round #1 2005 FIA GT: MONZA (I), April 9-10

LARBRE FERRARI BEATS THEM IN THE SPRINT

IN 2006 THE FIA GT CARS WILL BE DRIVEN AT THE MODEL CAR WORLDS (more...)

April 10 - None of the four Maseratis MC12 has won the curtain raiser of the 2005 FIA GT Championship. They finished on ranks 2-3-4-5. Two of them, the two Vitaphones, finished in a breath-taking sprint, where they were beaten by the #11 Ferrari F550 Maranello of the French Larbre Compétition team, shared by Pedro Lamy and Gabriele Gardel. Second, 0"927 down to the winners were Michael Bartels/Timo Scheider, the two former DTM racers in their #9 Vitaphone Maserati MC12, immediately followed by Fabio Babini/Thomas Biagi in the #10 sister car, finishing 1"456 behind the winners. Those three cars achieved 87 laps (500 kilometres) in 2h40'. The #16 JMB Maserati MC12 of Philipp Peter/Ro-man Rusinov/Chris Buncombe - having started from pole position - finished as fourth, one lap down to the winning car. The other JMB Maserati of Bertolini/Wendlinger was fifth at 3 laps, ahead over the second Larbre Compétition Ferrari F550 Maranello shared by Lilian Bryner, Enzo Calderari and Steve Zacchia.
Of the 28 cars having started 19 were classified. The Belgian Corvette CR-5 of Mike Hezemans, Anthony Kumpen and Bert Longin caused a stir by moving up to rank two with only 10 laps to go. The Pratt & Miller car, however, was victim of a broken oil line, and had to retire. Nevertheless the car was classified, having proven its potential for the upcoming rounds.
The Lamborghini Marcielago R-GT, having started from rank seven on the grid was retired after 28 laps. The Russian Age Racing Ferrari F550 Maranello, having started from the second row, was very fast during the first hour, but was retired after 37 laps, just as the GPC Ferrari 575 GTC of Deletraz and Piccini. The other GPC Ferrari of Melo/Bello cwas found among the top-8 but was retired 30 minutes before the end of the race. The car was classified as 19th. The Lister Storm GT finished as ninth, four laps down to the winner, and even preceeded by both Gruppe M Works Porsches.

None of the five Saleens having started could convince. The whole week-end there were speculations of the two Lechner Bros could start together on one of the Konrad cars. Eventually it didn't happen and both Konrad Saleens were found among the back-benchers in GT1. Very disappointing too were the three cars of Graham Nash Motorsport. Of its two Saleens, the #7, shared by Ruberti/Camathias, finished as tenth, good for one point. The #8 of Pickering/Haupt came no further than a 15th place, at nine laps from the winning car. The GNM Porsche 996 GT3-RSR was the first car to retire after only 23 laps. The Polish Saleen finished the race as 12th, seven laps down. 
In GT2 the two works Porsches of Gruppe M Racing were absolutely without the smallest competition. Marc Lieb and Mike Rockenfeller won, finishing at a fine seventh place, only three laps behind the winning car. At the finish they preceeded the #88 sister car of Emmanuel Collard and Tim Sugden by less than two small seconds. Third in GT2 was the Italian Ebimotor Porsche 996 GT3-RSR of Luigi Moccia and Emmanuele Busnelli. They brought their car home as eleventh, two laps down to the class-win-ning GT2 Porsche. There were only Porsches in GT2 since the Mastercar Ferrari 360 Modena, with good old Arture Merzario as one of its drivers, even didn't show. Only 6 GT2 cars reached the finish, with Machánek's #72 as fourth (13th overall), the Austian Renauer Porsche as fifth (16th overall) and the Proton Competition Porsche of Ried/Ried as sixth (18th overall). Results... [JPVR]

QUALIFICATIONS: MASERATI DOMINATES
* Free practice on Saturday morning went under rain conditions. On a wet track the #16 JMB Racing Maserati MC12 was the fastest in 2'00"491, followed by the #11 Larbre Compétition Ferrari F550 in 2'00"761 and the #10 Vitaphone Maserati MC12 in 2'00"818. Fastest in GT2 was the #66 Gruppe M Porsche in 2'04"456, good for a tenth place, ahead over several GT1 cars.
* With the Friday qualifications having been cancelled, there was only one qualification round instead of two. Since rain had stopped all cars were now much faster. In total 28 cars entered the qualification run - the Mastercar Ferrari 360 Modena not showing. There were 10 GT2 cars, 17 GT1 cars and the lonely Mosler MT900R in G2.
* Eventually Philipp Peter realised the fastest time: 1'45"699 despite 10 kg of ballast and a smaller rear spoiler, nearly as fast as at the Thursday Free Practice, where the car was not already in 2005 FIA GT specs. Peter was driving the #16 JMB Maserati MC12, having been already the fastest at the morning's free practice.
Timo Scheider realised the second best time in the #9 Vitaphone Maserati MC12: 1'45"807, followed by the R.A.R. Ferrari F550 Maranello driven by France's Christophe Bouchut. The former multiple FIA GT winner clocked a fastest time in 1'45"881. Fourth best time was for Karl Wendlinger in the #16 JMB Maserati MC12: 1'46"041. Only two other cars achieved times within one second of the TQ-time: the Larbre Compétition Ferrari F550 of Pedro Lamy and Gabriele Gardel - still so disappointing on Thursday - was good for 1'46"372. Sixth place was for the second Vitaphone Maserati, followed by the Lamborghini (not already at full 2005 specs) and the Belgian Corvette CR-5. The five Saleens all disapointed, coming no further than 10-11-14-19-22.
* In GT2 the Gruppe M Porsches are without competition. Fastest was young Mike Rockenfeller in 1'51"412(16th) The Mosler achieved an excellent time: 1'53"775 (18th).
* The second official qualification session changed nothing on the positions, since it was contested in the rain. Babini/Biagi were here fastest with their Vitaphone Maserati in 2'02"248, ahead of two other Maseratis and the #11 Larbre Compétition Ferrari F550 Maranello.

Austria's Philipp Peter put the #16 JMB Maserati MC12 on the pole at the opening's race in Monza.

LATEST NEWS BEFORE THE START (FRIDAY APRIL 8)
* There is no track action today, due to the funerals of the pope. The driver's meeting is maintained.
* Yesterday the 29 entered cars could practice during 135 minutes. After this first test it was obvious that the R.A.R. Ferrari F550 Maranello, as driven by Christophe Bouchut, and the Belgian ex-works Corvette C5-R are the only cars on the grid able to follow the four "prototype" Maseratis MC12. Fastest was the Vitaphone #9 of Bartels/Scheider in 1'45"643, which is nearly a second slower than on the mid-March Monza tests. Second fastest was again the R.A.R. Ferrari F550. Bouchut clocked 1'45"789, 6/10ths of a second slower than mid-March. Third was the other Vitaphone Maserati in 1'45"881, followed by the first JMB Maserati of Bertolini/Wendlinger in 1'46"642. Then followed the Belgian Corvette and the second JMB Maserati which will be shared by Philipp Peter, Chris Buncombe (GB) and Russia's Roman Rusinov. Other top-10 places went to the Lamborghini Murcielago R-GT (7th in 1'48"914), to the two GPC Ferraris 575 GTC and to the #66 Gruppe M Porsche, leading GT2.
* Of the five Saleens the Polisch car didn't practice, just as the second Konrad Saleen and the second GNM Saleen. Konrad anounced that ex F1 racer Bobby Verdon-Roe (GB), cf. 2005 drivers & cars page will be one of his drivers.
* The two Saleens on the track disappointed, just as did the Lister Storm GT and the two Maranello Ferraris of Larbre Compétition.
* None of the Maseratis was already in its FIA racing competition. They have to start with 10kg ballast and a smaller rear spoiler.

LATEST NEWS BEFORE THE START (TUESDAY APRIL 5)
* It seems that the Porsche 996 GT3-RS of ARC Bratislava will be absent at the start. Dailysportscar doesn't mention the car in its entry list.
* In the Mastercar Ferrari 360 Modena good old Arturo Merzario (62 years old), the former hot boiled Ferrari works driver, will be the team mate of Massimo Monti. None of the Spanish drivers was selected, even not Luis Monzón who drove one of the Mastercar Modenas at the Daytona 24 hours.
* Due to the funerals of the pope there will be no racing in Monza on Friday. Rumours that the race should be cancelled are absolutely not true. There will be 2 hours of free practice on Thursday.
* Hubert Haupt (D), ex-DTM and Gavin Pickering (GB) will drive the second Graham Nash Motorsport Saleen S7-R. Pics of the drivers can be found at our 2005 drivers & cars page.
* The former works Corvette C5-R, which will be raced by the Belgo-Dutch team GLPK Carsport, arrived on Monday by plane at Schiphol, the Amsterdam airport. Set-up of the car was done by Pratt & Miller. The car has already been tested by the team on Tuesday at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. Pics of the car can be found at our 2005 drivers & cars page.
* It's still waiting on the first pics of the JMB Racing Maseratis MC12. They were expected after the test at Adria Raceway, but up to now nobody has seen pics of the new cars.
* At Machánek Racing, the Slovak team, Rudolf Machánek will drive the #71 with Andrej Studenik (SK) as co-driver. The #72 will be shared by Istvan Racz (HU) and Josef Venc (CZ). Pics of the drivers can be found at our 2005 drivers & cars page.

CLPK Carsport received their ex-works Corvette on Monday, 6 days before the race in Monza. The car was still equipped with last year's sponsors and with the American flag.[Pic courtesy to Dailysportscar].