Ramos and Montanari win at Brno
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Sunday, September 23rd 2007, 15:38 GMT |
Vitaphone Maserati's Christian Montanari and Miguel Ramos scored their first FIA GT race win at Brno.
Ramos passed Ryan Sharp in the JetAlliance Aston Martin at half-distance and pulled away to take victory by 17.555 seconds.
Sharp's teammate Karl Wendlinger had muscled through to lead on the first lap, but was soon under pressure from pole-sitter Michael Bartels in the lead Vitaphone MC12.
Bartels dropped out of contention when he tangled with third-placed Mike Hezemans on lap 16, sending both into the gravel.
That allowed Wendlinger to make a break, but his co-driver Sharp was reeled in by the Vitaphone car after the first pit stops and once ahead Ramos proved uncatchable.
The battle for third provided the main interest in the closing stages. Peter Kox looked set to complete the podium only to have to pit with four laps to go when his Lamborghini lost its left front tyre.
That put Andrea Bertolini and Andrea Piccini's Playteam Maserati into third - a result that would have moved them past Bartels' co-driver Thomas Biagi and into the championship lead.
But on the last lap of the race PK Carsport Corvette driver Anthony Kumpen overtook Bertolini for third, and with Bartels and Biagi getting back up to seventh after their early delay, the points lead is now shared between Piccini, Bertolini and Biagi with two rounds remaining.
Montanari and Ramos' victory also brought them firmly in title contention, just three points from the lead, and one point clear of Wendlinger and Sharp.
AF Corse clinched the GT2 teams' title and earned Ferrari the constructors' crown as Dirk Muller and Toni Vilander led teammates Gianmaria Bruni and Stephane Ortelli in another class one-two. Pos Drivers Car Time
1. Montanari/Ramos Maserati MC12 GT1 2h00:07.643
2. Wendlinger/Sharp Aston Martin DBR9 + 17.555
3. Kumpen/Longin Corvette C5R + 54.462
4. Bertolini/Piccini Maserati MC12 GT1 + 55.470
5. Pier Guidi/Giannoccaro Maserati MC12 GT1 + 55.814
6. Mucke/Bouchut Lamborghini Murcielago + 56.913
7. Bartels/Biagi Maserati MC12 GT1 + 1:11.882
8. Kox/Menten Lamborghini Murcielago + 1:12.694
9. Hezemans/Deletraz Corvette C6R + 1:38.587
10. Lichtner-Hoyer/Lechner Aston Martin DBR9 + 1:58.165
11. Davies/Babini Aston Martin DBR9 + 1 lap
12. Ferte/Aucott Maserati MC12 GT1 + 2 laps
13. Muller/Vilander Ferrari 430 GT2 + 2 laps
14. Bruni/Ortelli Ferrari 430 GT2 + 2 laps
15. Toccacelo/Monfardini Aston Martin DBR9 + 2 laps
16. Ruberti/Mediani Ferrari 430 GT2 + 2 laps
17. Mullen/Turner Ferrari 430 GT2 + 2 laps
18. Aguas/Gattuso Ferrari 430 GT2 + 2 laps
19. Malucelli/Collard Porsche 997 GT3 RSR + 3 laps
20. Zani/Pompidou Porsche 997 GT3 RSR + 3 laps
21. Konopka/Hornak Saleen S7R + 3 laps
22. Cressoni/Linossi Ferrari 430 GT2 + 3 laps
23. Kutemann/Gosse Maserati MC12 GT1 + 3 laps
24. Cloet/Casadei Corvette C5R + 3 laps
25. Kirkaldy/Niarchos Ferrari 430 GT2 + 3 laps
26. Leinders/Kuppens Gillet Vertigo + 4 laps
27. Enge/Kofler Saleen S7R + 6 laps
28. Peham/Ortlieb Porsche 997 Cup + 8 laps
29. Dragoun/Mair Porsche 997 Cup + 9 laps
30. MacHitski/Edwards Porsche 997 GT3 RSR + 11 laps
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