Following the
disqualification of Kumpen/Longin's Corvette C5R and the
Lamborghini Murciélago driven by Mücke/Bouchut, which
finished first and third respectively in the FIA GT race at
Oschersleben, the Maserati MC12s have secured a great
one-two.
The new classification is headed by Bartels/Biagi (Vitaphone
Racing Team), with Bertolini/Piccini in the Scuderia
Playteam Sarafree car in second. Pier Guidi/Giannoccaro in
the other Playteam Sarafree MC12 move up to fourth with 13th
now filled by Montanari/Ramos, in the second Vitaphone
Racing Team car (that enters the points zone). The winners
of the Citation Cup, Aucott/Macari in the JMB Racing MC12,
climb to eighth overall, with their team mates, Kutemann/Gosse,
fifteenth.
In the Drivers' standings, Thomas Biagi heads things once
again with 31 points. Next come Andrea Bertolini and Andrea
Piccini on 23; Miguel Ramos and Christian Montanari are
third on 20, while Michael Bartels is now in fifth on 15
points. In eighth is the Giambattista Giannoccaro-Alessandro
Pier Guidi crew with 6 points. The Vitaphone Racing Team has
consolidated its advantage in the Teams' championship and
now has 51 points, heading the Scuderia Playteam Sarafree.
In the revised standings, Maserati now has a 29 point lead
in the Manufacturers' Cup.
Race report. From ninth on the grid, the Italo-German
crew raced consistently and were up to second by the halfway
stage. The Maserati MC12’s second place was the result of a
well thought-out strategy as Bartels, who qualified the car
yesterday, made only one long pit stop. This one-stop tactic
meant that he overhauled many other drivers. Bartels got
back behind the wheel forty-five minutes from the end and
finished on the same lap as Kumpen and Longin's Corvette
C5-R.
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In the FIA GT Drivers' standings, Thomas Biagi heads things
once again with 31 points. Next come Andrea
Bertolini and Andrea Piccini on 23; Miguel Ramos and
Christian Montanari are third on 20, while Michael
Bartels is now in fifth on 15 points. |
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Maserati were able to claim a 1-2 result in the
fourth round of the FIA GT Championship at
Oschersleben on Sunday after the first and third
placed finishing cars in the race were disqualified. |
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The team's work on the balance of the MC12 car in
qualifying, together with a very solid warm up session on
Sunday morning (with a time just 0"089 off the fastest),
paid off and allowed Bartels and Biagi to play starring
roles.
The fourth place taken by Andrea Bertolini and Andrea
Piccini, in the Scuderia Playteam Sarafree Maserati MC12,
also stood out. Bertolini and Piccini confirmed their
qualifying performance to scoop valuable championship
points. The MC12 fielded by Scuderia Playteam Sarafree did
very well throughout, partly thanks to the Pirelli tyres on
a track were it is crucial to settle into a rhythm. Midway
through the race, the Italian team’s MC12 was in seventh,
ahead of Pier Guidi and Giannoccaro in the twin car that
eventually crossed the line in sixth.
The other Vitaphone Racing Team MC12, driven by Miguel Ramos
and Christian Montanari, came home in 15th spot. A clash
with Bouchut’s Lamborghini Murcielago forced Miguel Ramos –
who had just substituted Montanari – to make a lengthy pit
stop to replace part of the suspension. Even so, the MC12
stormed back to set a series of quick lap times despite have
an extra 50kg imposed by the Federation on board. Joe Macari
and Ben Aucott also did well in the JMB Racing MC12 to take
tenth overall and win the Citation Cup. With today’s result
in the bag, the English pairing move to the top of the
classification reserved to non-professional drivers. Antoine
Gosse and Peter Kutemann, in the second JMB Racing MC12,
closed out the race in 17th place.
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