The fifth and penultimate round in the 2014 Maserati Trofeo World Series will be run at Shanghai and could determine the destiny of the overall classification led by Swiss Team's Mauro Calamia since the start of the season.
Sitting on 131 points, Calamia, from Switzerland, showed signs of flagging in the recent US leg. Perhaps affected by nerves, he committed a few mistakes that saw him finish outside the points in two of the three races. Second in the standings is Riccardo Ragazzi on 87. He will be fired up in trying to close the overall gap after notching four straight wins in the last four 30-minute races. In third is Switzerland’s Gabriele Gardel but he is not in the title chase after opting to skip the events held outside Europe. Holding fourth on 81 points is another Italian, Alan Simoni; he is improving all the time and is appearing on the back of a great second spot in the Virginia endurance event. While there are six races to run, and Calamia holds a decent lead, anything could still happen.
The on-track action at Shanghai will be even closer in this round as the European drivers will be flanked by the series of Asian-based competitors who usually enter the China event. They will be tough to beat and will be doing their best to grab a podium finish in a Maserati GranTurismo MC Trofeo. A special prize will be awarded to the best Asian team.
Giorgio Sernagiotto could be among the contenders. Making a return after an appearance at Silverstone, it was here that he won the last Trofeo Maserati race in the 2012 season. Alberto Cola, will also be making a comeback as he teams up with Massimo Mantovani.
During the #MaseratiTrofeo last round in US, a new digital media project made its debut: the #SensingSpeed. An innovative custom-tracking technology able to collect a set of real-time parameters: position on track, speed, the audio level of the unique Maserati sound inside the car and the driver's heart rate to live the #MaseratiTrofeo experience from a complete new angle. The combination of all the parameters also provides the “Adrenaline Index” for each driver involved.
Moreover, starting from raw, untreated audio and data recordings taken from #MaseratiTrofeo races - using the innovative #SensingSpeed technology - a unique sound visualization sequence based upon a true Maserati GranTurismo MC 3D model) has been launched. (Watch the sound movie here http://youtu.be/fnxJktxcy8I)
The #SensingSpeed project is in continuous development and it will be featured also on Shanghai and Abu Dhabi #MaseratiTrofeo Rounds. Link to the website for all the details http://sensingspeed.maseraticorse.com.
Also, Shanghai’s competition marks the start of a highly valuable partnership, in the name of true Italian excellence: the one between Maserati and Alcantara (www.alcantara.com). Preferred choice of the most prestigious global brands and with application in many different industries, Alcantara® is the registered trademark material renowned and appreciated by world-leading car makers for the combination of aesthetic, sensory and functional properties that it is able to offer. On Maserati cars, Alcantara expresses its best, adding its extraordinary touch of elegance, style and, at the same time, great sportiness.
In Italy you can catch Maserati Trofeo World Series races, after the event, on Class TV; MotorsTV will broadcast them outside Italy. All Maserati Corse’s social network channels will be kept up to date with the Maserati Trofeo news while Radio Monte Carlo will continue to broadcast from Shanghai.
Round 5 – Programme Local time
Friday 10 October Free practice 1: 09.10 – 09.55 Free practice 2: 11.25 – 12.10 Qualifying 1-2: 14.30 – 15.10 Race 1: 17:30 – 18.00
Saturday 11 October Race 2: 12.50 – 13.20
Sunday 12 October Race 3: 11.00 – 12.00
