FIA GT Championship

First win of 2009 for AF Corse

© DPPI

Victorious in Oschersleben in 2007 and 2008, AF Corse made it three in a row, the Italian team claiming its first win of the season for reigning Champions Toni Vilander and Gianmaria Bruni. Bruni, second on the grid, made a good start to take the lead. Ragginger, in the Brixia Porsche, took advantage of traffic to regain the lead, but the AF Corse Ferrari maintained position and really came to the fore once the rain started.

With ‘rainman’ Toni Vilander behind the wheel, the nr 50 Ferrari was in command, Bruni taking over again at the end and bringing the car across the line with a 16-second lead over the nearest Porsche. This was the nr 61 Prospeed Competition car of Marco Holzer and Sean Edwards, the youngest driver pair on the grid. They put in a strong race to finish second despite an extra pit stop. ”I am really happy to win,” Toni Vilander commented. I feel bad for car nr 60, but it was good for us. That’s racing. The Championship is completely open again, with two points separating us, so from Spa on it will be flat out, and we’ll have to see who is the next to make a mistake.”