Vitaphone Racing chasing the GT1 Team Championship at Brno
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Brno
Sep 21, 2007
Maserati
The competitors in the FIA GT International championship will be back on track once again this weekend at Brno (Czech Republic) for the eighth round of the season. With just three meets to go, the title races are tight and the Vitaphone Racing Team could make sure of the Team championship this weekend. They currently lead Playteam Sarafree by 31 points. Things are also close in the Drivers’ standings between the two crews in the Maserati MC12. Overall leader Thomas Biagi (Vitaphone Racing Team) has a three point advantage over Andrea Bertolini/Andrea Piccini (Playteam Sarafree). In the Manufacturers’ Cup, Maserati heads Corvette by 44 points.
Following the fine second place claimed at Adria, Andrea Bertolini and Andrea Piccini will have 80kg of ballast to deal with (including 25 kg imposed by the Federation on all the MC12s to even out the cars’ performance). Biagi-Bartels, meanwhile, will have a 55kg handicap.
On a circuit full of ups and downs and testing curves, the effect of the added weight will be especially felt. Another key factor will be tyre wear as Brno has a rough asphalt surface. However, the new Pirelli tyres that made their first, successful, appearance in Veneto continue to perform brilliantly and mean that Playteam Sarafree head into the weekend full of optimism.
Thanks to their exciting displays so far, Christian Montanari and Miguel Ramos, in the second Vitaphone Racing Team MC12, will have their eyes on the fourth spot in the Drivers’ standings now held by Wendlinger/Sharp, just a point ahead of them overall.
Giambattista Giannoccaro and Alessandro Pier Guidi will be hoping to make the most of the fact that they do not have any extra ballast. They will be out to notch a result that boosts Playteam’s place in the Team championship.
In the Citation Cup, in its sixth round at Brno, the JMB Racing Maserati MC12s with Kutemann/Gosse and Aucott/Daoudi on board will again be competing. Ben Aucott (JMB Racing Team MC12) commands the Drivers’ championship and won last time at Adria. This time round he will have Frenchman Stephane Daoudi for company. Daoudi has already appeared for the Monaco based outfit in the FIA GT3.
The Czech weekend will see two free practice sessions run tomorrow (9.05 and 11.55). Qualifying to decide the starting grid is programmed for 16.15. On Sunday, the warm-up will take place at 8.35 and the two-hour race will get underway at 13.15.
