Race
No. 9 M.Bartels/T.Scheider (Vitaphone Racing Team) 3rd 1.19.589 down chassis n.02/15439
No. 10 F.Babini/T.Biagi (Vitaphone Racing Team) 4th 1.23.356 down chassis n.07/15443
No. 15 A.Bertolini/K.Wendlinger (JMB Racing) 6th 1 lap down chassis n. 08/15444
No. 16 C. Pillon/M. Zani/L. Pirri Ardizzone (JMB Racing) retired chassis n. 04/15441
Weather: sunny, dry
Circuit: 4.300 m


At the end of a gripping, tough race, Maserati took the team championship to add to the Manufacturers’ Cup.
The Vitaphone Racing Team has a good lead and is only five points off making mathematically certain of the title with two races left. JMB Racing is next in the overall standings and so it will surely be a Trident team that claims the title.
On the Chinese Zhuhai track where they scored a one-two last year, the MC12s managed to secure a fine result in making the podium despite carrying an extra 40kg of weight. This meant that the number 10 and 15 cars raced with 150kg of ballast. The number 9 car lined up with ten less. This was the car that took third with Michael Bartels/Timo Scheider on board. They edged out the twin car driven by Fabio Babini and Thomas Biagi.
Andrea Bertolini and Karl Wendlinger came home sixth. They lost a place after a final refuelling stop in the closing stages. They still lead the Drivers' standings and are four points clear of Bartels/Scheider. Fourth on 59 are Babini/Biagi with Gabriele Gardel on 60 points, at the wheel of a Larbre Competition 550 just ahead of them. Two races from the end the championship is still wide open. It is obvious that the ballast helped Gardel's cause. He halved the gap that separated him from the Maserati drivers before the trip to China. The outcome of the race was uncertain right to the end with fast Corvettes and 550s hounded by the 575 and the weighed down MC12s.
After three laps Bouchut's pole placed Aston Martin left the scene after running across some oil left on the track. Lamy's 550 and a Porsche GT2 also succumbed at the same spot. The intervention of the safety car allowed the three to return to the track. Bouchut still had to pull up shortly afterwards. Lamy, on the other hand, mounted a comeback that saw him on the tail of the leading cars after around twenty laps. The race order up front often changed as the strategy of the teams played out. Even team Vitaphone led for a spell.
Going for victory would have been impossible but the two MC12s from the German team based their race on a three stop strategy. They switched tyres just once in order to save time. The elevated consumption of fuel caused by the added weight ruled out making just two stops. The plan paid off, thanks to the fine performing Pirelli tyres that coped with two successive stints with extra weight. Bertolini/Wendlinger settled on another strategy but the entry of the safety car ruined their plan. They twice changed tyres and had to stop for a five minute fuel stop at the end, meaning that they missed out on fifth. The other JMB Racing MC12 had to retire with transmission problems.
Michael Bartels: "We are very pleased with the result, top spot overall in the Teams’ Championship and for having closed the gap in the Drivers'. The three stop plan with a double stint for the Pirelli tyres proved a winning one as they held up very well. The car was perfect and not even the brakes caused us problems. We led for a while and did the best we could".

Thomas Biagi: " With 150kg of ballast we tried to have a well balanced car. We had no choice but to make three stops and so did a double stint with the tyres. We are pleased at first spot in the team standings. In taking fourth we have now lost some weight. At Dubai we should by even more competitive".

Andrea Bertolini: "Karl and I held first in the Drivers' championship and will do until the very end even though the going wil be tough. We have always been consistent and done our best. Our third stop for refuelling meant we lost a place but we will hope to do better in Dubai".

In the FIA GT the MC12s use Pirelli Racing P Zero tyres as in the North American ALMS series. This collaboration is further confirmation of the successful relationship between Maserati and Pirelli on the track. This has been confirmed by the results obtained in the Italian GT and the Trofeo Vodafone Maserati Europa.