Three different winners in three Trofeo Maserati Brasilia races. Testimony to a hard fought and exciting championship. This can be the only conclusion after Antonio Hermann’s success at the Nelson Piquet circuit in Jacarepaguá last weekend.

In taking the win, Hermann also becomes championship leader. He got the better of pre-race favourite Lico Kaesemodel, setter of the best times during the warm-up and qualifying sessions. The Curitiba born driver was involved in a crash with Paulo de Tarso four laps from the finish.

Having contested the qualifying session on a dry track, the Trofeo Brasile drivers had to contend with bizarre meteorological conditions.

Overcast skies loomed and intermittent rain fell throughout the race. The race got underway at 13.05 for the usual fifty minutes plus one lap formula.

The slick surface added to the spectacle. Paulo de Tarso seemed particularly at home as a series of overtaking moves saw him climb from seventh to third in the space of two laps. The provisional championship leader also profited from Rafael Derani going off the track and moved into Kaesemodel’s slipstream.

The entrance of the safety car and the subsequent restart meant that de Tarso lost the chance to attack the Curitiba driver. Kaesemodel pulled away a little, but was only delaying the inevitable overtaking move.

When the Sponsor Car made its entrance, de Tarso again got close to Kaesemodel and swept past him on lap fourteen. It was then that the two began an intense struggle for first place. The battle was only concluded four laps out from the finish and the clash led to Antonio Hermann and Marcelo Ometto taking first and second.

Following the race, the final order was challenged when Antonio Baptista appealed to the Confederação Brasileira de Automobilismo (Brazilian Automobile Confederation). Third placed finisher, João Adibe, was hit with a twenty second penalty as a result of Baptista’s contention that a clash between the two had disadvantaged him. Adibe has made it known that he will contest the decision.

Once more, this Trofeo Maserati event enjoyed considerable success in the collection of non-perishable foods. These will be donated to Ação Social (an organisation that provides social assistance). Around three hundred and fifty kilos were collected at the Jacarepaguá circuit.

The championship is now finely balanced. Thanks to his victory, Hermann leads the series with 53 points. Paulo de Tarso is second on 44 and Leandro Schmidt (who did not compete here) is on 39. Lico Kaesemodel and João Adibe are both on 36 points.

The next Trofeo Maserati date is set for 5 September at the International Autodrome of Curitiba, in Pinhais, Paraná.