Fabio Babini and Thomas Biagi, in the Vitaphone Racing Team
MC12, finished third in the third FIA GT race held at
Silverstone. They now move into first spot in the drivers'
championship alongside Andrea Bertolini and Karl Wendlinger
(JMB Racing), fourth in England, and Michael Bartels/Timo
Scheider (Vitaphone), who came home fifth.
The Vitaphone Racing Team stilll holds top spot in the team
championship while Maserati has consolidated its place in
the Constructors' Cup. The fourth MC12 in the race ended in
eighth with Philippe Peter/Chris Buncombe and Roman Rusinov
(JMB Racing), after Buncombe was hit with a pit lane drive
through penalty.
The top two positions went to the Aston Martins with Lamy/Kox
and Brabham/Turner on board. The Astons do not compete in
the championship and so will not earn any points.
Babini/Biagi drove excellently and attacked throughout.
Their form ensured a healthy distance was maintained between
them and their rivals. Unfortunately, the Maseratis spent
ten seconds more refuelling owing to the position of the
English car's fuel tank.
Babini got off to a good start and overtook Lamy's Aston. He
moved into second behind Turner, a position from where he
tried to get past the leader.
The race order changed when the pit stops began on lap 45.
Four cars (the two Astons, Babini/Biagi's MC12 and the
Corvette) were jostling for the top positions. Bertolini/Wendlinger's
MC12 delayed making a pit stop and so rose up the order from
their starting position of eighth.
The JMB Racing couple fought out a long duel with Bartels/Scheider
in the other Vitaphone MC12. In the latter half of the race,
when the second fuel stops were made, Thomas Biagi was in
the lead for a few laps.
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JMB
Racing - Maserati MC 12 - FIA GT Championship
Silverstone Tourist Trophy - 15.05.2005 |
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Vitaphone Racing -
Maserati MC 12 - FIA GT Championship Silverstone
Tourist Trophy - 15.05.2005 |
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It was Pedro Lamy, however, who took the
chequered flag for Aston Martin. Darren Turner in the sister
British car came in next, followed by the MC 12s driven by Babini,
Wendlinger and Scheider.
It ought to be remembered that the number 10 and 15 MC12s
had 40kg of ballast on board in additon to the 10kg assigned
at the start of the season. The number 9 Trident GT had 70kg
of added weight (60+10). Unlike its competitors, all the
MC12s have a compromised aerodynamic set up.
The Federation ruled out the use of a front splitter and the
car has a smaller rear wing. Without adequate downforce it
was difficult to win at Silverstone, an intermediate
circuit.
Fabio Babini: "the car was perfect: I had the chance to
really push and put pressure on the Astons. I managed to get
close but coming out of the curves they had the edge in
acceleration. In any case, it was a positive weekend for is.
We won a virtual first place which repays Maserati, team
Vitaphone and Pirelli for their hard work that has put us at
the head of the championship."
Thomas Biagi: "I am pleased with the thirteenth pole in
fourteen FIA GT races. Fabio and I did well and even held
the lead for a while. We couldn't go any quicker because we
didn't have the downforce."
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FIA
GT: CLASSIFIED RACE RESULT
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