24
September
2007
|
10:00
Europe/Amsterdam

Brno positive for Pirelli: a podium, Bertolini and Piccini lead the championship

Another combative race for the Italian number 11 Maserati crew puts them into the lead of the GT1 Championship. In GT2, an excellent race from the Edil Cris Ferrari 430 GTC gives Ruberti and Mediani third in the race, in front of the similar Scuderia Ecosse car of Mullen and Turner.

Brno (CZ), 23 September 2007- Pirelli has taken away a positive result from one of the most challenging rounds of the entire FIA GT Championship, with third and fourth places in GT2 as well as fourth and fifth places in GT1. More significantly though, Maserati drivers Bertolini and Piccini have taken the lead of the all-important drivers' championship with a total of 47 points. The crew of the number 11 Maserati, running on PZero Racing tyres, put in a superlative performance with just two races left to run in this year's championship. The next race takes place in just a week's time at the French circuit of Nogaro.

On a circuit that has never particularly favoured the Italian rubber, Bertolini and Piccini's result was made all the more remarkable by the fact that their car was carrying 80 kilograms of ballast: a handicap accentuated by the twisty nature of the Czech track. Their team mates Giannocaro and Pier Giudi finished just behind them, underlining the strong performance of the PZero Racing tyres used on the Playteam Sarafree Maserati MC12.

Andrea Bertolini, who put in his usual excellent performance even in difficult conditions like those at Brno praised: "the usual consistency of the Pirelli tyres we had at our disposal for the race. The most crucial thing is though that our fourth place here has allowed us to take the lead of the championship. The next race is only in a week ? and at Brno we will lose 20 kilograms of ballast. This is bound to make life a little easier for me and Piccini?"

In GT2 Paolo Ruberti drove brilliantly ? together with Maurizio Mediani ? in the Edil Cris Ferrari 430 GTC- Pirelli, which battled for second throughout the race. The duo only lost out to another Ferrari, driven by Ortelli and Bruni, in the closing stages. Ruberti and Mediani finished just ahead of another PZero Racing -equipped Ferrari 430 GTC: the Scuderia Ecosse car of Mullen and Turner, which had been second-fastest in qualifying.