Fifth place this afternoon at Oschersleben in the FIA GT Championship for Andrea Bertolini and Michael Bartels driving one of Vitaphone Racing Team's Maserati MC12s means that the pair continue to head the drivers' points standings.

Fifth place this afternoon at Oschersleben for Andrea Bertolini and Michael Bartels driving one of Vitaphone Racing Team's Maserati MC12s, has continued the pair's series of successful race finishes that has enabled them to continue to lead the FIA GT Drivers Championship classification with a two point advantage over Wendlinger and Sharp, while the Vitaphone Racing Team is solidly on top in the Team's classification.

A sensational recovery for Miguel Ramos and Alexander Negraõ in the fourth round of the FIA GT Championship who, thanks to a an excellent pit stop strategy and bold driving, just missed the podium after having started out from twelfth place due to a penalty owed from Adria.

The race was full of dramatic surprises. At the start Bartels quickly overtook the Lopez's Ferrari, while Ramos went to the pit lane to allow Negraõ a long middle stint which turned out to be a winning tactic. At the 33rd lap, Bartels handed the car over to Bertolini, who drove the MC12 within an inch of victory after masterfully overtaking Lichtner-Hoyer and Deletraz. Unfortunately the safety car entered the track at the 60th lap, which ruined the plans of Bertolini-Bartels, enabling their opponents to carry out the last pit stop in safety car mode, when MC12 no. 1 had surpassed the pit lane way. The race ended with Bartels's attempt at snatching the podium by overtaking Fassler: this impetuous move made the German slide into fifth place, enabling Ramos to attack Fassler, but by then there were only a few curves left to do before the race ended.

The third MC12 with gentlemen drivers Ben Aucott and Alain Ferté (JMB Racing) at the wheel got a good ninth place. Now the team will travel to Belgium for testing in preparation for Spa Francorchamps's 24-hour race, the championship's highlight race scheduled for 2 and 3 August.

Andrea Bertolini: "The chance for us to win ended abruptly with the appearance of the safety car. To be honest, our performance was very good and consistent, we are the team to beat and we deserve our top-ranking place in the championship. We still haven't won in 2008 due to the heavy balance compensations penalizing our vehicle".

Michael Bartels: "I tried to overtake Fassler in the final laps because we deserved the podium and I felt that the car could manage it and the tyres were still good. The move was unsuccessful and I apologize to the team. We are nevertheless at the top in the championship and we confidently look forward to the decisive race at Spa Francorchamps."

Miguel Ramos: "Toward the end of the race the podium was really within reach, but unfortunately I was held back first by Bouchut, who kept up at the normal pace for three laps despite his having to go back in to serve a drive through, and then by a back marker that slowed me down in the final stages. It's a shame, even if today's results are still excellent."

Alexander Negraõ: "Our performance was certainly very good. Luck was also on our side with Bartels's error, which earned us a position. This morning together with the team we came up with the idea of stopping at the pit stop at the first lap. We had to dream up something in order to recover from a bad position at the starting line and it turned out to be a good move."