Peter/Artam/Pillon's MC12 will start on the front row for tomorrow's eighth round of the FIA GT championship. The race will be run in Istanbul, Turkey. The second fastest time (1'49"696) was set by Phillip Peter in the morning session and was bettered by 85 thousandths by the Ferrari 575 Maranello GTC driven by Deletraz/Piccini. The Swiss driver managed to get the most from the new Pirelli tyre compound introduced at Oschersleben. He also benefited from not having any ballast to weigh him down. The heat in the afternoon session prevented almost all the drivers from improving their times, however the JMB Racing number 16 drivers, Can Artam and Christophe Pillon, were able to stay out in the car for longer. The Turkish driver improved his times session on session while the Swiss man continued to get to know the MC12.

The Vitaphone Racing Team with Babini/Biagi on board earned a spot on the second row (1'50"016). Also in their colours were Bartels/Scheider, fourth fastest (1'50"187).

The two Italians did particularly well as they had an extra 90kg on board. Bartels and Scheider had the satisfaction of lapping quickest in the second qualifying session among cars not using the new tyres. Their pace during the forty five minute session was also encouraging for the race ahead.

Andrea Bertolini and Karl Wendlinger, current leaders of the drivers' championship in their MC12, will start from eighth (1'50"742). The team JMB Racing drivers worked on setting up the car for tomorrow's two hour race. The length of the race is an experimental one called for by the Federation to allow the event to be televised in full.

The competitors will have to make two pit stops (at least one for each driver) and will have to drive for stretches of 35 minutes or more.

Philipp Peter: "We are very pleased with the result but a little sad we are not on pole. I am satisfied with the Pirelli tyres used here for the first time in qualifying and that we will use in tomorrow's race. When it became clear that the track was at least a second slower in the afternoon, I decided to let my team mates take the chance to get to know the car a little better".

Fabio Babini: "I am pleased with qualifying because the car, despite having extra weight on board, performed well and displayed excellent balance. The tyres also shone, so much so that in some curves we the ballast wasn't even apparent. This means that we did well in setting up the car, something that should allow us to be competitive right to the end of the race. I would like to thank team Vitaphone, Maserati and Pirelli for the splendid work they have done thus far. I hope that tomorrow will be as satisfying as Oschersleben."

RACE - A Maserati 1-2-3 at the at the Istanbul Park race track in Tuzla.

No. 9 Bartels/T.Scheider (Vitaphone Racing Team - chassis n. 02/15439 + 50 Kg)
1st Place - 59 laps in 2:02.986

No 10 Babini/Biagi (Vitaphone Racing Team - chassis n. 07/15443 + 90 Kg)
2nd Place - 10.960 down

No 15 Bertolini/Wendlinger (JMB Racing - chassis n. 08/15444 + 100 Kg)
3rd Place - 26.987 down

No 16 Peter/Artam/Pillon (JMB Racing - chassis n. 04/15441)
7th Place - 1 lap down

Weather: sunny (28°C), dry track(49°C)

Circuit length: 5,333 m

Thanks to a sparkling one, two, three secured Bartels/Scheider (Vitaphone), Babini/Biagi (Vitaphone) and Bertolini/Wendlinger (JMB) in the eighth round of the FIA GT championship held today at Istanbul, Maserati has made mathematically certain of the FIA GT1 Manufacturers’ Cup.

The Modena house is now on 196 points in the standings reserved to GT1 class constructors. Ferrari are the closest challengers on 90. In the team classification, a Vitaphone Racing Team double gives them a 22 point lead over JMB Racing (110 to 87); both teams race in Maserati MC12s. In the drivers' championship, Maserati occupies the top three positions: Bertolini/Wendlinger lead with 63 points, followed by Bartels/Scheider (56) and Babini/Biagi (54).

The race was a tight one right from the off. Babini was in amongst it and got off to a good start to take the lead, profiting from the turn 1 traffic. Bertolini was nudged by a Lister and went into a spin. His tyres were affected and he slipped down to fourteenth spot. Scheider, down in sixth after a difficult start, soon caught and overtook Hazeman’s Corvette on lap nine. The German set off after Babini who had, in the meantime, built a healthy lead over his pursuers. The two Vitaphone MC12s were able to stretch into a lead over the group but an accident involving the number 4 Saleen on lap 14 meant that the safety car was called for.

Its entry created a lot of confusion. Babini and Biagi were the two penalised most as they fell to ninth position. Bertolini had given up the driving seat to Wendlinger in third spot. Almost all the competitors took the opportunity to make their tyre changes, refuel and switch drivers. The race restarted on lap 21 with Gardel in the lead. Behind him came Bartels, Longin and Wendlinger. Bartels edged past the Ferrari man and moved into the lead. A little further back Wendlinger made second spot his own, just ahead of Biagi who was storming up the field. The driver from Emilia executed a splendid overtaking move on Wendlinger to sweep into second place. Even Can Artam, Philipp Peter’s replacement, was lapping quickly and took fourth from the Corvette.

With four Maseratis filling the top four places, nothing changed until the final stops when Scheider substituted Bartels, Babini replaced Biagi, and Pillon took Artam’s drive. Artam had even held the lead for four laps. Scheider chose not to change his tyres, as the other drivers had done, but the German only had to cruise on a 12 second cushion until the chequered flag.

Bartels/Scheider thus earned their second win of the season following the triumph at the 24 Hours of Spa. They headed their team mates the brilliant Babini/Biagi (10"960 down). Next came Bertolini/Wendlinger (26"987 down). Peter/Artam/Pillon, 1 lap down, were penalised 30" for overtaking when the yellow flag was being flown. The race’s fastest lap was clocked by Fabio Babini 1'50"949.

Claudio Berro: “An all-Maserati podium is great. It is even better having made the FIA GT1 Constructors’ Cup mathematically secure. It was mission accomplished for Maserati and teams Vitaphone and JMB who race the MC12. A special thanks goes to those who have made Maserati’s return to racing possible. I would like to say thank you to Luca di Montezemolo, Mr Todt, the Maserati president Marchionne, Karl-Heinz Kalbfell, without forgetting the chief executives who came before him, Antonello Perricone and Martin Leach. I would also like to thank Pirelli for the great support they have given throughout the season”.

Timo Scheider: “The start was a confused one and, unfortunately, I ended up on the dirty part of the track and lost a lot of places. However, this meant that the race was an eventful one. I had to make a comeback and overtake a lot. The car handled very well during the race even if I laboured a bit in the final phase after not having changed tyres. This choice, though, led to the win. I would like to thanks Vitaphone, Maserati and Pirelli for today’s fine result”.

Text courtesy of Maserati Press Center