Trofeo Audemars Piguet Maserati Europe 2006

The seventh and last round of the 2006 Trofeo Audemars Piguet Maserati Europe series took place yesterday at the Spanish circuit of Valencia. By coming second, Maserati GB’s Moz Fabris won the Championship title.

Previous winners have been Emanuele Smurra (2003), Andrea Palma (2004) and Alberto Cerrai (2005). Cerrai also played a major role this time around and battled for the crown with Fabris until the very last race. Cerrai triumphed over the new champion and the quick, young pairing of Niccolò Oddi and Giacomo Ricci. Fabris was consistent throughout the season and scored two wins (Brno and Oschersleben) and four second places (Monza, Silverstone, Spa and Valencia) that gave him the title by two points.

The two young Trofeo Maserati drivers, Oddi and Ricci, thanks to their third place in Valencia, came third and fourth, respectively, in the Championship overall classification.

On pole, Cerrai made a clean start tracked by Oddi-Ricci, Ferrero-Alessi and Fabris. The Valencia race was exciting from the start as Ricci, who currently leads the Italian F3000 Championship, and Alessi made their way to the front of the field from lap one. Halfway through, tussles began between Ricci and Alessi, who swapped positions. The closest duels were between Cerrai and Reyes for third and Maggi, De Martini, Burgan and Andruet for places eight to eleven.

Following the pit stops, from lap 21 on, Cerrai launched an attack from fourth spot on Oddi, Juan Carlos Ferrero (the Spanish tennis player who is in the world's top 20) and his direct adversary, Fabris, claiming first place at the chequered flag. Fabris coolly administered the race and held onto the second place that brought him the title, with Oddi/Ricci coming home third. Tennis ace Ferrero, at his racing debut with Maserati, gained a fantastic fourth. The two other British drivers in the series, Phil Burgan and Richard Cristofoli finished 9th and 14th respectively.

The next appointment for the Maserati Trofeo is the Bologna Motorshow, which will see seven Trofeo drivers taking up the challenge in the outdoor Arena, including winner Moz Fabris and runner up Alberto Cerrai.

Moz Fabris "It is true that second would have been good enough here at Valencia, and this is how it turned out. I am very pleased as it was a tough race, just as the entire championship has been. We all know that Cerrai is very fast but I was rewarded for my consistency."

Alberto Cerrai "I am very happy for Fabris because he is quick on the track and always handles himself correctly when racing. I gave my all and never gave up. I had to win and this I did and could not have done any more. There were some clashes at the start and this is where I, perhaps, lost a little time. It has been a great championship. I did not win but am satisfied at having won five races out of seven."