At Spa last weekend, Maurizio Fabris, an Italian driver, who races with an English license, made the Vodafone Trofeo Maserati top podium spot his own for the second time this season, building on his win in the Imola round, held earlier this year.

Fabris took the victory from the Smurra brothers (3.385 down) and the VIP crew of  Wauters/Van Es (9.850 down). Diego Alessi led in the early stages from Cerrai, Van Es, Fabris and Emanuele Smurra, who thrilled the crowds with their overtaking. Fabris took the lead from Stanislao Smurra after the series of pit stops. In third was the car driven by Belgian Kris Wauters and Dutch journalist Sandor Van Es, with his extensive knowledge of Spa. Cerrai crossed the finish line in fourth and in doing so increased his lead over the Swiss duo Notter/Cattori. The Swiss pairing had to mount a comeback after being run into by another car.

Andrea Demegni came fifth, and now leads the classification reserved for sponsor cars ahead of supermodel Jodie Kidd. The English beauty, teamed with Ralph Firman finished 14th, a respectable result considering it was the first time that either of them had raced at Spa. Zenere/Harada also drove brilliantly in achieving a season's best eighth in the GFL23 VIP car. Gianmarino Zenere and former 250cc Moto GP Champion Tetsuya Harada also drove brilliantly and achieved their season's best result, coming eighth in the GFL23 VIP car. Pole position crew Ravasio/Alessi had an unfortunate time of it and lost some positions after spinning two laps from the end.

Alberto Cerrai thus climbs to 102 points in the overall classification, while Swiss duo Notter/Cattori, who finished seventh despite an amazing comeback after being run into by another car, are now third on 84 points having been overtaken by Maurizio Fabris (85).

The Maserati Trofeo GranSport is the racing version of the Maserati GranSport. Built at the Maserati factory in Modena on the same production line as the GranSport, the Trofeo was designed to offer the driver an easy-to-drive car capable of stirring the emotions on the race track. The 4200cc V8 engine produces 415 bhp and coupled to the six-speed gearbox from the standard road car it allows the driver to make the most of the power without compromising the torque. The ride height has also been reduced by 50 mm. All non-essential accessories have been removed substantially reducing the weight of the Trofeo and improving the handling of the car. Cerrai climbs to 102 points in the overall classification. Notter/Cattori are now in third on 84 points having been leapfrogged by Fabris (85), getting his championship challenge on the rails once more. The next Trofeo Vodafone Maserati Europa race will be held on 4 September at Nürburgring.

Maurizio Fabris – “I knew before the race began that I could make the most of the fact that I didn’t have a time handicap as I was not on the podium at Silverstone. I battled it out with the Smurra brothers but then managed to pull away a little. Luckily, Notter and Cattori were not very competitive today and I was able to overhaul them in the overall standings. I am extremely pleased to have won as I have not done very well here on other occasions. This is the first time that I have been here on the podium and it was a real thrill. The fans were really passionate and they are spaced out along the track. Next time out it will be hard as we will have a twelve second handicap, however, I think the title will only be decided at Valencia”.
 

Alberto Cerrai - “I was on the first row and, after a good start, I managed to extend my lead over Alessi. Van Es came back into it after a few laps and attacked, but perhaps a little too hard. The championship is the priority for me and so I let him past. Then Emanuele Smurra pulled up to me and we fought it out at Les Combes. It was then that I decided to pull into the pits for my stop. I opted to race conservatively, keeping an eye on the times being set by Notter and Cattori. Honestly, I hoped to make the podium but I am still satisfied at having gained some points over Notter and Cattori and having limited the gap to Fabris”.

Max Cattori – “It was an unfortunate weekend from qualifying on. The start went quite well, though a fairly prudently. Then there came the clash between Vescovi and Hans and we lost 25 points. In addition we still had the eight-second handicap to consider after having finished second at Silverstone. It really was a race where we had to claw things back. We managed to cross the finish line and bring home some valuable points. We are no longer second overall but we will certainly not give up and will be going for the win at Nurburgring".

Tetsuya Harada – “I am pleased with my performance as I overtook five cars. I really enjoyed the circuit and above all l’Eau Rouge as it is a fast rather than a slow curve. I hope to do well in the next race even though the track is a little different to that I used to ride bikes on”.

Andrea Demegni - “This is my third consecutive fifth place and, considering the position I started in, I think it was harder to have done any better. I need to do even better in qualifying as my race speed could lead me to a place on the podium. Still, I am very happy as this result means that I keep the lead in the sponsor drivers’ championship”.

Frankie Provenzano – “It was a great experience as I was involved in an exciting championship. Obviously, the car is different to formula cars as you have to work very hard to point it into curves. However, you can really feel the power! The race went well considering that I didn’t know the car or the circuit. We lined up in eighteenth and my team mate, Pizzicannella, took us up to tenth place. We slipped a few places during the pit stop but we climbed back up to twelfth and held that position until the chequered flag”.

Stanislao Smurra - “We are very happy with the first podium of the season. We came to Spa in determined mood as this is a lucky track for us and we have won here in the past. We could have attacked Fabris but I preferred to not run any risks and bring home a splendid podium finish”.

Carlo Romani - “I was a brilliant race and I am very happy. I thought that I would have to fight it out at the back of the field having started in last spot. However, I finished in a good position. Fantastic!”

Alberto Vescovi – “I am very pleased because we had a good rhythm in the race even though the effort of starting from the front was tougher psychologically. I was a great weekend and a fantastic track”.