Race No. 10 F. Babini/T. Biagi (Vitaphone Racing Team) 3rd + 11.078 chassis 07/15443 No. 15 A. Bertolini/K. Wendlinger (JMB Racing) 4th + 1 lap chassis 08/15444 No. 9 M. Bartels/T. Scheider (Vitaphone Racing Team) 5th + 1 lap chassis 02/15439 No. 16 P. Peter/C. Buncombe/R. Rusinov (JMB Racing) 8th + 2 laps chassis 04/15441 Weather: clear; dry track
Circuit length: 3.624 km
Fabio Babini and Thomas Biagi, in the Vitaphone Racing Team MC12, finished third in the third FIA GT race held at Silverstone. They now move into first spot in the drivers' championship alongside Andrea Bertolini and Karl Wendlinger (JMB Racing), who captured fourth place, and Michael Bartels/Timo Scheider (Vitaphone), who came home fifth. The Vitaphone Racing Team stilll holds top spot in the team championship while Maserati has consolidated its place in the Constructors' Cup. The fourth MC12 in the race ended in eighth with Philippe Peter/Chris Buncombe and Roman Rusinov (JMB Racing), after Buncombe was hit with a pit lane drive through penalty The top two positions went to the Aston Martins with Lamy/Kox and Brabham/Turner on board. The Astons do not compete in the championship and so will not earn any points.
Babini/Biagi drove excellently and attacked throughout. Their form ensured a healthy distance was maintained between them and their rivals. Unfortunately, the Maseratis spent 10 seconds more refuelling owing to the position of the English car's fuel tank.
Babini got off to a good start and overtook Lamy's Aston. He moved into second behind Turner, a position from where he tried to get past the leader.
The race order changed when the pit stops began on lap 45. Four cars (the two Astons, Babini/Biagi's MC12 and the Corvette) were jostling for the top positions. Bertolini/Wendlinger's MC12 delayed making a pit stop and so rose up the order from their starting position of eighth.
The JMB Racing couple fought out a long duel with Bartels/Scheider in the other Vitaphone MC12. In the latter half of the race, when the second fuel stops were made, Thomas Biagi was in the lead for a few laps. It was Lamy, however, who took the chequered flag. Turner came in next, followed by Babini, Wendlinger and Scheider. It ought to be remembered that the number 10 and 15 MC12s had 40kg of ballast on board in additon to the 10kg assigned at the start of the season. The number 9 Trident GT had 70kg of added weight (60+10). Unlike its competitors, all the MC12s have a compromised aerodynamic set up.
The Federation ruled out the use of a front splitter and the car has a smaller rear wing. Without adequate downforce it was difficult to win at Silverstone, an intermediate circuit.
Fabio Babini: "The car was perfect: I had the chance to really push and put pressure on the Astons. I managed to get close but coming out of the curves they had the edge in acceleration. In any case, it was a positive weekend for is. We won a virtual first place which repays Maserati, team Vitaphone and Pirelli for their hard work that has put us at the head of the championship." Babini was voted best driver by journalists at Magny Cours.
Thomas Biagi: "I am pleased with the thirteenth pole in fourteen FIA GT races. Fabio and I did well and even held the lead for a while. We couldn't go any quicker because we didn't have the downforce."
The MC12s that compete in the FIA GT are equipped exclusively with Racing P Zero tyres as they are in the ALMS series in North America. This collaboration is further proof of the successful track partnership between Maserati and Pirelli. This has been demonstrated in the fine results obtained in the Italian GT series.
