09/05/2006

Back in 2003, Matteo Bobbi went into the FIA GT history books when he won his first-ever race, going on to win the title with his team-mate Thomas Biagi and the BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari 550 Maranello.  At Silverstone this year, he proceeded to win his first-ever GT2 race, also in a Ferrari, but this time a brand-new 430 GT2 model, which he shares with Brazilian Jaime Melo.  “It is the first race for this team with this new car, so we are happy with the result for Ferrari, AF Corse and Pirelli,” Matteo said. “It is a pleasure to share the car with a driver like Jaime Melo.” The duo won an exciting and suspense-full race, which saw early favourites the Scuderia Ecosse  Ferrari GT2 cars both go out, and problems delay the JMB – GruppeM Ferrari, leaving the AF Corse and Ebimotors teams to fight it out to the end.  Just laps from the end, it looked as if the nr 59 AF Corse car would be victorious, until Mika Salo headed back for the pits, due to a fuel light coming on.  He rejoined and finished third, but it turned out that he would have had enough fuel to finish the race.  Emmanuel Collard and Luca Riccitelli brought the Ebimotors Porsche home in second place, starting the season off well with a fine race.  The team’s second car also finished in the points.  “This result is a very good surprise because we were quite far away during the winter test and since the beginning of the week-end,” Collard said. “For sure we are competitive, even if it is going to be difficult for us.” Team Felbermayr-Proton got off to a good start, with a fourth place for the ‘sons’, Christian Ried and Horst Felbermayr Jr, in the nr 66 Porsche 996 GT3-RSR, while their fathers, Gerold Ried and Horst Felbermayr, took the final point for eighth. Team LNT, a regular in the British GT Championship, finished in fifth place in GT2, to give Panoz its first FIA GT points since 1998 !