Disqualification Gives Pirelli Victory in Bahrain

Disqualification Gives Pirelli Victory in Bahrain

In the final FIA GT Championship event, held at Sakhir, Bahrain, in late November, the Ferrari 550 Maranello driven by Gabriele Gardel has been excluded from the final results because the vehicle did not contain the required minimum of three litres of fuel in its tank at the end of the race.

The disqualification (which is being appealed) cancels the points earned by Gardel, so that the FIA GT Drivers’ Championship goes to Michael Bartels and Timo Scheider in the Pirelli P Zero Racing-shod Maserati MC12 of the Vitaphone Racing Team.

Officials examined the cars that finished the race and, after more than five hours, they excluded the Team Larbre Ferrari, thereby adding the Drivers’ title to the Constructors’ crown (Maserati and Pirelli) and the team championship, won with Vitaphone Racing.

Paul Hembery, director of Pirelli Competizioni, congratulated the German drivers, saying, “Even though won through disqualification, this Drivers’ championship rewards Maserati’s great technical effort and, obviously, that of Pirelli, throughout the entire gruelling season, which has seen our tyres win on the track eight times in 11 races in the face of serious competition.

“This victory is a testimony to the effectiveness of our cars. It also underlines the fact that we have five crews on P Zero Racing in the first six places in the Sakhir race and they drove four different cars – Maserati, Corvette, Ferrari and Saleen – which should not be underestimated.”

Michael Bartels was extremely pleased with the result. He said: “I would obviously have preferred to win on the track, but the officials’ decision did nothing other than give us a result which we earned fully on the circuit.

“While we wait for the outcome of Team Larbre’s protest, we are optimistic because of the sporting spirit shown by the FIA officials. We justly celebrate winning this important title for Pirelli as much as for Maserati and Vitaphone.”

Race results, Sakhir FIA-GT, 2005 (Teams on Pirelli tyres in Bold):

1. Bouchut-Garcia (Aston Martin DBR9), 90 laps in 3h01’36″661
2. Peter-Davies (Maserati MC12), +26″209
3. Longin-Kumpen-Hezemans (Corvette C5R), +1’33″423
4. Scheider-Bartels (Maserati MC12), +1 lap
5. Cioci-Montermini (Ferrari 575 GTC), +1 lap
6. Lechner-Ruberti (Saleen S7-R), +2 laps