Maserati triumphed in the FIA GT series race at Magny Cours with the MC12, yesterday, monopolising the top three podium positions. This expected and well deserved result is a reward for all the hard work carried out by the teams and drivers.

The JMB Racing car driven by Andrea Bertolini and Karl Wendlinger took the chequered flag. It was followed home by the Vitaphone Racing Team GT crew of Michael Bartels and Timo Scheider. Behind them came their team mates Fabio Babini and Thomas Biagi. The other MC12 with Philippe Peter/Chris Buncombe/Roman Rusinov on board for JMB Racing crossed the line in seventh. The Magny Cours win is also an Italian success with three cars and three drivers making the podium.

Maserati now enjoys a clear lead in the Constructors’ Cup. The team classification sees the Vitaphone Racing Team up front with the Bartels/Scheider crew heading the drivers’ table. From his spot on the front row of the grid, Andrea Bertolini held the lead for sixteen laps. There then developed a duel with Bouchut and Babini which saw Babini win out.

Babini led the race for twenty laps before the entry of the safety car and the subsequent round of pit stops. His adversaries took advantage of this episode to make early stops and so cancel the lead Babini had built up.

So it was Michael Bartels’ turn to head the pack. He was tailed by Karl Wendlinger, Bertolini’s substitute. The two put on a great spectacle until lap 71 when both pulled into the pits for a change of driver. The Bertolini/Wendlinger car was faultless, while Bartels/Scheider had a problem restarting their MC12 and lost around twenty seconds.

Biagi, who had worked to close the gap to the leaders during his stint, also pitted. Now the race order was clear: Bertolini led by a healthy margin from Scheider and Babini, who had taken Biagi’s place. Ten minutes from the end of the three hour race, and with his tyres and brakes worn down, Bertolini left the track. However, he managed to maintain control of the car and keep his lead. Scheider was now closer to him and though he pushed hard he could not catch the leading man.
 

Third across the line was Babini, while Peter/Rusinov/Buncombe, fourth for long periods of the race, slipped back down the field after making an additional pit stop. Andrea Bertolini set the fastest lap time during the race. Maserati also commented that, "on this successful day for Maserati, we would like to recall the contribution made to the formation of Maserati Corse by Luciano Caruso. Caruso sadly passed away recently."

Andrea Bertolini: "The car was spot on. We worked very hard on finding a race set up right from qualifying on. I nearly had a heart attack went I went off the track but, luckily, I managed to hold onto the lead".

Karl Wendlinger: "Everything went well. We were consistent and very quick. I had a duel with Bartels and it wasn’t easy to overtake and compromise the result so I didn’t take excessive risks".

Michael Bartels: "It was a great race. I had a battle with Karl and it took me back to the F3 days. I am pleased for the team, as we are leading the drivers’ and team classifications, as well as for Maserati, who head the Constructors’ Cup".

Timo Scheider: "It seemed like we had a chance of the win when I saw Bertolini off the track and so I tried to push even harder. It is a shame that we lost time during the pit stop. I will try to win the next race".

Fabio Babini: "I enjoyed the first hour of the race, while I was in the lead, very much. When the safety car came on we lost the advantage we had. The team is working well and we have high hopes for the next race".

Thomas Biagi: "Today I took the tenth GT podium spot in my career. It was a good weekend and I am happy with how I raced. I would like to thank everybody whose hard work allowed me to finish so highly".