Fabio Babini leads the field at the last race weekend of the season
Italian team Petri Corse secured the Teams’, Pro and Pro-Am drivers’ titles of the 2009 Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo season at Paul Ricard HTTT, France, on 4 October 2009.
Despite close competition from Reiter Engineering’s Peter Kox and Marc A. Hayek, Petri Corse’s Fabio Babini and Claudio Rossetto managed to secure all three titles after claiming three podium finishes during the final race weekend of the season.
The pan-European series saw nine nationalities compete with 24 different drivers securing podium finishes, demonstrating close on-track competition throughout the season.
QualifyingNew team for the final race weekend, PURESPORT, secured pole, with Mirko Venturi behind-the-wheel of the #23 Super Trofeo. In the 30-minute session, the Italian driver set a fastest lap of 2:10.837.
Babini set the second fastest time in the #22 Petri Corse entry, lapping the French track in 2:10.967. Behind, team Automobili Lamborghini driver Giorgio Sanna set the third fastest time of 2:12.108 in the #1 VIP race car, putting his team-mate AUTOhebdo journalist Romain Bernard on the second row of the grid.
“We are really happy to get pole for our first race,” said PURESPORT’s Team Manager Rosario Campagna. “As a company, we have never competed in a racing series before and only decided to enter the Super Trofeo for one race three months ago, so to be in this position is fantastic.”
Round 16Before the end of the first lap, Bernard in the #1 team Automobili Lamborghini Super Trofeo passed Rossetto and PURESPORT’s Andrea Invernizzi for the lead and began to pull away from the field. However, Kox was charging through the field in the #24, having started from very last place. On lap five, the Reiter Engineering driver passed Bernard for the lead.
At the mandatory pit-stop, Sanna took the wheel from Bernard, with Hayek being handed the #24 from Kox. Back on track, Sanna passed Hayek for the lead, with Rossetto’s team-mate Babini following through for second place.
Behind, Davide Amaduzzi in the #69 Bonaldi Motorsport race car was reeling in Hayek, but was unable to reach him before the chequered flag.
Sanna crossed the line first to claim with win, with Babini second and Hayek third.
“I’m a car journalist not a racing driver so I’m very pleased with the result,” said Bernard. “I didn’t have a lot of confidence yesterday, but Giorgio [Sanna] and the team helped me to look through the data and learn where I could find extra time under braking, and their advice worked!”
Round 17 From second on the grid, Babini took the lead at the start, with Kox close behind and team Automobili Lamborghini VIP guest driver Albert von Thurn und Taxis running in third.
PURESPORT’s Venturi had managed to climb through to third place by the opening of the pit window, but got a puncture on lap 10. Venturi guided the #23 back to the pits and his team-mate Invernizzi rejoined the field, climbing up to ninth before the chequered flag.
At the front of the field, Rossetto, now leading in the #22, made a mistake under braking on the penultimate lap and spun. Kox’s team-mate Hayek passed the recovering Rossetto, crossing the line first. Rossetto finished second with Bonaldi Motorsport’s Eugenio Amos third.
Having claimed 12 points in round 17, Petri Corse’s Babini and Rossetto secured the 2009 Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo Pro and Pro-Am drivers’ titles.
Claudio Rossetto and Fabio Babini celebrate their victories
Round 18With third in the Pro-Am Drivers’ standings, and second and third in the Teams’ standings yet to be decided, the final round of the season was extremely close.
At the start, Babini tried to take the lead, but Reiter Engineering’s Peter Kox, who started from pole, managed to keep his lead. Behind, Bonaldi Motorsport’s Davide Amaduzzi maintained third-place.
At the pit-stop, Hayek took the wheel of the #24 Super Trofeo, while Amos took over in the #69. However, both were given drive-through penalties for pit-stop infringements, just four laps before the end of the race.
On the penultimate lap, Amos passed Rossetto for second place. With Hayek serving his drive-through penalty, Amos took the lead. As the cars came around the track for the final time, Amos pitted, allowing Rossetto to take the win. Amos claimed second place with Hayek third.
With the final points awarded, the top three in each of the standings were concluded. After yet another podium on Saturday, Rossetto secured the Pro-Am drivers’ title, with Hayek second and Bonaldi Motorsport’s Ferruccio Bellini third. In the Pro drivers’ standings, Babini claimed the title, with Kox second and Jarek Janiš for Lamborghini Racing Eastern Europe third.
Petri Corse secured the Teams’ title after claiming an impressive eleven podiums during the season. Reiter Engineering was its closest rival, finishing second, while Bonaldi Motorsport secured third.
“To be the first Super Trofeo Champions is fantastic for Rossetto and me,” said Babini. “This is a great result for Petri Corse, and the series has been excellent thanks to Lamborghini and Pirelli…I think we will be celebrating with the team!”
“I’m very very happy!” added Rossetto. “The series has been very exciting. I don’t think that I was physically fit enough at the start of the season, but I have improved a lot during the year.”
Simone Petri, Team Manager of Petri Corse said, “I’m very happy with the season. Winning the last race was very important but difficult after Barcelona, as we felt a lot of pressure. We will definitely be back next season…with four cars.”
“We’ve had a fantastic season with some extremely close racing,” said Manfred Fitzgerald, Director of Brand and Design at Lamborghini. “The race format has definitely been a success, bringing the title chase right to the last race weekend. We are in discussions for next year’s calendar, and have already received strong interest, so the competition will only get tougher!”
Round 16 results1. Sanna/Bernard (#1), Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A 41:56.2172. Babini/Rossetto (#22), Petri Corse +10.7903. Hayek/Kox (#24), Reiter Engineering +16.8214. Amos/Amaduzzi (#69), Bonaldi Motorsport +17.1445. von Thurn und Taxis/Saurma (#2), Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A +20.6926. Charouz/Lacko (#88), Lamborghini Racing Eastern Europe +35.1707. Bellini (#3), Bonaldi Motorsport +46.4198. Dijkstra/van de Zwaan (#16), Schoolmaster +58.9839. Venturi/Invernizzi (#23), PURESPORT +1:15.71710. C. Leimer/H. Leimer (#63), Autovitesse +1:49.50611. Janiš/Winter (#77), Lamborghini Racing Eastern Europe +1:54.26712. Jenny (#007), Lamborghini Racing Eastern Europe + 1 lap13. Bassetti (#66), Petri Corse + 1 lapNot classifiedBartocci/Maddalena (#6), Petri Corse
Round 17 results1. Hayek/Kox (#24), Reiter Engineering 42:01.9432. Babini/Rossetto (#22), Petri Corse +2.3783. Amos/Amaduzzi (#69), Bonaldi Motorsport +5.2234. Charouz/Lacko (#88), Lamborghini Racing Eastern Europe +26.7035. Dijkstra/van de Zwaan (#16), Schoolmaster +28.3596. Bellini (#3), Bonaldi Motorsport +29.5137. von Thurn und Taxis/Saurma (#2), Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A +44.7218. Janiš/Winter (#77), Lamborghini Racing Eastern Europe +52.9829. Venturi/Invernizzi (#23), PURESPORT +59.56710. Bartocci/Maddalena (#6), Petri Corse +1:03.57611. Jenny (#007), Lamborghini Racing Eastern Europe +1:53.57612. Bassetti (#66), Petri Corse +2:00.27713. C. Leimer/H. Leimer (#63), Autovitesse + 2 lapsNot classifiedSanna/Bernard (#1), Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A
Round 18 results1. Babini/Rossetto (#22), Petri Corse 41:59.5022. Amos/Amaduzzi (#69), Bonaldi Motorsport +1.0643. Hayek/Kox (#24), Reiter Engineering +7.6184. Bellini (#3), Bonaldi Motorsport +15.2825. Charouz/Lacko (#88), Lamborghini Racing Eastern Europe +17.3756. von Thurn und Taxis/Saurma (#2), Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A +22.9117. Bartocci/Maddalena (#6), Petri Corse +45.4138. C. Leimer/H. Leimer (#63), Autovitesse +54.3999. Janiš/Winter (#77), Lamborghini Racing Eastern Europe +54.40710. Dijkstra/van de Zwaan (#16), Schoolmaster +1:04.13511. Sanna/Bernard (#1), Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A +1:15.24312. Jenny (#007), Lamborghini Racing Eastern Europe +2:20.04313. Bassetti (#66), Petri Corse + 3 lapsNot classified15. Venturi/Invernizzi (#23), PURESPORT
Pro Drivers’ StandingsFabio Babini (ITA) 179Peter Kox (NED) 156Jarek Janiš (CZE) 110Jonathan Cochet (FRA) 73Maximilian Götz (GER) 63Davide Amaduzzi (ITA) 46Arjen van de Zwaan (NED) 41Jens Klingmann (GER) 38Erik Janiš (CZE) 26Johannes Stuck (GER) 10Giorgio Venica (ITA) 6Andy Wallace (GBR) 6Ivan Capelli (ITA) 6Mirko Venturi (ITA) 4Marco Apicella (ITA) 1Uwe Alzen (GER) 1
Pro-Am Drivers’ Standings Claudio Rossetto (ITA) 179Marc A. Hayek (SUI) 156Ferruccio Bellini (ITA) 97Eugenio Amos (ITA) 86Alexander Frei (SUI) 73Achim Winter (GER) 61Albert von Thurn und Taxis (GER) 53Cedric Leimer (SUI) 51Herve Leimer (SUI) 51Petr Charouz (CZE) 45Adam Lacko (CZE) 41Siebrand Dijkstra (NED) 39Michael Scheublein (GER) 38Giorgio Bartocci (ITA) 34Leonardo Maddalena (ITA) 34Stephan Dostal (CZE) 21Giovanni Bassetti (ITA) 19Mario Fasanetto (ITA) 18Benoit Galand (BEL) 17Tim Schrick (GER) 17Romain Bernard (FRA) 15Horst von Saurma (GER) 15Salvatore De Plano (ITA) 12Christina Surer (SUI) 10Juan Collin (ESP) 10Gianluigi Piccioli (ITA) 10Roberto Giordanelli (ITA) 10Louis Machiels (BEL) 9Holger Eckhardt (GER) 9Luigi Mocchia (ITA) 8Martin Westerhoff (GER) 6Roger Green (GBR) 6Jaime Hernandez (ESP) 6Andrea Gardelli (ITA) 4Matteo Grassi (ITA) 4Niek Hommerson (NED) 4Andreas Invernizzi (ITA) 4Oliver Morley (GBR) 0Maximillian Werndl (GER) 0Laurent Jenny (SUI) 0
Teams’ StandingsPetri Corse 196Reiter Engineering 156Bonaldi Motorsport 149Lamborghini Racing Eastern Europe 139Autovitesse 103Automobili Lamborghini 87Lamborghini München Team Holzer 56Schoolmaster 49Igor Pasta Racing 4PURESPORT 3Lechner Racing Team 0
