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					Fabio Babini and Thomas Biagi, in the Vitaphone Racing Team 
					MC12, finished third in the third FIA GT race held at 
					Silverstone. They now move into first spot in the drivers' 
					championship alongside Andrea Bertolini and Karl Wendlinger 
					(JMB Racing), fourth in England, and Michael Bartels/Timo 
					Scheider (Vitaphone), who came home fifth.  
					 
					The Vitaphone Racing Team stilll holds top spot in the team 
					championship while Maserati has consolidated its place in 
					the Constructors' Cup. The fourth MC12 in the race ended in 
					eighth with Philippe Peter/Chris Buncombe and Roman Rusinov 
					(JMB Racing), after Buncombe was hit with a pit lane drive 
					through penalty.  
					 
					The top two positions went to the Aston Martins with Lamy/Kox 
					and Brabham/Turner on board. The Astons do not compete in 
					the championship and so will not earn any points.  
					 
					Babini/Biagi drove excellently and attacked throughout. 
					Their form ensured a healthy distance was maintained between 
					them and their rivals. Unfortunately, the Maseratis spent 
					ten seconds more refuelling owing to the position of the 
					English car's fuel tank.
					Babini got off to a good start and overtook Lamy's Aston. He 
					moved into second behind Turner, a position from where he 
					tried to get past the leader.  
					 
					The race order changed when the pit stops began on lap 45. 
					Four cars (the two Astons, Babini/Biagi's MC12 and the 
					Corvette) were jostling for the top positions. Bertolini/Wendlinger's 
					MC12 delayed making a pit stop and so rose up the order from 
					their starting position of eighth.
					The JMB Racing couple fought out a long duel with Bartels/Scheider 
					in the other Vitaphone MC12. In the latter half of the race, 
					when the second fuel stops were made, Thomas Biagi was in 
					the lead for a few laps. 
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							JMB 
							Racing - Maserati MC 12 - FIA GT Championship 
							Silverstone Tourist Trophy - 15.05.2005  | 
						 
					 
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							Vitaphone Racing - 
							Maserati MC 12 - FIA GT Championship Silverstone 
							Tourist Trophy - 15.05.2005  | 
						 
					 
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					It was Pedro Lamy, however, who took the 
					chequered flag for Aston Martin. Darren Turner in the sister 
					British car came in next, followed by the MC 12s driven by Babini, 
					Wendlinger and Scheider. 
					 
					It ought to be remembered that the number 10 and 15 MC12s 
					had 40kg of ballast on board in additon to the 10kg assigned 
					at the start of the season. The number 9 Trident GT had 70kg 
					of added weight (60+10). Unlike its competitors, all the 
					MC12s have a compromised aerodynamic set up.
					The Federation ruled out the use of a front splitter and the 
					car has a smaller rear wing. Without adequate downforce it 
					was difficult to win at Silverstone, an intermediate 
					circuit. 
					 
					Fabio Babini: "the car was perfect: I had the chance to 
					really push and put pressure on the Astons. I managed to get 
					close but coming out of the curves they had the edge in 
					acceleration. In any case, it was a positive weekend for is. 
					We won a virtual first place which repays Maserati, team 
					Vitaphone and Pirelli for their hard work that has put us at 
					the head of the championship."
					 
					 
					Thomas Biagi: "I am pleased with the thirteenth pole in 
					fourteen FIA GT races. Fabio and I did well and even held 
					the lead for a while. We couldn't go any quicker because we 
					didn't have the downforce." 
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							 FIA 
							GT: CLASSIFIED RACE RESULT
							
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