FIA GT
The 100th FIA GT would be a good one for the Vitaphone Maserati team
Courtesy of the FIA GT/DPPI
In the 100th FIA GT race at Dijon-Prenois, the fight for race honours was intense. It was in the end, the Masereat MC12 of the Vitaphone Racing team who took the win. Jamie Davis and Thomas Biagi won by almost 20 seconds from a pair of Aston Martins. The result was somewhat unexpected with this being the first win of the season for the Davis/Biagi partnership.
It was also the first podium for the Race Alliance team with Karl Wendlinger and Philipp Peter finishing ahead of the Phoenix Racing Aston Martin of Jean Dennis Deletraz and Andera Piccini. In fourth was the Zakspeed Saleen with both of the regular drivers (Bert/Janis) in the cockpit. It had been a confused leadup to the race with Jarek Janis having left the team before rejoining them after problems emerged with the mooted Pagani Zonda entry.
It was the first race for the All-Inkl.com Racing Lamborghini Murcielago who raced strongly to eighth overall and scoring points on their debut. They did well with a car that Reiter Enginerring and the now defunct B-Racing struggled with.
The GT2 podium was once again a Ferrari affair with series leaders, AF Corse and their drivers Matteo Bobbi and Jamie Melo leading home the Niarchos/Mullen Scuderia Ecosse car and the other AF Corse car of Salo/Aguas.
The winners from Paul Ricard – GLPK Carsprt and their Corvette C6R failed to finish, going out after just 13 laps.
The full result is as follows:
1. Davies/Biagi Vitaphone Racing Maserati MC12 2hr 55mins 10.533secs 132 laps GT1
2. Wendlinger/Peter Race Alliance Aston Martin DBR9 +19.933secs GT1
3. Deletraz/Piccini Phoenix Racing Aston Martin DBR9 +23.622secs GT1
4. Bert/Janis Zakspeed Racing Saleen S7R +23.754secs GT1
5. Bartels/Bertolini Vitaphone Racing Maserati MC12 +47.464secs GT1
6. Pescatori/Babini Aston Martin Racing BMS Aston Martin DBR9 +56.021secs GT1
7. Gollin/Babini Aston Martin Racing BMS Aston Martin DBR9 +1 lap GT1
8. Bouchut/Leuenberger All-Inkl.com Racing Lamborghini Murcielago +5 laps GT1
9. Bobbi/Melo AF Corse Ferrari 430 GT +5 laps GT2
10. Niarchos/Mullen Scuderia Ecosse Ferrari 430 GT +7 laps GT2
11. Salo/Aguas AF Corse Ferrari 430 GT +7 laps GT2
12. C.Ried/Felbermayr Jr Felbermayr-Proton Porsche 996 GT3 RSR +9 laps GT2
13. Moccia/Busnelli Ebimotors Porsche 996 GT3 RSR +9 laps GT2
14. Kinch/Kirkaldy Scuderia Ecosse Ferrari 430 GT +10 laps GT2
15. Konopka/Rosina Autoracing Club Bratislava Porsche 996 GT3 RS +14 laps GT2
16. Felbermayr/G.Ried Felbermayr-Proton Porsche 996 GT3 RSR +14 laps GT2
17. Gosse/Kutemann JMB Racing Ferrari 430 GT +16 laps GT2
Did Not Finish
Leinders/Kuppens Belgian Racing Gillet Vertigo 78 laps completed G2
Collard/Riccitelli Ebimotors Porsche 996 GT3 RSR 28 laps completed GT2
Sugden/Alexander-David JMB Racing Ferrari 430 GT 19 laps completed GT2
Longin/Kumpen/Hezemans GLPK-Carsport Corvette C6.R 13 laps completed GT1
Balfe/Taylor Balfe Motorsport Saleen S7R 11 laps completed GT1
Sam Tickell