The official qualifying session was disputed today in Dubai ahead of the penultimate round of the FIA GT championship. The JMB Racing and Vitaphone Racing Team MC12s performed well despite being hindered by added ballast.

The lighter, number 16, MC12 driven by Philippe Peter claimed third on the grid. This followed a second session that witnessed the Maseratis battle it out for the top spots. Bertolini/Wendlinger and Babini/Biagi's MC12s clocked precisely the same time. However, it will be the number 15 car that will be higher up the grid at is was the first to set 1.56.349. Bartels/Scheider enjoyed a close duel with their stable mates but their greater weight meant that they could not make the decisive break. Today's results reflected the amount of ballast carried by the cars.

In these conditions, hoping for a place on the front row was inconceivable. One of these positions is occupied by Bouchut/Ortelli's Aston Martin, a car with no ballast on board and will less strict aerodynamic constraints. The rear wing of the car is enough to highlight this. Next comes the Corvette, loaded down with 50kg of ballast following the win in Zhuhai. However, starting on the front row counts for relatively little in an endurance race. Saying this, being up front and in a position to pick the best racing line can bring some advantages given that the track surface easily becomes dirty with the sand blown onto it.

As per usual, the pit stops and strategy will play a major role in determining the outcome of the race. Additional refuelling stops could prove costly.

Philippe Peter: "I thank those who have allowed me to make it back to racing after missing out in China. I was able to help Andrea and Karl in selecting the tyres for tomorrow. I could have done better if my MC12 had received the additional changes made to the other MC12s from Spa on".

Andrea Bertolini: "We chose a different set of tyres this afternoon and we will be using them tomorrow. Therefore we worked on the car's set up. We are pleased as we set consistent lap times and these improved as the session went on. We hope to have a steady race and keep our overall lead".

Fabio Babini: "It is the first time that I have set the same time as another driver. We clearly set it all up! Jokes aside, I am happy as it means that we are all at the same level. The set up, tyres and brakes are all ok. Thomas and I want to claim as many points as possible tomorrow".

The Vitaphone Racing Team can make mathematically certain of winning the team title in Dubai. The Drivers Championship is still wide open with Bertolini/Wendlinger on 66 points, ahead of Bartels/Scheider on 62, Gardel on 60 and Babini/Biagi on 59. Maserati already won the Manufacturers's Cup in anticipation.

RACE

No 9 - M.Bartels/T.Scheider (Vitaphone Racing Team - chassis n. 02/15439)
2nd Place - 0.775 down

No 10 F.Babini/T.Biagi (Vitaphone Racing Team - chassis n. 07/15443)
4th Place - 10.219 down

No 15 A.Bertolini/K.Wendlinger (JMB Racing - chassis n. 04/15444)
5th - 20.854 down

No 16 C. P. Peter/P. Kutemann/D. Waaijenberg (JMB Racing - chassis n. 04/15441)
12th Place - 5 laps down

Weather: sunny, dry track

Circuit length: 5.394 m

After claiming the Manufacturers' Cup in Istanbul, Maserati added the Teams' Championship with the Vitaphone Racing Team in Dubai.

The German squad scored four wins and five second place finishes in a well deserved victory. All four drivers performed extremely well and the consistent results and excellent organisation increased the chances of taking the title. One of the highlights was the win in the Spa 24 Hour, the first time that Maserati has won a day-long race. Other triumphs came in Oschersleben, Istanbul and Silverstone.

Michael Bartels and Timo Scheider came close to taking the fifth win in Dubai, this despite being handicapped by having an extra 150kg on board (fifty of which were assigned by the FIA). Unfortunately, they could not hold off Lamy/Gardel's 550 challenge over the closing stages. They were helped by having only 30kg of ballast.

The Trident company's success in the team championship was confirmed by JMB Racing taking second spot. JMB earned this position with a win at Magny Cours and four second places. Bertolini/Wendlinger always finished the races they competed in. It is a pity that Philippe Peter was not joined by another expert driver in the team's other MC12, otherwise they could also have been in with a chance of claiming the team title. JMB Racing are still in the running for the Drivers' Championship with Andrea Bertolini and Karl Wendlinger, though their lead has been reduced.

Today's race saw the DBR9 and the Corvette move into the lead. They were closely tracked by the four MC12s. In the meantime, Lamy's 550 was making a comeback that saw it climb to the first few positions at around the twenty lap stage. The pit stops had a clear effect on the race order as Babini/Biagi took the chance to move into top spot. After the second pit stop and the entry of the safety car when a GT2 left the track, the order reverted to what it had been at the start. The Aston Martin led from the Chevrolet. Next came Bartels/Scheider, Bertolini/Wendlinger and Babini/Biagi in Maseratis. Behind them came the Ferrari of Lamy/Gardel. The DBR9 retired after lap 80 as Scheider overtook Kumpen. A win seemed on the cards until Lamy, lapping some two seconds faster per lap, closed in and then edged past Scheider one lap from the end.

The final race order saw Lamy/Gardel (550), head Bartels/Scheider (MC12), Hezemans/Kumpen/Longin (Corvette), Bertolini/Wendlinger and Babini/Biagi (MC12). This result modifies the drivers' standings as Bertolini/Wendlinger still lead but by only a point from Bartels/Scheider and Gardel. Whoever comes home in the lead in Bahrain will take the title.

Michael Bartels: "Considering the ballast we had on board, I am pleased with the result. I didn't think that it would be possible to finish on the podium. The car performed very well. Pirelli and Maserati provided impeccable support. Today we now hold both the Manufacturers' Cup and the Teams' Championship. For a team making its debut, in its first year of racing, it is a great result. Timo Scheider came very close to winning after driving two stints. He will be competing in another race in the A1 series in Malaysia this week-end and this says everything about his commitment to driving. Now we will head to Bahrain to try to take the drivers' crown. We will be going for it even though we will again have 150kg on board."

Karl Wendlinger: "We did our best. We had some problems with the set up and this meant that we were not as quick as we could have been. Nonetheless, we still hold the overall lead. We will be going all out in the last race of the season next Friday."

The last round of the FIA GT championship will be held on 25 November in Bahrain. In the FIA GT the MC12s race exclusively with Pirelli tyres, as well in the North American ALMS series. This collaboration is further evidence of the successful relationship between Maserati and Pirelli. This has been proved by the results obtained in the Italian GT, the 6 Hours of Vallelunga and in the Trofeo Vodafone Maserati Europa.

Text courtesy of Maserati Press Center