|
The fifth FIA GT
championship race saw Maserati consolidate its lead in the
Constructors' Cup and the team championship. Vitaphone
Racing Team and JMB Racing are respectively first and
second. The race was an eventful and demanding one owing to
the rain that began to fall forty five minutes after the
start until to the last part of the race.
The two Maserati teams were not particularly lucky during
the weekend. Two unplanned stops cost the number 9 and 16
MC12 the chance of making the podium. The number 10 MC12 was
clipped by another car and forced to retire. A few curves
after the start, Kumpen's Corvette mounted the kerb and went
into a spin. Babini, fourth at that stage, was run into by
Kox's Lamborghini and then Piccini's 575 in trying to avoid
him. Babini managed to make it back to the pits and the team
attempted to patch up the car but their efforts were in
vain.
Right from the start it was pole man Philippe Peter to hold
the lead. In second was Timo Scheider in the first of the
Vitaphone Racing Team cars. The other MC12, with Andrea
Bertolini and Karl Wendlinger on board, was forced to mount
a comeback as it started from the back of the grid. This was
a consequence of the engine being substituted on Saturday
night.
On lap 19 Peter went off the track but he managed to
maintain control. His excursion was caused by surface
debris. It started to rain on lap 26 as the drivers began to
make their pit stops. The two JMB Racing cars had mounted
intermediate Pirelli tyres while Bartels opted for wet
weather tyres. Bertolini had raced brilliantly and was now
among the leading drivers.
Peter was forced to make a second out stop after
experiencing some problems refuelling and then a third stop
for the driver change. Roman Rusinov had climbed to fourth
before giving way to Chris Buncombe at the fourth and final
stop. The middle phase of the race saw a duel for the top
three places between the numbers 9 and 15 MC12s and the team
Larbre 550.
Bartels and Wendlinger went head to head on lap 56. Bartels,
who in the meanwhile had mounted slicks, had the edge. The
race for the finish line seemed to be between these three
crews but, unfortunately, during the last driver change
Bartels/Scheider could not complete their pit stop. The
number 9 car was forced to stop for the fourth time and lost
for the chance of a podium finish.
|
 |
|
Today's FIA GT Championship race at Brno was an
eventful and demanding one owing to the rain that
began to fall forty five minutes after the start,
until to the latter part of the race |
|
|
 |
|
The fifth FIA GT championship race, held at Brno in
the Czech Republic today, saw Maserati consolidate
its lead in both the Constructors' Cup and
the Teams' Championship |
|
|
In the end it was Lamy/Gardel's 550 that took the win form
Bertolini/Wendlinger's MC12 and Melo/Belloc in the 575.
Fourth came the Corvette with Kumpen/Longin/Hezemans in the
driving seat. Next home were the two MC12s crewed by
Bartels/Scheider and Peter/Buncombe/Rusinov.
Maserati now have 106 Constructors' Cup points to Ferrari's
59. In the team championship, Vitaphone are now on 54 points
and JMB Racing 52. Gardel heads the drivers' championship by
two points from Bertolini and Wendlinger on 35.
Andrea Bertolini: "Considering that we started from that
back of the grid we have to be satisfied. When it began to
rain I tried to delay making the pit stop and took a few
risks running slicks in the wet. I wanted to take the time
to make the right tyre choice when the weather had
stabilised. Karl used intermediates for the middle part of
the race and then I mounted slicks at the end. I would like
to thank Pirelli and the team for adopting a perfect
strategy and all the mechanics for the work done on Friday
(repairing the car) and Saturday night (changing the
engine)."
Karl Wendlinger: "This result is excellent in terms of the
championship. We settled on a good strategy for the pit
stops and switched tyres at the right time. It would have
been better starting on the front row so that we could have
gone for the win but the season is a long one and we can be
pleased with today".
The next ALMS series race will be at Lime Rock on Monday 4
July. Fabio Babini will team up with Andrea Bertolini,
taking the place of Fabrizio De Simone who has a damaged
foot.
Result/Details: No. 15 A. Bertolini / K. Wendlinger (JMB
Racing) 2nd + 58.036 chassis n. 08/15444, No. 9 M. Bartels /
T. Scheider (Vitaphone Racing Team) 5th 1 lap down chassis
n. 02/15439; No. 16 P. Peter / C. Buncombe / R. Rusinov (JMB
Racing) 6th + 1 lap chassis n. 04/15441; No. 10 F. Babini /
T. Biagi (Vitaphone Racing Team) retired chassis n.
07/15443; Weather: cloudy, rain; wet track; Circuit
length: 5.403 m
|
|
|
|
