Maserati scored a historic one-two finish in the Spa 24 Hours today. It was the first time the MC12 had competed in a race of this type.

The only other similar event disputed by the car was the 12 Hours of Sebring last March when the MC12 came 5th in the GT1 class. The last time a Maserati won an endurance race was in 1957 when the 450S took the 12 Hours of Sebring with Fangio and Behra at the wheel.

The Vitaphone Racing Team's number 9 MC12, with Michael Bartels, Timo Scheider and the Belgian Eric Van de Poele in the driving seat, dominated the Ardennes race and sixth round of the FIA GT championship. Behind them came Andrea Bertolini, Karl Wendlinger and Philippe Peter in the number 15 JMB Racing MC12. The two MC12s thus finished in the top two places and were also quickest in qualifying. Fabio Babini, Thomas Biagi and Jamie Davies were unlucky in their number 10 car. They were forced to retire with a transmission problem halfway through the race when holding a podium place.
 

 
The two MC12s crossed the line ahead of the Larbre Competitione Ferrari 550 Maranello driven by Gardel/Bouchut/Mollekens/Vosse, and the Corvette C5R with Hezemans/Kumpen/Longin/Bleekmolen in the driving seat. The crew of the JMB Racing number 16 MC12 decided to pull out six hours into the race but the car was in perfect mechanical order.

Gianni Giudici/Diego Romanini/Raffaele Raimondi can be proud of the 25th place overall - and the 8th in their class - that they secured in the Maserati Trofeo Light. This race car is closely derived from the standard road-going model and took on the twenty four hour race without encountering any problems.