With the second place obtained by Alex Müller and Miguel Ramos and a fifth place by Andrea Bertolini and Michael Bartels, Vitaphone Racing Team mathematically wins the fifth consecutive title among the racing teams. This is an unprecedented result in the FIA GT Championship, and gives the Maserati MC12 its eleventh title.

Since 2005 the MC12 has won: 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); five FIA GT Teams Championships in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 (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).

Qualifying saw Müller and Ramos roar to the pole position in the seventh round of the FIA GT Championship, held at the Paul Ricard circuit in France. The Maserati MC12 #2 duo lined up side by side with the Italians Alessandro Pier Guidi and Matteo Bobbi, who were driving the #33 Vitaphone Racing/DHL MC12, while behind them, Andrea Bertolini and Michael Bartels in the #1 entry would start off from third spot.

Qualifying second in the timed practices (2:01.856), Alex Müller benefitted from the fact that Enrique Bernoldi was relegated by five positions, a decision made by race officials to penalise the Brazilian driver for making contact with Pier Guidi's car during the prequalifying practices yesterday. For the fourth time this season, the German driver would start in front of everyone else.

Pier Guidi's time (2:02.043) was very good, especially after the trouble he had during the free practices. The driver from Tortona beat Andrea Bertolini (2:02:044) by a single millisecond. Bertolini though had to deal with 95 kg of ballast for this race. The reigning champion's performance enabled him and Bartels to start off two positions in front of Anthony Kumpen and Mike Hezemans, their rivals for the title.

The outcome on yesterday's race could be considered positive in what was deemed the toughest circuit for the Modenese race cars. A place on the podium for Müller and Ramos was the fair conclusion to a good race, run with authority in the initial stages and in the end influenced by the return of Ruffier and Longin's Corvette.

The Bertolini/Bartels duo's fifth place, together with the withdrawal of Kumpen/Hezemans, gives the reigning champions a four-point lead in the driver's rankings prior to the last round of the championship, scheduled for 25 October in Zolder. The third Maserati MC12, driven by Pier Guidi and Bobbi, also ran a good race, arriving at the chequered flag in sixth place, defending the colours of Vitaphone Racing Team DHL.

The seventh and penultimate round of the 2009 FIA GT Championship saw Sangari Team Brazil's #8 Corvette Z06 of Bernoldi and Streit take their first victory. This was both the first time the Brazilian flag has flown over the series' podium, and was Enrique Bernoldi's first race win since 2004.  Bernoldi, who started sixth on the grid after a penalty, recovered strongly and after a fine battle Müller - a replay of the Algarve - to take the lead and pull away. Streit kept the gap and then Bernoldi completed the task, never being seriously threatened. They finished 15 seconds ahead of the #2 MC 12 of Müller and Ramos, third going to the last round's winners, the #3 Corvette Z06 of Longin and Ruffier.