This weekend (3 May 2009) sees the opening round of the 2009 FIA GT International Championship where Maserati will begin the defence of its 2008 Drivers’ and Team Championship titles at the UK’s Silverstone race track.

The two Maserati MC12s will once again be racing in the colours of the Vitaphone Racing Team flag with the number one car being driven by the current FIA GT Champions, Michael Bartels from Germany and the Italian Andrea Bertolini. Their team mates in the number two MC12 will be driven by Portuguese driver Miguel Ramos and his new partner German driver Alex Mueller, who was number 11 in the FIA GT 2008 rankings.

The 2009 FIA GT Championship season consists of eight races. After Silverstone the series will visit Adria, Oschersleben, Spa-Francorchamps, Bucharest, Algarve and Paul Ricard HTTT before the series comes to an end on 25 October with the final round at Zolder, Belgium. The two Vitaphone Racing Maseratis will face tough competition in the GT1 class from teams running the Corvette ZR06, Saleen S7, Nissan GT-R and Ford GT in their bid to retain their titles.

The Maserati MC12 has won ten titles since 2005: two FIA GT Manufacturers Cups in 2005 and 2007; three FIA GT Drivers Championships in 2006 (Michael Bartels/Andrea Bertolini), in 2007 (Thomas Biagi) and in 2008 (Michael Bartels/Andrea Bertolini); four FIA GT Teams Championships in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 (Vitaphone Racing Team); one Citation Cup for gentlemen drivers in 2007 (Ben Aucott) and three victories at the prestigious Spa 24 Hours (2005, 2006, and 2008).