Maserati Takes Two World Titles!

Maserati Takes Two World Titles!

Maserati has taken both the drivers’ and team world titles in the 2010 FIA GT World Championship with Michael Bartels and Andrea Bertolini taking the drivers’ award – for the fourth time and their third consecutive win – and Maserati Vitaphone have taken the team prize for the sixth consecutive season.

"We've just accomplished an incredible thing: we've won the fourth international title!,” said Andrea Bertolini. “They say that the first time is never forgotten, but I have to admit that today, the latest one, is surely wonderful, really exciting. It's not easy to win the first time, and repeating the feat is even harder. The key to this success is having a reliable car, a fast team-mate like Michael Bartels --who I consider a brother-- and a team that is as motivated as I am. We were fast even when we were loaded with ballast; we attacked at the right time and we were good at avoiding difficult situations This is what I call determination! Everyone deserves credit for it. I'm only sorry that we couldn't get Maserati a car maker's title. I dedicate this world championship to my wife, my son and to all those who have given me a helping hand."

Maserati also went into the final race of the season, which was held in Argentina at the weekend (5 December 2010) leading the manufacturers’ title chase but a win for Aston Martin was just enough to the lift the British marque over the Italians.

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Maserati's participation in the FIA GT World Series since 2005 has seen fourteen titles and 19 victories: two manufactuer titles (2005 and 2007), five Drivers’ Championships (Bartels-Bertolini in 2006; Thomas Biagi in 2007; Bartels-Bertolini in 2008, 2009 and 2010); six Team Championships (uninterrupted since 2005, the Maserati Vitaphone Racing Team); one Citation Cup in 2007 by amateur driver Ben Aucott, JMB Racing, in addition to three absolute victories in Spa's 24 Hours (2005, 2006 and 2008).

"This year’s championship win isn't comparable to past ones: We've won it in the new World Championship, and the contenders were top-notch teams and drivers,” explained Michael Bartels. “It wasn't easy but we did it! Right now I still cannot fathom the importance of this success.In the last two races we carefully controlled our advantage, trying to avoid mistakes. We were able to remain focused during the entire season, trying to accumulate the greatest amount of points possible while taking full advantage of opportunities as they arose. Perhaps we made less mistakes than our adversaries. Andrea and I know each other very well: this is an enormous advantage for us.”

The Maseratis in the Argentinean race reached seventh place with Bartels/Bertolini (thus earning a further 6 points in the process), ninth with Heger/Mueller (2 points) and fourteenth with Bernoldi/Ramos. Pier Guidi/Verdonck's no. 33 was eliminated.

The race got underway with Stefan Mücke in the nr8 Young Driver AMR Aston Martin on pole position. Yann Clairay in the nr9 Hexis Aston also got a good start, pulling ahead of Mücke with the German tucking in behind at the first turn. However there was contact between the two cars with the nr8 Aston suffering from end damage and pulling into the pitlane to retire from the race. The nr10 Hexis Aston of Jonathan Hirschi also spun in avoidance but Hirschi managed to recover and rejoin in 9th place. It was a good start for the Fords with Nicolas Armindo jumping up into 2nd place at the end of the opening lap in the nr6 Matech Ford, Thomas Mutsch up to 4th from 10th on the grid in the nr5 Ford and Bas Leinders up to 8th in the nr40 Marc VDS Ford.

On the next lap Mutsch made up another place by passing Dominik Schwager in the nr38 All Inkl Lamborghini. The Safety car was deployed on lap 2 when the nr24 Reiter Lamborghini of Christopher Haase locked up under braking moving across into the side of the nr1 Vitaphone Maserati of Michael Bartels. Bartels continued but the Lamborghini was stranded on the side of the track.

Racing resumed on lap 6 with Clairay maintaining his lead over the two Matech Fords. However before the end of the lap the nr6 Ford slowed and stopped on the main straight with an electrical problem promoting the nr5 Ford and nr38 Lamborghini into 2nd and 3rd respectively. Further back Jonathan Hirschi was moving back up the field, overtaking the nr40 Marc VDS Ford for 5th place on lap 8.

The pit window opened on the next lap with the leaders all coming in to change drivers and tyres. After the pits the order was shaken up with Frederic Makowiecki in the lead at the wheel of the nr9 Hexis Aston, with Clivio Piccione in the nr10 Aston in second ahead of Peter Dumbreck in the nr23 Sumo Power Nissan and Richard Westbrook in the nr5 Matech Ford after a slow pitstop. Westbrook was all over the rear wing of the Nissan as Dumbreck defended at every turn. On lap 15 the Piccione ran wide and Dumbreck had to back off allowing Westbrook, Maxime Martin in the nr40 Ford and FRank Kechele in the nr25 Reiter Lamborghini to overtake him. Before the end of the lap Westbrook moved up to 2nd as he swept ahead of the nr10 Aston Martin at Turn 19.

Meanwhile Makowiecki continued to extend his lead as the cars behind squabbled over the minor top three places, with Martin moving ahead of Piccione's Aston for 3rd. The Belgian driver then set the fastest lap of the race as he tried to get on terms with Westbrook’s Ford.

At the chequered flag Frederic Makowiecki claimed his second Qualifying Race win of the 2010 season, with the two Ford GTs 13-seconds further back. On the wall the whole Vitaphone Racing Team went wild as Andrea Bertolini took the chequered flag in 12th place to claim the 2010 FIA GT1 World Championship title for himself, Michael Bartels and the Vitaphone team.

ENDS

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