Habitual Speeder
Oversteer Expert
Lamborghini take first ever win
Sunday, March 25th 2007, 11:21 GMT
Lamborghini took their first ever FIA GT Championship race victory in the 2007 season-opener at Zhuhai.
Christophe Bouchut and Stefan Mucke's surprise triumph was partly a tactical one - having made early pit stops, they were able to leap to the front of the field when the leaders had to pit during a late safety car.
But once ahead, the Lamborghini had the pace to edge away from the chasing Philipp Peter/Luke Hines PSI Corvette in the final 16 laps and secure the win.
The Mike Hezemans/Jean-Denis Deletraz Corvette had led the early laps before being overhauled first by the polesitting Vitaphone Maserati of Thomas Biagi and Michael Bartels, then the older sister Corvette driven by Bert Longin and Anthony Kumpen.
The latter car then emerged at the head of the field after the first stops, and resisted the chasing Maserati until the final pit sequence turned the order inside out.
Kumpen and Longin salvaged third place, but the Phoenix/Carsport Corvette and Vitaphone crews had to settle for fifth and sixth, behind Fabio Babini and Jamie Davies in the best of the Aston Martins.
The Scuderia Playteam Maserati squad also had a shot at victory early on, despite their lead car being spun at the first corner of the race. Second string pairing Alessandro Pier Guidi and Giambattista Giannoccaro moved into the top three before retiring after running out of fuel.
The GT2 order was shuffled by a first corner accident that delayed several of the main contenders. Emmanuel Collard and Matteo Malucelli fought back through the field and appeared to have taken the class win in the Scuderia Italia Porsche, only for the car to fail scrutineering due to a ground clearance issue.
The AF Corse Ferraris therefore moved up to take a GT2 one-two, with Dirk Muller and Toni Vilander leading home teammates Gianmaria Bruni and Stephane Ortelli.
Results:
Pos Cl Drivers Make Time
1. GT1 Bouchut/Mucke Lamborghini Murcielago 2h 00:47.212
2. GT1 Peter/Hines Corvette C6R + 2.453
3. GT1 Kumpen/Longin Corvette C5R + 4.110
4. GT1 Babini/Davies Aston Martin DBR9 + 10.230
5. GT1 Hezemans/Deletraz Corvette C6R + 11.833
6. GT1 Biagi/Bartels Maserati MC12 GT1 + 13.982
7. GT1 Montanari/Ramos Maserati MC12 GT1 + 15.526
8. GT1 Kane/Cocker Aston Martin DBR9 + 1 LAP
9. GT1 Wendlinger/Sharp Aston Martin DBR9 + 1 LAP
DSQ GT2 Collard/Malucelli Porsche 997 GT3 RSR + 1 LAP
11. GT2 Muller/Vilander Ferrari 430 GT2 + 1 LAP
12. GT1 Mondini/Monfardini Aston Martin DBR9 + 1 LAP
13. GT1 Kox/Menten Lamborghini Murcielago + 2 LAPS
14. GT2 Bruni/Ortelli Ferrari 430 GT2 + 2 LAPS
15. GT2 Mullen/Enge Ferrari 430 GT2 + 2 LAPS
16. GT1 Lechner/Lichtner-Hoyer Aston Martin DBR9 + 3 LAPS
17. GT1 Macari/Aucott Maserati MC12 GT1 + 3 LAPS
18. GT2 Zani/Busnelli Porsche 997 GT3 RSR + 3 LAPS
19. GT2 Kirkaldy/Niarchos Ferrari 430 GT2 + 4 LAPS
20. GT2 Edwards/Machitski Porsche 997 GT3 RSR + 4 LAPS
Not Classified:
G2 Leinders/Kuppens Gillet Vertigo D.N.F.
GT1 Bertolini/Piccini Maserati MC12 GT1 D.N.F.
GT1 Pier Guidi/Giannoccaro Maserati MC12 GT1 D.N.F.
GT2 Basseng/Ried Porsche 996 GT3 RSR D.N.F.
Source: autosport.com - FIA GT News: Lamborghini take first ever win
Sunday, March 25th 2007, 11:21 GMT
Lamborghini took their first ever FIA GT Championship race victory in the 2007 season-opener at Zhuhai.
Christophe Bouchut and Stefan Mucke's surprise triumph was partly a tactical one - having made early pit stops, they were able to leap to the front of the field when the leaders had to pit during a late safety car.
But once ahead, the Lamborghini had the pace to edge away from the chasing Philipp Peter/Luke Hines PSI Corvette in the final 16 laps and secure the win.
The Mike Hezemans/Jean-Denis Deletraz Corvette had led the early laps before being overhauled first by the polesitting Vitaphone Maserati of Thomas Biagi and Michael Bartels, then the older sister Corvette driven by Bert Longin and Anthony Kumpen.
The latter car then emerged at the head of the field after the first stops, and resisted the chasing Maserati until the final pit sequence turned the order inside out.
Kumpen and Longin salvaged third place, but the Phoenix/Carsport Corvette and Vitaphone crews had to settle for fifth and sixth, behind Fabio Babini and Jamie Davies in the best of the Aston Martins.
The Scuderia Playteam Maserati squad also had a shot at victory early on, despite their lead car being spun at the first corner of the race. Second string pairing Alessandro Pier Guidi and Giambattista Giannoccaro moved into the top three before retiring after running out of fuel.
The GT2 order was shuffled by a first corner accident that delayed several of the main contenders. Emmanuel Collard and Matteo Malucelli fought back through the field and appeared to have taken the class win in the Scuderia Italia Porsche, only for the car to fail scrutineering due to a ground clearance issue.
The AF Corse Ferraris therefore moved up to take a GT2 one-two, with Dirk Muller and Toni Vilander leading home teammates Gianmaria Bruni and Stephane Ortelli.
Results:
Pos Cl Drivers Make Time
1. GT1 Bouchut/Mucke Lamborghini Murcielago 2h 00:47.212
2. GT1 Peter/Hines Corvette C6R + 2.453
3. GT1 Kumpen/Longin Corvette C5R + 4.110
4. GT1 Babini/Davies Aston Martin DBR9 + 10.230
5. GT1 Hezemans/Deletraz Corvette C6R + 11.833
6. GT1 Biagi/Bartels Maserati MC12 GT1 + 13.982
7. GT1 Montanari/Ramos Maserati MC12 GT1 + 15.526
8. GT1 Kane/Cocker Aston Martin DBR9 + 1 LAP
9. GT1 Wendlinger/Sharp Aston Martin DBR9 + 1 LAP
DSQ GT2 Collard/Malucelli Porsche 997 GT3 RSR + 1 LAP
11. GT2 Muller/Vilander Ferrari 430 GT2 + 1 LAP
12. GT1 Mondini/Monfardini Aston Martin DBR9 + 1 LAP
13. GT1 Kox/Menten Lamborghini Murcielago + 2 LAPS
14. GT2 Bruni/Ortelli Ferrari 430 GT2 + 2 LAPS
15. GT2 Mullen/Enge Ferrari 430 GT2 + 2 LAPS
16. GT1 Lechner/Lichtner-Hoyer Aston Martin DBR9 + 3 LAPS
17. GT1 Macari/Aucott Maserati MC12 GT1 + 3 LAPS
18. GT2 Zani/Busnelli Porsche 997 GT3 RSR + 3 LAPS
19. GT2 Kirkaldy/Niarchos Ferrari 430 GT2 + 4 LAPS
20. GT2 Edwards/Machitski Porsche 997 GT3 RSR + 4 LAPS
Not Classified:
G2 Leinders/Kuppens Gillet Vertigo D.N.F.
GT1 Bertolini/Piccini Maserati MC12 GT1 D.N.F.
GT1 Pier Guidi/Giannoccaro Maserati MC12 GT1 D.N.F.
GT2 Basseng/Ried Porsche 996 GT3 RSR D.N.F.
Source: autosport.com - FIA GT News: Lamborghini take first ever win
