Biagi sorry Bartels can't share title

Biagi clinched the championship solo because Bartels had to miss two early-season races following kidney surgery. The German was classified tenth in the standings, while Biagi celebrated a second crown to add his 2003 title with Matteo Bobbi.

"It's a shame that Michael Bartels does not have the same points that I have," Biagi said. "I am embarrassed about that, because he put in a high level.

"For me it was very high emotion to see how much he was involved in this championship. The fact he's not here is a shame.

"Through all the season, talking about the championship in the team made me embarrassed, because we are together in the car but not together in the points. It's something difficult."

Despite his disappointment for Bartels, Biagi said he was extremely satisfied to emerge on top of the nine-driver fight for the championship at Zolder last weekend.

"For sure that one was the hardest race of my life and my career, because I've never arrived at the end of a championship fighting for it so close," said the Vitaphone Maserati driver.

"In 2005, after winning it in 2003, we were close mathematically but not like here. So for me it's a dream to be here.

"It means a lot because it's the second in four championships - that means I won 50 percent of the championships that I did.

"If someone can complain about the fact that in 2003 we had a much faster car and not many very, very strong competitors, this year nobody can say anything because I changed (co-drivers) four times - (Mika) Salo, (Fabrizio) Gollin, Bartels again - during ten races, which is not easy for your mind and feeling, and at the end I won the championship."