MOTORSPORT NEWS ARCHIVE
Maserati wins 1st round of GT World Championship
Maserati's defence of its GT World
titles could not have got off to a better start at the weekend (7 May
2006) with the Maserati MC12 driven by Michael Bartels and Andrea Bertolini
winning the first race of the season and took the prestigious 'Tourist
Trophy' the UK's Silverstone race track
The Maserati crew beat off the challenge of Bert-Janis's
Saleen S7R and the Aston Martin DBR9 driven by Gollin-Babini. The other
Maserati, fielded by the Vitaphone Racing Team, also did well as Jamie
Davies and Thomas Biagi steered it to fifth. At the end of three hours
and 95 laps, Bartels-Babini's overall time was 3h00'40"717 at an
average speed of 162 km/h; 4"735 faster than their adversaries. The
race began in uncertain weather and with the asphalt difficult to read
after the morning rain. This meant that the teams had to mount intermediate
Pirelli tyres.
Starting from second and fourth place on the grid, Bertolini
and Davies attacked from the off and immediately gained two places. On
lap three, Bertolini moved into second place while Davies, following a
spin, slipped down to fifteenth spot. After half an hour of racing, Bertolini's
MC12 took the lead and Davies climbed to third after an extraordinary
comeback. The track began to dry out when the sun shone and, forty minutes
in, Bertolini came into the pits to switch to slicks and refuel.
Davies mirrored the move two laps later. This strategy,
decided in an instant, proved to be a winning one. After their stops,
Bertolini and Davies came back onto the track in 5th and 7th place. An
hour into the event, Bertolini had climbed to third and, by setting the
best lap times, closed in on Janis' Saleen and Piccini in the Aston Martin,
in first and second respectively. Davies, despite some visibility problems,
held fourth place. On the course of lap 35, Bertolini claimed top spot
with his team mate Davies in third.
By the end of the second hour the driver changes had been
made (between laps 51 and 53). Now in the driving seat of the Maseratis
were Michael Bartels and Thomas Biagi and they were travelling in second
and fourth.
The obligatory pit stops over, the German Bartels took the lead and steadily
increased his advantage over his pursuer Janis (Saleen) until it reached
a minute half an hour from the finish. The plan at the beginning of the
race proved spot on as, eighteen minutes from the chequered flag, Bartels
came in for his final fuel stop after an earlier tyre change. The lead
he had built allowed him to come back onto the track in first place. From
there it was a cruise to the finish.
Claudio Berro, Maserati Corse's direttore generale, was
extremely pleased:
"It was a fine win for team Vitaphone, obtained in a fantastic car,
impeccable drivers and with a perfect strategy. The Pirelli intermediate
tyres allowed us to head our adversaries in the early stages. The second
MC12 also did well to just miss out on the podium. Team Vitaphone has
proved once more to be one of the contenders in this championship and
we at Maserati are happy that they can use our cars"
Andrea Bertolini, the team Vitaphone and official Maserati
Corse driver, thanked his team and his team mate, Bartels: "We couldn't
have done any better; in tough conditions the strategy is fundamental.
The intermediate tyres performed well. I did best early on and Bartels
was great in closing out the race. Winning the first race of the season
is satisfying, especially against such difficult opponents".
The next FIA GT championship race is on 28 May at the Brno circuit (Czech
Republic).
(ends)
Final results at Silverstone
1. Bertolini-Bartels (Maserati MC12) 95 laps in 3h00'40"717
2. Janis-Bert (Saleen) + 4"735
3. Babini-Gollin (Aston Martin) + 1'04"019
4. Bouchut-Brabham (Aston Martin) + 1'05"870
5. Davies-Biagi (Maserati MC12) + 1'28"581
6. Piccini-Deletraz (Aston Martin) + 1 lap
7. Pescatori-Ramos (Aston Martin) + 1 lap
8. Hezemans-Longin-Kumpen (Corvette) + 1 lap
FIA GT Championaship Drivers
1. Bertolini, Bartels 10;
3. Janis, Bert 8;
5. Babini, Gollin 6;
7. Bouchut, Brabham 5;
9. Davies, Biagi 4;
11. Piccini, Deletraz 3;
13. Pescatori, Ramos 2;
15. Hezemans-Longin-Kumpen 1.
FIA GT Championship Team
1. Vitaphone Racing 14;
2. Aston Martin Racing BMS e Zakspeed Racing
©
italiancar.com.au 15/05/06
