Of them Babini found a single race seat at BMS Scuderia Italia for the Total Spa-Francorchamps 24 hours.
Also no longer at the start is Kessel Racing. One of its drivers - Henri Moser (CH), well known from the Ferrari F430 Challenge Series, could move from Kessel Racing to Phoenix Racing which entered its new Audi R8 LMS with success at the Spa-Francorchamps 24 hours. Fabrizio del Monte (I) of Kessel Racing found no wheel for the 2009 FIA GT Championship. 
The two cars that disappeared are replaced by two new cars. Brixia Racing shows with a Porsche 997 GT3-RSR on which Luigi Lucchin (I)  and Martin Raggiger (A) are the regular drivers. Both are new comers in FIA GT Racing.
The other new car is the Aston Martin V8 Vantage of Hexis Racing AMR. This car was already expected to show last year, but it entered not one single round. Drivers of the new GT2 Aston are Stefan Mucke (ex-DTM) and Frédéric Makowiecki (F). In 2007 Mucke (D) was one of the works drivers on the Reiter Engineering Lamborghini Murciélago R-GT. Makowiecki made earlier some entries at the FIA GT Series for Larbre Compétition (in 2006 and in 2008).
Of the twelve regular GT2 cars for the 2009 season no less than seven are Ferraris F430 - all seven already last year at the start. AF Corse comes with the GT2 champions of last year: Toni Vilander (SF) and Gianmaria Bruni (I) on car #50. On their second car Tomas Biagi and Christian Montanari have been replaced by Niki Cadei and Alvaro Barba Lopez. In 2003, 2004 and 2008 Cadei entered a couple of rounds at the FIA GT Series. Barba Lopez is new. Biagi can drive this year for Luc Alphand Aventures and also for Matech GT Racing in GT1. Two other F430 are entered by the all-British CRS Racing using the four same drivers as last year: Chris Niarchos (CDN), Tim Mullen (GB), Andrew Kirkaldy (GB) and Robert Bell (GB).
BMS Scuderia Italia enters also two F430s. On one of their cars they maintain Paolo Ruberti (I) and Matteo Malucelli (I) as drivers. On their second car Kenneth Heyer (D) and Diego Romanini (I) replace Joël Camathias (CH) and Davide Rigon (I). Heyer drove last year for Charouz Racing a G2 Mosler MT900R and the Porsche 996 Bi-turbo at the Spa-Francorchamps 24 hours for McDonald's Racing. Romanini drove once in FIA GT, in 2006: the Giani Giudici Maserati Light GT 4200. For the Spa-Francorchamps 24 hours BMS put their four regular on the first car, whilst Fabio Babini (I), Christian Pescatori (I) and Marcelo Zani (I) received the wheel of their second car.
The seventh F430 is entered by Pecom Racing from Argentine. The two drivers are just as last year the Argentines Matias Russo and Luis Perez Companc. The team has this year a new name, replacing "Advanced Engineering".
This year there are four Porsches 997 GT3-RSR at the start, that's one more than last year. Indeed, Brixia Racing is a new team as mentioned above.  The Belgian Prospeed Competition is back with their two Porsches. On the first one they maintained Emmanuel Collard (F) and Richard Westbrook (GB) as drivers. On their second car Markus Palttala (SF) and Mikael Forsten (SF) have been replaced by China's Darryl O'Young and Marco Holzer (D). O'Young was already seen in the FIA GT Championship in 2006. Holzer is a new comer in FIA GT. At the Spa-Francorchamps 24 hoursthe team decided to let drive first car by all four regular drivers, whilst the second car was given for rent to Paul van Splunteren (well known from former Porsche Supercup editions), Tom Coronel (NL) (ex-Autobacs JGTC driver), Niek Homerson (NL) and Louis Machiels (B). The two last drivers are well-known from the Ferrari F430 Challenge races.

Sangari Team Brazil

Porsche 997 GT3-RSR

Enrique Bernoldi (4)
Roberto Streit (4)
Xavier Maasen (4)

Apart from the 13 GT1 cars and 12 GT2 cars, having subscribed for the whole season, five other cars will be seen in competition. The most spectacular, undoubtedly, is the Audi R8 LMS entered by Phoenix Racing and shared at the Spa 24 hours by Marcel Fässler (CH), Henri Moser (CH), Alexander Margaritis (GR) and Marc Basseng (D). The car finished at an unbelievable good third place OA.
Another good car having been seen at the Spa 24h, coming from the LMS Series, is the IMSA Matmut Performance Porsche 997 GT3-RSR. Just as in LMS racing the car is faster than all Ferraris F430, but, unfortunately misses reliability. At the Spa 24 hours the Raymond Narac (F)/Patrick Long (USA)¨Patrick Pilet (F) car was leading its class during the four first hours, but dropped then in the standings after a prolonged pit stop. 
A third car entered for one single race - again the Spa 24 hours - is the Corvette Z06 entered by Sangari Team Brazil. Having qualified as fourth the car had to retire already after the second hour (from the fifth position).
Wanting to increase their winning chances at the Spa 24 hours Vitaphone Racing Team will enter a third works Maserati MC12. Here Vincent Vosse - last year still a full-season driver - finds a seat together with Alessandro Pier Guidi (I), Carl Rosenblad (S) and Stéphane Lemeret (B).
The fifth and last single round car is the Ferrari F430 GT2 of JMB Racing. Already since 2006 owner Jean-Michel Bourêche gives the car for rent to gentleman drivers. This year that were (as always) Peter Kuteman (NL) and Stéphane Daoudi (F). John Hartshome (GB) and Maurizio Paolo Basso (CH) were the other drivers. [JPVR]

Vitaphone Racing Team

Maserati MC12 GT1

IMSA Matmut Performance

Porsche 997 GT3-RSR

Raymond Narac (4)
Patrick Pilet (4)
Patrick Long (4)

JMB Racing

Ferrari F430 GT2

Phoenix Racing

Audi R8 LMS