10 October 2011
[Maserati Corse]SUPERSTARS CHAMPIONS 2011: Bertolini (Maserati), Cerqui (BMW), Cirò-Ardagna Perez (Ferrari)
Andrea Bertolini (Maserati), Alberto Cerqui (BMW) and the duo of Giuseppe Cirò and Gaetano Ardagna Perez (Ferrari 430): at the end of an year-long battle, the final round of 2011 for SUPERSTARS crowned this season's champions in front of 28.000 people. In a true grand finale, Vallelunga provided a picture-perfect frame for the best SUPERSTARS action. At his first season in the V8-based saloon championship, Bertolini (Swiss Team) scored a sensational double win on race 1 and 2 to capture the INTERNATIONAL SERIES title, while young sensation Alberto Cerqui cruised to take the ITALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP's honours for Team BMW Italia. The INTERNATIONAL GTSPRINT SERIES title went to AF Corse guys Cirò and Venezuelan Ardagna Perez, with the Italian winning on Race 1 and his team-mate scoring second place in the afternoon.
In the SUPERSTARS SERIES, the Maserati Quattroporte of Bertolini dominated the day. With his shoulders covered by team-mate Alessandro Pier Guidi, who fended off the attacks of whom he had behind, Bertolini led from start to finish for an all-Swiss Team 1-2. As he closed in to title, Bertolini topped Pier Guidi and Cerqui, while arch-rival Ferrara faced mechanical troubles with his CAAL Racing-prepared Mercedes C63 AMG. On Race 2, Bertolini had to deal with a last-gasp attack by Gianni Morbidelli, who was finally back amid the leading pack on the Audi RS4 fielded by Audi Sport Italia. After having moved past Johnny Herbert, Morbidelli chased the leader but fell just short while, in third, Pier Guidi enjoyed another podium finish. Ferrara hit troubles again and had to content with the runner-up spot in standings, followed by Cerqui. In the ITALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP, the 19-year-old revelation, who entered the round on top, completed the job on Race Day while Max Pigoli took second.
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07 August 2011
[Maserati Corse]At Spa-Francorchamps Andrea Bertolini (Maserati) wins Race 1, Luigi Ferrara and Johnny Herbert completed the podium
Andrea Bertolini scored pole position and today Race 1 of the INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTARS SERIES at Spa-Francorchamps. The Swiss Team ace faced Johnny Herbert, who on Mercedes C63 AMG, had taken the lead until few laps from the end in which, for a shutdown of the car, he's relegated to third place. Luigi Ferrara finished in second place while Michela Cerruti took an excellent fourth position, followed by teammate Max Pigoli. Sixth place for the BMW champion Thomas Biagi.
07 May 2011
[Maserati Corse]Bertolini tops Mercedes, Chevrolet to hand Maserati maiden SUPERSTARS pole
An exciting battle for pole went underway in qualifying for the second round of the SUPERSTARS INTERNATIONAL SERIES at Valencia. An heavy rainfall, followed by a sunny break made everyone hold their breath in the closing stages of today's runs.
The lead kept swinging between several drivers through the 30-minute session, as the Audi RS4 of Ermanno Dionisio, the BMW of Stefano Gabellini, and the Chevrolet Lumina of Fabrizio Armetta battled to the top spot. In the end it was Maserati to hit the top of the charts with Andrea Bertolini, as the Quattroporte fielded by Swiss Team for the four-time World FIA GT Champion confirmed the huge potential showed at Monza.
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19 September 2010
[Maserati Corse]Bartels/Bertolini: a Maserati Triumphs in Algarve
Algarve (P), 19 September 2010 - It was a splendid victory, that of Vitaphone Racing Team's Maserati MC12 no. 1 driven by Bartels/Bertolini, in the seventh round of the FIA GT1 World Championship in the Algarve, Portugal, circuit. After the second place won yesterday in the Qualifying Race, today the Italian/German duo won the Championship Race thanks to a perfect racing strategy and the outstanding work of the entire team. Bertolini started off from first row in the grid and was able to maintain his second position in close contact with Dumbreck/Krumm's Nissan GT-R no. 23, building the foundation for a splendid Vitaphone Racing Team pit stop. The masterful work performed at the pit enabled Maserati MC 12 no. 1 to reach top position. Bartels, with a new set of tires, was able to cruise along, keeping in check the recovery attempts of Mutsch/Westbrook's Ford GT Matech no. 5 until the end. Thanks to this victorious weekend in Algarve, Bartels/Bertolini widen the gap between them and their closest follower in the drivers' classification, Thomas Mutsch's Ford GT Matech, now left 27 points behind. Three races from the end, the competition is still keen and furious. The next round in Navarra will be a new circuit for everyone.
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18 September 2010
[Maserati Corse]Bartels/Bertolini Second in the Algarve Qualifying Race
18/09/2010 - Algarve
Algarve (P), 18 September 2010 – Bartels/Bertolini’s Maserati MC12 no.1 ended today’s Qualifying Race in second place during the seventh round of the FIA GT1 World Championship held in Algarve, Portugal. The Vitaphone Racing Team pair made an excellent show of top-notch driving, starting off from second row after Martin/Leinders’s Ford GT no. 40 was sent back to the last grid position. They (Bartels/Bertolini) concluded the race just behind the Dumbreck/Krumm duo in Sumo Power GT’s Nissan GT-R no.23. In the initial agitated stages Bartels was able to advance to third position, enabling Bertolini, after the pit stop, to fight until the end for the lead in the race. In the last few laps and thanks to less-worn tires, the Italian driving the Maserati was able to overtake Phoenix Racing Team/Carsport’s Corvette Z06 no. 13 driven by Hennerici/Margaritis after an intense head-to-head. With today’s second place, Bartels/Bertolini earn another 6 crucial points toward the drivers’ classification, moving further from their followers and gaining first row for tomorrow’s Championship Race. It turned out to be an unfortunate race for the Vitaphone Racing Team’s second Maserati MC12, driven by Bernoldi/Ramos. After a difficult start-off, the Trident’s car no. 2 was involved in collisions that made it slide to thirteenth position
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02 August 2010
[Maserati Corse]Mueller/Heger's Maserati Second at SPA
Spa-Francorchamps (B), 31 July 2010 - After an exciting recovery, Triple H Team Hegersport's Maserati MC12 no. 33 nabbed second place at the Spa Championship Race, just behind Zonta/Kechele's Lamborghini no. 25. After yesterday's recovery in the Qualifying Race, Mueller/Heger, the duo of German drivers - who started off from twelfth place - attained a final second place today, taking full advantage of the car's great reliability and an excellent pit stop. This'll be Altfrid Heger's second consecutive podium position after his third place in Paul Ricard.
Vitaphone Racing Team's two Maserati MC12s also performed well. The Bernoldi/Ramos duo, who started off from eleventh place, was able to recover up to fourth place, behind Westbrook/Mutsch in Ford GT Matech no. 5.
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28 July 2010
[Maserati Corse]Maserati MC12 at Spa for the Fifth Round of the FIA GT1 World
No. 1 - Bartels/Bertolini, Vitaphone Racing Team - (+ 40kg - success ballast) No. 2 - Bernoldi/Ramos, Vitaphone Racing Team No. 33 - Heger/Mueller, Triple H Team Hegersport (+ 20 kg - success ballast) No. 34 - Verdonck/Longin, Triple H Team Hegersport Modena (I) , 28 July 2010 - This will be the fifth round for the FIA GT1 World this weekend at the legendary Belgian Spa Francorchamps racetrack. This year the racing format consists of two one-hour races (Qualifying and Championship) and the 24-Hour race reserved solely for GT2, GT3, GT4 and GTN. Vitaphone Racing Team's Maserati MC12 No. 1, driven by Michaels Bartels and Andrea Bertolini, will resume from the victorious Paul Ricard weekend, thanks to which its drivers are now at the top of the drivers' standings, in front of the Grosjean/Mutsch duo from Matech Competition, left behind by 15 laps. The German team can also boast the leadership in the team category, preceding Sumo Power GT and Matech Competition.
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05 July 2010
[Maserati Corse]Maserati in the Lead in France
Le Castellet (F), 4 July 2010 -Maserati dominated the FIA GT1 World Championship and the GT4 European Cup races at the Paul Ricard circuit in France. As on the day before, the first to go under the checkered flag in the fourth round of the GT1 World Championship were Andrea Bertolini and Michael Bartels. With Vitaphone Racing Team's Maserati MC12 no. 1, they got it all: a pole position, a victory in Saturday's Qualifying Race, a victory in Sunday's Championship Race and first place in the Drivers' classification. There was also great satisfaction on the part of Triple H Team Hegersport for the result obtained by Heger/Margaritis at the wheel of Maserati MC12 no. 33. After an eighth place at the starting line, the duo obtained the third step on the podium. Bobbi/Longin's no. 34 reached eleventh place.
Vitaphone Racing Team's no. 2, driven by Bernoldi/Ramos, was unfortunate. It was forced to leave the race after contact with Piccini's Corvette no. 13 while the Brazilian was defending a second position.
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23 May 2010
[Maserati Corse]FIA GT - Maserati Fifth and Sixth in Brno
Vitaphone Racing Team’s Maserati MC12 no. 1, driven by Bartels/Bertolini, ended the Championship Race in Brno in fourth place, beating out by one position the Team’s second Maserati, driven by Bernoldi/Ramos.
The race was incredible, full of sensational developments, especially at the beginning. After the entrance of the safety car at the second lap, Maserati MC12 no. 1 was stopped by race authorities due a stop-and-go caused by a speed violation at the start of the race. At the eighth lap, contact between Marc VDS Racing Team’s car no. 40 and Triple H Team Hegersport’s Maserati MC12 no. 33 driven by Heger/Margaritis resulted in a second appearance of the safety car in addition to forcing no. 33 to leave the track.
After pit stops, Bartels/Bertolini’s Maserati MC12 performed an excellent recovery that took it from fourteenth place to the final fifth place, eight tenths from the podium and only 1 second and 759 thousandths from first place, obtained instead by Matech Competition’s Grosjean/Mutsch, who have thus regained their leadership in the standings, just beyond the Trident duo. This last is a recovery slowed only by All-Inkl.com Munnich Motorsport’s Lamborghini, who kept the two Vitaphone Racing Team cars at its back for long spans of time.
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18 April 2010
[Maserati Corse]Maserati Fourth at the Yas Marina Track
17/04/2010 - Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi, 17 April 2010 - Bartels/Bertolini obtained fourth place with Vitaphone Racing Team's Maserati MC12 at the conclusion of the first round of the new FIA GT1 World Championship, held in Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi. The reigning champions had been fighting for the podium until the pit stop of the "Championship Race", but then as the race proceeded it was evident how much the Maserati is penalized by the new rules with respect to its rivals.
All the Modenese cars improved their standing today: Vitaphone Racing Team other car, driven by the Bernoldi/Ramos pair, finished sixth but had started out from the back of the starting line due to contact during the Qualifying Race, which forced them to return to and remain in the pit.
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