FIA GT 2008         


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The Race

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Vitaphone Racing - Negrao in the pit

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Vitaphone Racing - Bartels and Bertolini

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Vitaphone Racing - Bartels and Bertolini

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Vitaphone Racing - Ramos and Negrao

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JMB Racing - Aucott and Ferte
Oschersleben, 6 July 2008

Bertolini-Bartels up their lead in the Championship

Good results here at Oschersleben for Andrea Bertolini and Michael Bartels, who, driving one of Vitaphone Racing Team's Maserati MC12s, have continued the series of successful races that have enabled them to lead the Driver's Classification with a 2-point advantage over Wendlinger/Sharp, while the Vitaphone Racing Team is solidly on top in the Team's classification. A sensational recovery for Miguel Ramos and Alexander Negraõ, who, thanks to a an excellent pit stop strategy and bold driving, just missed the podium after having started out from twelfth place due to a penalty owed from Adria.

The race was full of dramatic surprises. At the start Bartels quickly overtook the Lopez's Ferrari, while Ramos went to the pit lane to allow Negraõ a long middle stint which turned out to be a winning tactic.

At the 33rd lap, Bartels handed the car over to Bertolini, who drove the MC12 within an inch of victory after masterfully overtaking Lichtner-Hoyer and Deletraz. Unfortunately the safety car entered the track at the 60th lap, which ruined the plans of Bertolini and Bartels, enabling their opponents to carry out the last pit stop in safety car mode, when MC12 no. 1 had surpassed the pit lane way. The race ended with Bartels's attempt at snatching the podium by overtaking Fassler: this impetuous move made the German slide into fifth place, enabling Ramos to attack Fassler, but by then there were only a few curves left to do before the race ended.

The third MC12 with gentlemen drivers Ben Aucott and Alain Ferté (JMB Racing) at the wheel got a good ninth place. Now the team will travel to Belgium for testing in preparation for Spa Francorchamps's 24-hour race, the championship's highlight race scheduled for 2 and 3 August.

FIA GT Championship: final results at "Oschersleben"
  1. Wendlinger/Sharp - GT1 (Aston Martin DBR9) 79 laps in 2:00:44.332secs
  2. Muller/Lichtner-Hoyer - GT1 (Aston Martin DBR9) + 1.518secs
  3. Fassler/Deletraz - GT1 (Corvette Z06) + 27.742secs
  4. Ramos/Negrao - GT1 (Maserati MC12) + 27.879secs
  5. Bartels/Bertolini - GT1 (Maserati MC12) + 38.836secs
  9. Aucott/Ferte - GT1 CC (Maserati MC12) +1 lap




FIA GT1 Classification after 4 rounds

FIA GT1 Championship for Drivers (after four races):
1. Bertolini, Bartels 24pts.
2. Gollin, Wendlinger, Bouchut, Hezemans, Maassen and Sharp 22pts.
3. Ramos, Negrao, Peter and Simonsen 15pts.
4. Deletraz, Fässler 13pts.
5. Lichtner-Hoyer, Müller 11pts.
8. Aucott, Ferte 2pts.

FIA GT1 Teams Championship (after four races):
1. Vitaphone Racing Team (Maserati MC12) 39pts.
2. Phoenix Racing (Corvette Z06) 35pts.
3. Jetalliance Racing (Aston Martin DBR9) 33pts.
4. Selleslagh Racing Team (Corvette Z06) 22pts.
5. Gigawave Motorsport (Aston Martin DBR9) 15pts.
6. Larbre Competition (Saleen S7) 6pts.
7. PekaRacing nv (Saleen S7) 3pts.
8. JMB Racing (Maserati MC12) 2pts.
9. ACA Argentina (Ferrari 550 Maranello) 1pt.

Text courtesy of Maserati Press Center




©Maserati/Studio Mazzi

Vitaphone Racing - Bartels and Bertolini
©Maserati/Studio Mazzi

Vitaphone Racing - Ramos and Negrao
©Maserati/Studio Mazzi

JMB Racing - Aucott and Ferte

©Maserati/Studio Mazzi

Vitaphone Racing - Alexandre Negrão
©Maserati/Studio Mazzi

Vitaphone Racing - Andrea Bertolini
©Maserati/Studio Mazzi

Vitaphone Racing - Michael Bartels



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