At the Nürburgring this afternoon, the GranSport Trofeo entered by the Maserati R&D Factory Team crossed the line after 24 hours of tough racing in 5th position in its category, 36th overall. In the driving seat was ex-Formula 1 driver, Jacques Laffite, Gianni Giudici, Patrick Hong and Richard Meaden. The result was deemed a great proof of the vehicle's reliability.

The GranSport Trofeo featured the red Maserati livery that recalled the glorious Trident competition cars from the past. These include Fangio's championship winning 250F from 1957. The Nordschleife circuit is considered one of the most difficult in the world and the 24 Hour one of the most select international races. 220 vehicles lined up on the grid, with a crowd of around 198,000 spectators arriving for this years edition.

The GranSport Trofeo, which was making its debut in this long-running endurance event, proved to be extremely reliable. The GranSport Trofeo that took on the tough 24 hour race was actually very close to the road-going version that rolls out of the Modena sportscar marker's workshops every day. The only modifications are the roll bar, cage, fire extinguisher system and a set up designed for this track. The GranSport's performance at the 24 Hour of Nürburgring is even more impressive given that the car was driven by a mixed crew. In the car were not only experts like Jacques Laffite and Gianni Giudici (in his eleventh 24 Hour of Nürburgring) but also the American journalist Patrick Hong and his English colleague Richard Meaden. Starting from 62nd on the grid, the car made up many places during the race. These overtaking moves were made without any problems and pit stops were only made for driver and tyre changes and refuelling.

The second entry from the Maserati Factory R&D team, the GranSport Laboratorio sponsored by Vitaphone, fared somewhat less well. After four and a half hours of racing, and with the yellow flags flying, Eric Van de Poele was run into by a lapped car when in fifth. The back marker landed on the roof of the GranSport Laboratorio and rammed it into the guard-rail. The impact was a violent one. Unfortunately, the damage to the car was too serious to repair at trackside. Luckily, the driver was not injured.
 

Eric Van de Poele: “I was on the inside. I was not going too fast as I was in a group of five cars and the yellow flag was out. Then, I was hit by a car that pushed me against the guard-rail and landed on the roof of my GranSport. It was a shame as we were doing really well."

Michael Bartels: “The car was going well. We were all very pleased seeing as the project was born only a short time ago. The race was a close one and, in my opinion, an outsider will end up on the podium tomorrow. I think we could also have had our say."

Giorgio Ascanelli, Maserati Corse Technical Director: “We worked hard to enter the car here at Nürburgring. It is a tough event and we could have done well. I want to thanks the whole team, that in a month has worked very hard to arrive here at Nürburgring and do well. This was how things went as our Laboratorio did brilliantly right from the start. Finishing the race would have meant accumulating more useful data and gaining more experience. However, it was greatly satisfying. At the same time I am very pleased with the GranSport Trofeo's display. The car coped perfectly in an extremely demanding 24 Hour race."

Jacques Laffite: "It was an incredible experience. After many years I have come back to the old Nürburgring and in a Maserati. It was amazing. We were also very consistent. We did not have any problems; everything was perfect. The GranSport seemed easy to drive. It reacted well and, above all, was reliable. This is a fundamental characteristic at Nürburgring."

Andrea Bertolini: "Unfortunately, a great race was ruined by a lapped car but we have to be positive as we have gained useful data from the experience. The Laboratorio proved it was more competitive than expected, with the new technology like the carbon fibre drive shaft and the sequential gearbox. It all went well and fifth place overall is the proof of this."