The second Vitaphone Maserati took the win
Courtesy of the FIA GT/DPPI
A close and exciting race at the Brno circuit set up an exciting finish to the season, with the main contenders now closer than ever. Three drivers share the lead, while the top nine are separated by just seven points.
Brno saw Christian Montanari and Miguel Ramos take their first GT win, their Vitaphone Maserati MC 12 finishing ahead of the nr 33 Jetalliance Aston Martin and the nr 4 PK Carsport Corvette C5R, which overtook the nr 11 Scuderia Playteam Maserati on the last lap.
GT2 saw another one-two for AF Corse Motorola, Vilander and Müller claiming their fifth win of the season in the nr 50 Ferrari 430 GT2. Their team-mates Bruni and Ortelli were second, with Scuderia Ecosse inheriting third for Mullen and Turner. With the season drawing to a close, the first titles were decided today : AF Corse Motorola sealed the 2007 GT2 Teams Championship, while Maserati and Ferrari moved out of reach of their rivals in the Manufacturers Cups.
The results are provisional only as to the gearbox on car 33
FIRST VICTORY FOR MONTANARI AND RAMOS
In his first season of GT racing, Christian Montanari has gone from strength to strength, and with Miguel Ramos they now form an extremely strong crew. In Brno, Montanari qualified second, and although he dropped back to fifth at the start, he moved back up to second after a racing incident between the nr 1 Maserati and the nr 5 Corvette, fighting for second. Both cars lost time, as did the nr 28 Lamborghini, which had been lying close behind in fourth.
Catching early race leader Wendlinger, who had got the advantage over the two Maserati MC 12s preceding it on the grid on the first lap, Montanari took the lead on lap 18, and apart from a short period after the first pit stops, the nr 2 Maserati was ahead for the rest of the race. Montanari took the chequered flag after two hours, to claim his first win, and the first win of his team-mate Miguel Ramos. “For me this is fantastic,” Montanari said. “I’d just like to thank the team, Maserati and Michelin. We might have won the Manufacturer’s Cup as well, so that’s good! The Driver’s championship is a very strong championship, and I think we’re probably only 3 points different from the first driver. And with only two races left, the championship is really strong and that’s very good. “
The nr 33 Jetalliance Aston Martin crossed the line second, 17.5 seconds behind the Vitaphone Maserati. “We’ve been competitive the whole weekend and we’re very happy about this result,” Wendlinger said .“I had a very good start and even managed to pull away a bit in the beginning, but I was missing some consistency this time - we had to change tyres twice, so maybe this was what made the difference between us and the winners.”
The nr 4 PK Carsport Corvette C5 finished an excellent third, having overtaken the nr 11 Scuderia Playteam Sarafree Maserati MC 12 of Bertolini and Piccini on the very last lap. “We were very slow all weekend, we didn’t find the right set-up,” Kumpen said. “But we did a good race, we had no problems, we were lucky and finished on the podium.”
Bertolini and Piccini took fourth, moving up to joint lead of the Championship with Biagi, who finished seventh today. “This was a fantastic race. We are now joint-leaders in the championship with 47 points,” Bertolini said. “It is great to see five cars so close in the Championship because the fight for the drivers’ Championship is reopened. The start was good and worked well. The car has been consistent all the race. It was really not easy to drive here with so much ballast.”
The team’s second car, the nr 12 Scuderia Playteam Sarafree Maserati MC 12 of Pier Guidi and Giannoccaro was fifth.
Both Lamborghini Murciélago cars had a very strong race today. Although the nr 7 All-Inkl car of Bouchut and Mücke was sixth, and the nr 28 Reiter Lamborghini car was eighth, they were both running much higher, with the nr 28 looking certain of a podium until four laps from the end, when the car lost a tyre, and the nr 7 running second before the final pit stop. Newcomer RBImmo Racing Team had a difficult race for its FIA GT debut, retiring near the end with brake problems.
The Rbimmo Racing Team's Saleen had a tough race but saw the checkered flag
Courtesy of the FIA GT/DPPI
POINTS CLOSE UP IN GT1
The result could hardly have been better for the Championship fight. The top nine drivers are now separated by seven points with two races remaining.
Thomas Biagi, who has led the Championship since Monza this year, has been joined at the top by fellow Maserati drivers Andrea Bertolini and Andrea Piccini, who scored five points today in the nr 11 Scuderia Playteam Sarafree Maserati, all three having scored 47 points so far this season. Today’s winners Ramos and Montanari are lying second, on 44 points, with the second-placed team, Wendlinger and Sharp, a further point behind on 43 points. Spa winners Hezemans and Deletraz are fourth with 40 points. The next races look like being very interesting.
In the GT1 Teams Championship, Vitaphone Racing Team have a 34-point lead over Scuderia Playteam Sarafree, with 36 points remaining this season. Although not yet a mathematical certainty, Vitaphone looks like retaining the title they have held for the past two years. As for the GT1 Manufacturers Cup, this has been decided in favour of Maserati, who already won the Cup in 2005.
FOURTH ONE-TWO FOR AF CORSE MOTOROLA SECURES TITLE
In GT2, another one-two for AF Corse Motorola saw the team claim its seventh win of the season, and the fifth for Dirk Müller and Toni Vilander. Second place for Gianmaria Bruni and Stephane Ortelli gives the team an unassailable lead in the Teams Classification, while Ferrari cannot now be caught in the GT2 Manufacturers Cup. Racing Team Edil Cris, with Paolo Ruberti and Maurizio Mediani, crossed the line third, but were excluded due to ride-height problems. Scuderia Ecosse therefore inherited the podium with the nr 62 car of Mullen and Turner, having recovered well from an early-race incident which saw them spin and fall to the back of the field.
The nr 59 Advanced Engineering Ferrari made a good impression on its debut, finishing fourth after the exclusion of the nr 52. The best of the Porsches today was the nr 97 BMS Scuderia Italia car of Collard and Malucelli, scoring four points to remain within reach of the classification leaders Müller and Vilander. The Ebimotors Porsche of Zani and Malucelli was close behind in sixth, followed by the nr 53 Edil Cris Ferrari, which had started from the pit lane after gear box problems. The final point went to Scuderia Ecosse’s nr 63 car of Kutemann and Gosse.
In the GT2 points, thirteen points now separate the nr 97 Porsche drivers Collard and Malucelli from the leaders Müller and Vilander. Bruni and Ortelli are eleven points behind their team-mates. However, today’s full score for AF Corse Motorola put the team out of reach of its rivals in the GT2 Teams Classification, ensuring that it has retained the title it won last year. “This is the second season for AF Corse and to win a second title is great – I have no words,” AF Corse Motorola’s team manager Antonio Cazzago said. “We have done a great job all season with both cars. We’ve won all the races except for Spa, and finished first and second here and in Adria. So I think anyone could say that at the moment, in GT2, AF Corse is the best team. I’m proud of my guys. For me, personally, this is my second year in Motorsport and I’ve won two titles. Amato Ferrari is a great team principal as he is a great organiser and has a real eye for details. I am really proud to work with my guys. “
AF Corse takes the GT2 Championship at Brno
Courtesy of the FIA GT/DPPI
AUCOTT STRENGTHENS LEAD IN CITATION CUP
Alain Ferté and Ben Aucott won the Citation Cup in their JMB Racing Maserati MC 12, strengthening Aucott's lead in the Cup. They finished ahead of their team-mates Kutemann and Gosse, with SRT third after a difficult race with their Corvette C5R, driven by Tom Cloet and Mauro Casadei, which was struggling with a loss of power. Aucott now has a lead of 10 points over Cloet, with two rounds remaining. “We had some problems with the gearbox in the warm-up, and it lasted through the race, so we had to back off,” Aucott said. “But apart from that it was good. Our sister car came second, so we have built up some margin in the Cup, which is really good.”
ARC WINS G2 ON ITS RETURN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP
G2 was won by Slovakian team ARC Bratislava, with the Saleen S7 driven by Miro Konopka and Miro Hornak. They finished a lap ahead of the nr 101 Gillet Vertigo, of Leinders and Kuppen. “I’m very glad to be back in the Championship,” Konopka said. “We withdrew last season, and this year we’ve only driven this race with the Saleen. I think it was a very good weekend for us, and we finished top of our category, and I’m glad. It’s perfect. I’ve also had a good time in the national championships this weekend. It’s been a very good, a very nice weekend for me.”
ORTLIEB AND PEHAM WIN G3
G3 was won by the nr 178 G Private Racing Porsche 997 Cup of Jörg Peham and Patrick Ortlieb, the 1992 Olympic gold-medal winner in downhill skiing. They finished ahead of their team-mates Dragoun and Mair in the nr 177 car. “The race was a lot of fun. We had some problems, but I think we did a good job. It’s really great to be here. We’re thinking about organising something so that we can come back next year to race, and not only one race, maybe even the whole season, we’ll see.”
QUOTES
1st in GT1 : Christian Montanari:- nr 2 Vitaphone Maserati MC 12 :
”It’s my first victory in the FIA GT Championship! It’s been a fantastic weekend! The start wasn’t very good - we weren’t very lucky in the first corner because the car in front of me got touched, but we pushed a lot for the whole stint. The car was very constant, with the Michelin tyres. When we changed driver at the pit stop, the mechanics were very fast. Miguel did a fantastic stint, and then we just pushed really hard, and this is the result! For me this is fantastic. I’d just like to thank the team, Maserati and Michelin. We might have won the Manufacturer’s Cup as well, so that’s good! The Driver’s championship is a very strong championship, and I think we’re probably only 3 points different from the first driver. And with only 2 races left, the championship is really strong and that’s very good. “
1st in GT1 : Miguel Ramos – nr 2 Vitaphone Maserati MC 12:
“The race was fantastic. There weren’t any problems. We were lucky on the first stint that we didn’t get touched in the accident in front of us. My mission on the middle stint was to push as hard as possible. I was lucky when I passed Ryan Sharp, because it was quite risky, but I had to do it, because I had new tyres and he’d already been on the track for a while. So I took the risk, but gained advantage. The pit stops were really fantastic. We’ve been working a lot on this with the team, on the coordination between the mechanics and the drivers, because we’ve lost a lot of time in previous races because of it. This is a very competitive championship and you really cannot make any mistakes. Everything is still open though. I really feel good. It’s my first victory with Christian, so it’s really nice. “
2nd in GT1 : Karl Wendlinger – nr 33 Jetalliance Aston Martin DBR9 :
“We’ve been competitive the whole weekend and we’re very happy about this result. I had a very good start and even managed to pull away a bit in the beginning, but I was missing some consistency this time and had to come in quite early and changed to Ryan, who managed a good, consistent stint in the middle. But we had to change tyres twice, so maybe this was what made the difference between us and the winners. But anyway, I’m really happy with the result and with the whole package we have at the moment. The places in the championship are getting closer and closer. We’ll be concentrating hard at Nogaro, and it’ll also be quite tricky with even more extra weight. But also, we’re not so high up any more and we still want to fight for the championship. “
2nd in GT1 : Ryan Sharp – nr 33 Jetalliance Aston Martin DBR9 :
“Obviously our whole race was settled by Karl’s first lap, which to anyone who was watching, was fantastic. He pushed hard and took over at a really good moment. But then the nr 2 caught up to us, and then there wasn’t much of a fight. Maybe only for one corner. I really had to push hard to stay with him and try to go with him and limit the damage in the middle stint. The tyres were fantastic for us, better than we imagined they would be here. It’s a great result to come in second. It’s great to see some familiar faces on the podium, it’s a really quality championship. And it’s a bit achievement for everyone who’s here. “
3rd in GT1 : Anthony Kumpen – nr 4 PK Carsport Corvette C5 R :
“We were very slow all weekend, we didn’t find the right set-up but I don’t know why. We did a good race, we had no problems, we were lucky and finished on the podium.”
3rd in GT1 : Bert Longin – nr 4 PK Carsport Corvette C5-R :
“We really didn’t find any grip and struggled all weekend. Sometimes luck is on your side, which feels good. We’ve pushed hard all season, worked very hard. I think for the end of the season, I think the tracks will suit the car, so we won’t give up, we’ll push and be at the front.”
1st in GT2 : Dirk Muller – nr 50 AF Corse Motorola Ferrari 430 GT2:
“I’d first like to give congratulations for a team win, that’s already a good start. It’s half of what we wanted to achieve for the whole team. We had a perfect weekend. We got the pole position, fastest race lap, and then the victory. But I really need to thank Michelin for this great effort, and also the team. We already made a good effort in Adria to save some tyres for here and to work on the first outing, to work towards the race. My car was so unbelievably great in my two stints. My tyres were as if they were glued to the track, and it was very easy to control it.
Toni Vilander – nr 50 AF Corse Motorola Ferrari 430 GT2:
“It was quite okay. As Dirk said, the car was really good. We had a good plan, a good strategy for the race. We didn’t have any problems except for one contact with a GT1 car. It think it was at turn 4, and I was overtaking a Porsche, but I didn’t see the Corvette coming up on me at all. I saw the blue flags, but I thought they were for me and the Porsche in front. He was in the corner and we tried to avoid contact, but I spun, a whole 360°, but luckily I escaped getting stuck in the gravel, and avoided getting the car damaged. Then Dirk finished the race and it was perfect. It don’t know Nogaro at all, and I only went once Zolder, about 10 years ago, but I don’t remember it at all. But it’s nice to have new race track, it’s more motivating, and I don’t see why our car, team and drivers can’t be competitive there as well.“
2nd in GT2 – Stephane Ortelli – nr 51 AF Corse Motorola Ferrari 430 GT2
Stephane Ortelli: I don’t have much to say. I’ve been easily driving the best car here today. But we weren’t the fastest, so the other car was a class apart. They were better than us and they deserve the win. On the other hand, you never fight at this level. The only time that I managed to close the gap on Toni Vilander was when he spun. But I was keen to keep the pace and keep the position. When I got to the corner there was a lot of sand on the road, because of where the Corvette had been to avoid Toni. These kind of incidents do wake you up a bit, but otherwise this race was quite a relaxed race. I’m looking forward to Nogaro: good food, good wine, nice people! Exactly like here.
2nd in GT2 – Gianmaria Bruni - nr 51 AF Corse Motorola Ferrari 430 GT2 :
“Of course, this is a fantastic result for the team. We were looking for a 1-2, like we did in Adria, and we did it again here. It was a good race apart from a problem we had during a pit stop when the left door, my door, couldn’t close. We lost about 19-29 seconds there. But for the rest, it was a good race. The speed was there, we just finished 2nd. The traffic was okay. Fortunately this is a wide circuit with big, long straights, so the GT1s could pass us without any problems. “
3rd in GT2 – Tim Mullen – nr 62 Scuderia Ecosse Ferrari 430 GT2 :
„I think we really deserved third today, especially after I spun early in the race after contact, dropping back down the field. It has been a tough season, but we are getting better and hopefully we can put up a challenge in the last two rounds and finish the season on a high.”
Citation Cup
Ben Aucott :
“I was at Brno last year doing the Six hours race, and I really like the track. We had some problems with the gearbox in the warm-up, and it lasted through the race. We had to back off during the whole race, but apart from that it was good. Our sister car came second, so we have built up some margin in the Cup, so it’s really good.”
Alain Ferté :
“The start was good, but after ten or twelve laps we had gearbox problems. We also had a lot of problems with pick-up on the tyres. But my team-mate did a very good job, he was on the pace.”
G2 :
Miro Konopka – nr 101 ARC Bratislava Saleen S7R :” I’m very glad to be back. We withdrew last season, and this year we’ve only driven this race with the Saleen. I think it was a very good weekend for us, and we finished top of our category, and I’m glad. It’s perfect. I’ve also had a good time in the national championships this weekend. It’s been a very good, a very nice weekend for me. “
Miro Hornak – nr 108 ARC Bratislava Saleen S7R : “ I’m happy to have done what I’ve done. Because this is my first race in a real championship and maybe we’ll make plans for next year. We’ll see. The Saleen is a very good car, and a new experience for me since before I’ve only driven in Formula Renault.”
G3 Winners : Jorg Peham:- nr 178 G Private Racing Porsche 997 Cup : “The race was a lot of fun. We had some problems to keep on the track. But I think we did a good job. It’s really great to be here. We’re thinking about organising something so that we can come back next year to race, and not only one race, maybe even the whole season, we’ll see. “
Patrick Ortlieb – nr 178 G Private Racing Porsche 997 Cup : “I’m happy as well. This is the first time that I’ve sat on a podium in a car race! My team mate told me a few years ago to buy a fast car and now we’re sitting here together. I’ve enjoyed it a lot. It’s something new for me. But I’ve really enjoyed this weekend and maybe I’ll do this again. “
Antonio Cazzago – Team Manager AF Corse Motorola – GT2 Team Champions
“This is the second season for AF Corse and to win the second title is great – I have no words. We have done a great job all season with both cars. We’ve won all the races except for Spa, and finished first and second here and in Adria. So I think anyone could say that at the moment, in GT2, AF Corse is the best team. I’m proud of my guys. For me, personally, this is my second year in Motorsport and I’ve won two titles. Amato Ferrari is a great team principal as he is a great organiser and has a real eye for details. I am really proud to work with my guys. “
THE RESULTS
Pos Car Class Drivers Car Laps Gap
1. 2 GT1 Montanari, Ramos Maserati MC12 GT1 59 159.21
2. 33 GT1 Wendlinger, Sharp Aston Martin DBR9 59 17.555
3. 4 GT1 Kumpen, Longin Corvette C5R 59 54.462
4. 11 GT1 Bertolini, Piccini Maserati MC12 GT1 59 55.470
5. 12 GT1 Pier Guidi, Giannoccaro Maserati MC12 GT1 59 55.814
6. 7 GT1 Mucke, Bouchut Lamborghini Murcielago 59 56.913
7. 1 GT1 Bartels, Biagi Maserati MC12 GT1 59 1:11.882
8. 28 GT1 Kox, Menten Lamborghini Murcielago 59 1:12.694
9. 5 GT1 Hezemans, Deletraz Corvette C6R 59 1:38.587
10. 36 GT1 Lichtner-Hoyer, Lechner Aston Martin DBR9 59 1:58.165
11. 23 GT1 Davies, Babini Aston Martin DBR9 58 1 lap
12. 16 GT1 Ferte, Aucott Maserati MC12 GT1 57 2 laps
13. 50 GT2 Muller, Vilander Ferrari 430 GT2 57 2 laps
14. 51 GT2 Bruni, Ortelli Ferrari 430 GT2 57 2 laps
15. 22 GT1 Toccacelo, Monfardini Aston Martin DBR9 57 2 laps
16. 52 GT2 Ruberti, Mediani Ferrari 430 GT2 57 2 laps
17. 62 GT2 Mullen, Turner Ferrari 430 GT2 57 2 laps
18. 59 GT2 Aguas, Gattuso Ferrari 430 GT2 57 2 laps
19. 97 GT2 Malucelli, Collard Porsche 997 GT3 RSR 56 3 laps
20. 74 GT2 Zani, Pompidou Porsche 997 GT3 RSR 56 3 laps
21. 108 G2 Konopka, Hornak Saleen SR7 56 3 laps
22. 53 GT2 Cressoni, Linossi Ferrari 430 GT2 56 3 laps
23. 15 GT1 Kutemann, Gosse Maserati MC12 GT1 56 3 laps
24. 18 GT1 Cloet, Casadei Corvette C5R 56 3 laps
25. 63 GT2 Kirkaldy, Niarchos Ferrari 430 GT2 56 3 laps
26. 101 G2 Leinders, Kuppens Gillet Vertigo 55 4 laps
27. 13 GT1 Enge, Kofler Saleen SR7 53 6 laps
28. 178 G3 Peham, Ortlieb Porsche 997 Cup 51 8 laps
29. 177 G3 Dragoun, Mair Porsche 997 Cup 50 9 laps
30. 99 GT2 MacHitski, Edwards Porsche 997 GT3 RSR 48 11 laps