Bartels-Bertolini's Maserati MC12 comes back and just misses the podium

The second round of the FIA GT championship took place on Sunday 28 May at the Czech circuit of Brno. At the end of the three-hour race, the MC12 driven by Michael Bartels-Andrea Bertolini (Vitaphone Racing Team) just missed out on the podium. The Trident pair was just seven tenths off Gollin-Babini (third in the Aston Martin). In second came Deletraz-Piccini (Aston Martin) with Bert-Janis (Saleen) taking top spot. Jamie Davies-Thomas Biagi, in the other Vitaphone Maserati, finished in sixth place.

These results were not a disappointment as they were obtained on a difficult track and in uncertain atmospheric and surface conditions. Another factor why Bartels-Bertolini did not make the podium was that the lapped Bouchut-Walchofer-Kox Lamborghini held up the Italo-German MC12's effort for third. The three-hour race started on a dry track after the morning rain. On the front row, Thomas Biagi was sucked into the group jostling for the leading places. Andrea Bertolini was less fortunate. He began well and climbed from seventh to third spot but was forced off the track on the second lap. Luckily, he managed to come back on in ninth place. Biagi, meanwhile, held third until lap 11 when he lost time with an excursion into the sand. Both Vitaphone Racing Team MC12s had an uphill battle.

After the first hour and the pit stop to switch drivers, Michael Bartels took the place of Bertolini and Biagi was substituted by Jamie Davies, finding themselves in fourth and ninth place, respectively. These positions remained more or less unchanged into the second hour with Davies having made up a place to eighth before the second pit stop. In the final stages, Bertolini was the star, as lap after lap he made up ground on Gollin-Babini's Aston Martin. However, Bouchut-Walchofer-Kox's Lamborghini slowed Bertolini's comeback for numerous laps. The Vitaphone Racing Team still heads the team championship with 22 points. Bartels and Bertolini are second in the drivers' standings and are now only three points off the leaders, Janis-Bert. Biagi-Davies are ninth.

The next round of the FIA GT championship will be held on 2 July at the German circuit of Oschersleben.

"The race went well," said Andrea Bertolini, "but it could have gone even better. The podium was within our reach and we would have overtaken Gollin-Babini's Aston Martin had the lapped Lamborghini not held us up for twelve laps. The championship is a long one but a few extra points would have been useful. My biggest regret is not making the podium. We did our best on a tough weekend. Starting from the front row, we hoped to score some precious points; very handy in a difficult championship like ours is this year."

Trofeo Audemars Piguet Maserati Europe – The third round of the Trofeo Audemars Piguet Maserati Europa took place on Sunday 28 May at Brno in the Czech Republic. Maserati GB’s Moz Fabris took the win with a margin of 2"961 over Antonio Andolfato and 13"708 over series leader Alberto Cerrai. For Fabris, following the second places earned at Monza and Silverstone, Brno is his first win of the season.

Cerrai, despite coming fourth, maintains command in the Trofeo by a point. In second is Fabris with Andrea De Megni (tenth in Brno) in third.

The race was held on a wet surface with the nineteen Maserati GranSport Trofeos sporting Pirelli PZero 'rain' tyres. The safety car was on from the start and stayed on for two laps. When the safety car pulled into the pits, Cerrai held his top spot. The placings were also unchanged in the pack. On lap seven, Alberto Vescovi lost seventh spot when he ended up in the grass while tussling with Andolfato, Mugelli and Martini for fifth, sixth and eighth place. Oddi then slipped from third to fifth after making a mistake. Fabris and Andolfato were quick to benefit. Halfway through the race, Alessi had built a two second lead over Cerrai. Fabris was keeping up with the lead pair and holding third from Andolfato. The track conditions became ever trickier as it dried out with the cars equipped with rain tyres. The early pit stops were made by Demegni, Burgan, Andruet, Pizzicannella and Mugelli. Next came Cerrai and Andolfato. With forty minutes gone and 14 laps covered, all the drivers had made their compulsory stop.

As the rain started to drop again on lap seventeen, Andolfato moved into the lead but had Fabris and Cerrai to contend with. Ravasio, Alessi's team-mate, had climbed to fourth. Fabris regained the lead on the subsequent lap and sped off towards the chequered flag. Three laps from the finish, Cerrai launched his last attack on Andolfato but a spin four curves from the end saw his podium chances disappear.

The next Trofeo Audemars Piguet Maserati race will be held on June 30-2 July at the Oschersleben circuit in Germany.