FIA GT Championship

FIA GT Zolder – Race Report – Hour 1

Under a cloudy sky the final FIA GT Championship race of the 2009 season got underway at Zolder this afternoon with the Maserati MC12 of Alex Pier Guidi and the Corvette C6.R of Enrique Bernoldi diving into turn 1 side by side. Unlike last year all cars made it through turn 1 in one piece.

SRT’s Bert Longin made his team’s first pit stop after just 2 laps, handing the Corvette over to James Ruffier.

Eight laps into the race with Pier Guidi eight seconds ahead of the rest of the field Bertolini passed Bernoldi on the straight, but coming down from the Sacramentsheuvel the Brazilian regained his position. Hezemans, Maassen and Müller were right on their tail.

Fifteen minutes into the race Bruni was leading GT2, with Westbrook and Bergmeister within a couple of tenths behind the leading Ferrari.

Mike Hezemans was the next driver to make his pit stop after 11 laps. Kumpen rejoined the track some 2-3 seconds ahead of the SRT Corvette. Alex Müller lost control of his Maserati in a battle with Xavier Maassen, but quickly rejoined.

20 minutes into the race Richard Westbrook made his move on Gianmaria Bruni at the Villeneuve chicane and took the lead in the GT2 class. Bergmeister followed Westbrook’s example one lap later and also passed Italian.

Towards the front Bernoldi and Maassen fought each other for second place. The two Corvettes were side by side on more than one occasion until there was contact on the 19th lap and the Brazilian spun at the Villeneuve chicane. Maassen moved into second place, 27 seconds behind the #33 Maserati MC12, but he was soon given a drive through penalty. Bernoldi quickly rejoined, but immediately had the Maserati of Müller in his mirrors.

30 minutes into the race Pier Guidi was leading. The Luc Alphand Aventures Corvette, which still had to serve its penalty, was in second while Bernoldi and Müller were third and fourth. In GT2 Westbrook was just over a second ahead of Bergmeister and almost five ahead of Bruni.

After 24 laps Xavier Maassen came in for his drive through penalty, followed by Bernoldi who came in for Team Sangari Brazil’s first pit stop. GT2 Championship leader Bruni also came in for AF Corse’s first stop and after handing over the wheel to Toni Vilander the #50 went back out.

Vilander moved back ahead of the #59 Porsche of Chris Mamerow at the final chicane, gaining an important position for the championship. Anthony Kumpen was still close behind the #1 Maserati, the gap only a handful of seconds.
The Trackspeed Porsche of Sascha Maassen who blocked the Maserati at the Villeneuve chicane then helped Kumpen. Side by side the #1 and #4 screamed down the finish straight, but Kumpen was unable to pass Bartels into turn 1. The battle went on all the way to the end of the first hour.

Meanwhile the battle for fourth in GT2 heated up and Mullen, Perez Companc, Mamerow and Bell were all trying to find a place to pass each other. At the back of the track Mullen and Perez Companc briefly touched. The #95 Ferrari nearly went wide on the corner, came back, hit the CRS Ferrari and spun off the track hitting the concrete barrier backwards. The damaged Ferrari came back into the pit where it was pushed.

After making its first pit stop the #33 Maserati came back out on the track just in front of the fighting #1 Maserati and the #4 Corvette. Out of the chicane the #33 suddenly slowed and Bartels and Kumpen passed. At the end of the lap (and the end of the first hour) Kumpen came in for PK’s second stop of the day. With 1 hour remaining it was Hezemans back out, just when Bartels came in.