Jodie Kidd won her first motor race on Saturday, December 4th 2004 in Bologna, Italy. The English Supermodel, together with FIA GT driver and Pirelli official tester Fabio Babini, stepped up to the top spot on the podium in the Maserati Trofeo Pro-Am race at the Bologna Motorshow. It was the racing debut of the 2005 Maserati Trofeo GranSport.
Jodie and co-driver Fabio, who had already raced together at the Maserati Trofeo Vodafone Finals in Monza at the end of October where they achieved a very respectable 10th place, managed to beat Maserati Trofeo driver Andrea Demegni and Italian Top of the Pops TV presenter Daniele Bossari in the final.
Assaulted by the Italian media immediately after the podium ceremony, an ecstatic Jodie, now nicknamed 'Queen of the Rain' for her ability to drive very quickly even in unfavourable weather conditions, said: "This is such an amazing experience. I have only just started racing, and wasn't expecting to gain first place on only my third race. I wish to thank my co-driver Fabio who has performed extremely well today, and whose advice on racing is always very precious to me, the Maserati crew and all at Pirelli for setting up this new Maserati Trofeo car: I really look forward to racing it next year! I must admit that I was a bit scared when the rain started to fall so heavily" - she continued - "but I managed to keep calm and listen to what the car was telling me, and it all worked out in the end. I know I have still a long way to go in the racing world, but what a fantastic way to end my first racing season!" Fabio Babini was also thrilled: "I have raced here at the Bologna Motorshow before: it's a difficult track, quite bumpy, but it offers a great spectacle for the fans as they can see the whole of it from the grandstands. I am extremely happy with this result, because Bologna is only a few kilometers away from my home town of Faenza, so I have a lot of supporters. Jodie was great: it must have been quite daunting, as it was her first time out in the rain, but she was very cool with it and delivered. Well done!"
On hand to congratulate Jodie and Fabio on their victory was Fiat Auto Brand Manager Lapo Elkann, grandson of the late Gianni Agnelli, who had earlier taken them on a tour of the Ferrari F1 pits: "It's great to finally see women get into motorsport, and Jodie is so passionate about cars that she could become a perfect ambassador for it. My best compliments to her and Fabio Babini for their excellent performance today."Ends
1. The Bologna Motor Show, held every December, features a number of high profile outdoor motorsport events on specially created circuits. Motor races, rally stages and Formula One demonstrations, complete with pitstops, are a regular part of the entertainment.
2. Final classification for the Maserati Trofeo Pro-Am race: 1) J.Kidd - F. Babini; 2) D. Bossari - A. Demegni; 3) M. Torre - U. Scandola; 4) A. Palma - F. Frizzi
3. Visitors to the Bologna Motorshow can admire the full Maserati range in Hall 33.
4. The new Maserati Trofeo GranSport will be the star of the Trident marque's one-make Championship in 2005. The car is the fruit of the experience gained during the two first editions of the Championship and is inspired by the production GranSport. The new model is 35kg lighter and the already very high standard of safety has been improved even further. The car's overall aerodynamic efficiency has also been significantly enhanced, thanks to work on the front section (now equipped with a splitter and two flicks), an all-new flat underbody, the innovative profile and 40% larger surface area of the rear spoiler.The new GranSport's brakes are more powerful and the cooling channels have been redesigned too. The 90° V 8-cylinder engine now delivers a massive 425 hp at 7,200 rpm, thanks to new mapping and the upping of its rev limit to 8,000 rpm. Maserati's engineers also went to work on the car's set-up, modifying the suspension geometry and lowering the centre of gravity. Even the Pirelli tyres are a new size and mix. Although maintaining its now tried and tested formula, the 2005 Championship will also be introducing some new features too. The calendar will see the rounds combined with other high prestige Formula 1 and FIA GT events.
