Car : Maserati MC12 n. 35, chassis n. 03/15440
Drivers: Fabio Babini, Faenza; Andrea Bertolini, Modena; Fabrizio de Simone, Rome (all Italy)
Qualifying position: sixth, GT1 (1:17.501)
Weather: air 25 C / 77 F, track 32 C / 89 F, sunny, clear
Circuit length: 2.54 miles


The No. 35 Maserati MC12 will start sixth on the GT1 grid for the Petit Le Mans, the penultimate race in the 2005 American Le Mans Series. Maserati factory driver Andrea Bertolini qualified with a fast lap of one minute 17.501 seconds on the 2.54-mile Road Atlanta road course. He will alternate driving stints with Fabio Babini and Fabrizio de Simone in Saturday's 10-hour or 1000-mile race.



After posting the third-fastest time during Friday morning practice, the team had hoped for a higher qualifying position. But the priority was to find a consistent setup for the long endurance race, and both drivers and crew were satisfied with the team's progress.

Maserati competes with an MC12 in compliance with the rules of IMSA and matches FIA GT Championship GT1 specifications. The team will not score points in the American Le Mans Series championship.

Claudio Berro, General Manager Maserati Corse: "The qualifying was not what we expected after the free practice, but in any case, for a long-distance race, it is not the qualifying position, but the consistency of the car that is important. We are very confident for the race."

Andrea Bertolini: "It was not too bad. I'm happy for the consistency of our car. It's not the best qualifying, but that doesn't matter in a 10-hour race. In the race, the consistency is important. For us, it is very important to finish in a good position at Road Atlanta. It is a very hard race for the car, but I am confident and I hope for a good race."

The participation of Maserati in the ALMS has been made possible thanks to the fundamental cooperation of important partners, including Pirelli and team Risi Competizione, that support Maserati logistically. The MC12 is using Pirelli Racing P Zero tires, developed in 2004 and currently used on an exclusive basis in the FIA GT Championship. The successful cooperation between Maserati and Pirelli continues in the ALMS.