Maserati Corse lines up for the FIA GT Championship - Today the first free practice session

Today (Friday May 5th), at the English circuit of Silverstone, finished the first free practice session of the 2006 FIA GT Championship opening round. Maserati Corse is on the starting grid with two MC12 with the Vitaphone Racing Team colours and with the crews formed by Michael Bartels-Andrea Bertolini e Jamie Davies-Thomas Biagi. At the end of the free practice, the MC12 of Jamie Davies and Thomas Biagi signed the second best time in 1'46"182; seventh overall for Michael Bartels and Andrea Bertolini (1'47"102).
Tomorrow (Saturday 6th May) will be the second free practice session (from 9 to 10.30 local time) and the qualifying (15.30-15.50 local time).

Maserati Corse is preparing for the upcoming 2006 sporting season after an extraordinary 2005 that saw the "Tridente" take the FIA GT Constructors' Title and the FIA GT Team Title with Vitaphone. The Modenese company will be making a track return on two fronts; there are new challenges facing the all-conquering Maserati MC12, in fight with Gran Touring cars like Aston Martin, Corvette, Lamborghini, Saleen. The winning team, cars and drivers package signed by Maserati is completed by the Pirelli tyres. A new two-year contract was recently signed that seals the collaboration with Pirelli.


In the 2005 FIA GT championship, the German driver, Bartels (even then a Team Vitaphone man), shared the cockpit with Van de Poele and Scheider in steering the Maserati MC12 to victory in the mythical 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. They were also winners at Istanbul (Turkey) and runners-up at Monza (Italy), Magny-Cours (France), Brno (Czech Republic) and Dubai (United Arab Emirates). These run of fine results saw them finish second overall in the FIA GT's Drivers' classification.
Andrea Bertolini, Maserati Corse's official test driver, also made the podium for Maserati in the 2005 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps with the second spot he took along with Wendlinger and Peter. He also won at Magny-Cours and claimed a place on the podium at Brno, Oschersleben and Istanbul.
Englishman Davies drove the Maserati MC12 to another top three finish in Bahrain. He was paired on the occasion with Peter.
With his sixth place in the 2005 FIA GT Drivers' championship, Biagi was once more engaged by the Vitaphone Racing Team to drive the Maserati MC12. The Italian secured one win at Oschersleben (Germany) and climbed onto the podium five times: Monza, Magny-Cours, Silverstone, Imola and Istanbul.

The FIA GT championship calendar features ten races. After Silverstone, the circus moves on to Czech Republic at Brno (28 May), Germany at Oschersleben (2 July), the Belgian Spa-Francorchamps circuit (30 July), France with Paul Ricard (20 August) and Digione (3 September), Italy at Mugello (17 September), Romania at the city circuit of Bucharest (1 October), back to Italy and Adria (15 October) before finishing up in the United Arab Emirates and at Dubai (17 November).

The Silverstone programme
Circuit length:5.141 m.

Friday 5 May
15.40-17.10 free practice 1

Saturday 6 May
09.00-10.30 free practice 2
15.30-15.50 qualifying

Sunday 7 May
08.10-08.25 warm up 13.30-16.30 race

FIA GT Championship on TV
Will be possible see live on TV the FIA GT race on Sunday 7 May at 13.15 on Player, Sky Italia, AB Moteurs, Nuvolari, Sport1, Al Jazeera Sport.