Vitaphone Maserati MC12 pilot Thomas Biagi wrapped up the FIA GT Drivers' title with third place at Zolder today meaning that the Trident brand has taken a clean sweep of the GT1 titles on offer.

Today's third place at Zolder, claimed with Michael Bartels, saw Thomas Biagi secure the GT1 Drivers' title. This is the second time the driver from Bologna has won the title after taking victory in 2003. Biagi's triumph means that Maserati has collected all four titles on offer in the FIA GT Championship.

Thomas Biagi (Maserati MC12) ended on 61 points, with Wendlinger and Sharp on 57 and Hezemans and Deletraz on 55. In the team classification, Vitaphone Racing (Maserati MC12) finished on 115 points. Next came Playteam Sarafree (Maserati MC12) with 63. In the Citation Cup, reserved to gentleman drivers, Ben Aucott (Maserati MC12), took the title. The GT1 Manufacturers' Cup went to Maserati (181.5) with Corvette (116.5) and Aston Martin (98) coming next.

For Thomas Biagi, the second place secured at Nogaro was crucial as it gave him a five point advantage over his title rivals. The man from Bologna and his team mate Bartels drove an intelligent race as they attacked but managed to steer clear of tight duels.

Qualifying

Alessandro Pier Guidi and Giambattista Giannoccaro qualified on the front row at Zolder. A fast lap by Pier Guidi was enough to secure the pair a slot on row 1 for the final round of the FIA GT International championship. In the Playteam Sarafree MC12, the young Italian driver clocked the second best time (1’25”981) after having topped the timesheet in the afternoon’s free practice session. Pier Guidi’s performance was partly due to the consistency of his Pirelli tyres.

The MC12 driven by Thomas Biagi (1’26”724) was sixth fastest and earned him a place on the third row. Sure to feature among the front runners tomorrow were Andrea Bertolini (1’27”169) and Andrea Piccini, eighth in the qualifying session.

The Playteam Sarafree duo just edged out the second Vitaphone Racing Team Maserati, with Christian Montanari (1’27”204) on board, into ninth. The San Marino man, who had 85 kg of ballast on his car (equivalent to a second a lap), was slowed during his second fast lap because of traffic. Montanari and his team mate, Ramos, are also five points off the overall leader in the Drivers’ standings. In the Citation Cup, Ben Aucott qualified his MC12 in second place (1’32”891) while Peter Kutemann came third (1’34”270).

Race

After making a cautious start, Biagi occupied fourth place until handing over to Bartels on lap twenty-eight. Bartels battled with Longin's Corvette, then in third, before giving way to Biagi on lap 53 with thirty-seven minutes left to run. Once behind the wheel, Biagi easily held off Hezemans and closed in on second-placed Kumpen. He stayed in third until the chequered flag to secure the title as the Vitaphone Racing Team celebrated on the race wall.

The Playteam Sarafree drivers had an unlucky time of it. Alessandro Pier Guidi, who started in second, attacked all the way. He completed a series of superb overtaking moves and also set race's fastest lap time of 1’27”508 before being clipped by Davies' already-lapped Aston Martin on the eighteenth lap. Six laps later, the other Playteam Sarafree MC12, driven by Andrea Bertolini, ended up in the gravel after a splendid comeback that began on the very first lap. A fine run of overtaking moves saw the driver from Sassuolo in fourth but his rear wheels locked up when braking and he could do nothing about it. The race officials intervened and the car made it back to the track two laps off the pace. It was a real shame as the top Playteam Sarafree car appeared to be in with a title shout thanks to the consistent Pirelli tyres. These allowed Andrea Piccini to be the quickest driver on the track during his stint and he even made up a lap. The Italian duo eventually crossed the line in eighth.

Christian Montanari and Miguel Ramos also had a tough time of it. The San Marino driver, after his difficult qualifying session, attacked from the start but overshooting a turn on lap one saw him slip to twentieth spot. The winners from Brno then began a chase that saw them finish fifth, 43”8 off winners Wendlinger/Sharp.

In the Citation Cup, Ben Aucott and Stephane Daoudi (tenth overall) took the win in the JMB Racing Maserati MC12. Kutemann/Waaijenberg came home third. Aucott had already made certain of the title in the last round at Nogaro. It has been an unforgettable season for the Englishman who enjoyed a 22 point lead over the second placed driver at the end.

Thomas Biagi: “I would like to thank everybody for the title win, my team especially. I would like to dedicate this title to several special people: my team mate Michael Bartels, who did not have the same points as I did because of injury. It is a shame I could not share the title with him. My thoughts also turn to Gilles Villeneuve who lost his life on this track. It is hard to describe the emotions I feel every time I pass the crash site. My thoughts were also with one of my best friends, Alfredo Melandri, who passed away in 1998 during a Formula 3 test at Mugello. All I did was control things in the race. I didn't push too hard and when I caught sight of Hezemans I didn't give him any room to pass. The adrenalin was really pumping and it was the hardest races of my life. However, it was worth it."

Maurizio Leschiutta, Maserati Corse's Technical Director: “Winning the FIA GT1 title for the second time, after victory in 2005, is a fine result for Maserati. I would like to express all my gratitude and thanks to everyone at Maserati Corse and Maserati who have made a real contribution with their professionalism, passion and dedication. I would also like to thank the teams who had faith in us in choosing to race in our cars: Vitaphone Racing Team, Playteam Sarafree and JMB Racing. Thanks too to our technical partners, Shell and Pirelli, for the support they gave us throughout the season and also during the difficult periods we faced."