The FIA International GT championship was presented yesterday (Tuesday 11 April) at the French circuit of Digione. During two days of testing (that ended today, Wednesday 12 April), two Maserati MC12s from the Vitaphone Racing Team took to the track. The Michael Bartels-Andrea Bertolini and Jamie Davies-Thomas Biagi crews will defend the Constructors' and Team titles won by Maserati in the 2005 FIA Maserati championship.
In 2005, the German Bartels, racing for Vitaphone together with Van de Poele and Scheider, drove the Maserati MC12 to victory in the famous 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. They were also triumphant in the races in Istanbul (Turkey) and came second at Monza, Magny-Cours, Brno and Dubai. These results saw the crew come home third in the overall FIA GT Drivers' classification.
Andrea Bertolini, Maserati Corse's official test driver, made the podium at the 2005 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps when he took second alongside Wendlinger and Peter. He also scored victory at Magny-Cours and finished in the top three at Brno, Oschersleben and Istanbul.
The Englishman, Davies, also made the podium in 2005 in his Maserati MC12 at Bahrain.



With sixth spot in the 2005 FIA GT Championship, Biagi was confirmed once more as a Vitaphone Racing Team driver in the Maserati MC12. The Italian secured one win and five podium places.
The first of the ten races in the FIA GT Championship calendar will get underway at Silverstone on 7 May. After Silverstone, the circus moves on to the Czech Republic at Brno (28 May), Germany at Oschersleben (2 July), Belgium at Spa-Francorchamps (30 July), France at Paul Ricard (20 August) and Digione (3 September), Italy at Mugello (17 September), Romania at the city circuit in Bucharest (1 October), back to Italy at Adria (15 October) before finishing the season in the United Arab Emirates circuit of Dubai (17 November).

The three Maserati GranSport Lights that will compete in the new European GT3 championship also tested on the 3,801 metre Digione circuit. Three crews were on the track: Lorenzo Casè-Cristian Passutti, Diego Alessi-Alberto Cerrai (winner of the 2005 Trofeo Vodafone Maserati Europa) and Andrea Palma-Roberto Sperati. The continental series will include five dates that run on GT Championship weekends: Silverstone (England, 7 May), Oschersleben (Germany, 2 July), Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium, 30 July), Digione (France, 3 September) and Mugello (Italy, 17 September).

The Trofeo Audemars Piguet Maserati Europa and the Maserati Trofeo Brasile complete the rich Maserati Corse sporting programme. Added to this is the development work carried out by the Maserati 'Laboratory' and the support provided to the teams that participate in the Italian GT Championship.

Over the course of the first day of testing at Digione, one characterised by low temperatures and a dry track surface, Bartels-Bertolini's Maserati MC12 ran 153 laps with a best time of 1'15"013. Davies-Biagi completed 134 laps with fastest time of 1'14"625. Among the Maserati GranSport Lights, Alessi-Cerrai were quickest (1'22"826, 96 laps in total). Next in 1'24"995 (72 laps) came Casè-Passutti and Palma-Sperati 1'26"029 (86 laps).

It rained on the morning of day two before the track dried up in the afternoon. Bartels-Bertolini stopped the clock at 1'14"615 (93 laps in all), while Davies-Biagi (33 laps) set a time of 1'20"705.
Alessi-Cerrai completed 71 laps in the GranSport Light with a top time of 1'23"624; for Casè-Passutti it was 67 laps and 1'24"989, while Palma-Sperati set a lap time of 1'23"377 (56 laps).