FIA GT1 World Championship – Yas Marina - Championship Race 23 cars would start the Championship race with a small squadron of GT1s - #37, 38, 40 and 41 starting from pit lane (or not as it turned out in the case of the still clutch-troubled #41 Marc VDS Ford). Mutsch made the most of his pole position start (courtesy of the 10 place grid penalty meted out to the Corvettes) The Ford led the way through turn one as the remaining pack barged and jostled for position. The #8 Young Driver Aston was an early casualty - out of the race on lap one.
The #13 Phoenix Corvette though was on the move, Andreas Zuber again showing real pace, up to 4th from 11th on the grid after just the opening lap. The firmly reshuffled pack finished the lap in the order - #5-1-25-13-9-2-34-3-11-7-14-12-24-33-22-37-10. The #23 and #4 Nissans meanwhile pitted at the end of Lap One, Dumbreck's Sumo Power GT-R for attention to a puncture, Ara's SRT car into retirement. If Mutsch had any ideas of running away from the start though he was to be disappointed, Andrea Bertolini was chasing hard in the #1 Vitaphone MC12 and #13 was by now up into 3rd past the #25 Lamborghini and closing in fast too. 1.24 seconds the gap 1-3 on lap 5. Further back down the order the #14 Phoenix Corvette was making progress too, up into the top 10 courtesy of a fired up Mike Hezemans. The #14 car's progress through the middle order was continuing and others were moving up too - Margaritis and Maassen were finding their way past slower runners in the early laps. Lap 7 and the order was #5-1-13-25-2-9-34-14-11-12-3-33-7-24-22-37-10-40-23-38 The 1,2,3 battle was, by now, nose to tail, Bertolini forced to fend off the Corvette. Jager though was struggling in the #37 Munnich Lamborghini, the car pitted, smoke from the right front corner - Jager walked away - race over for #37 and 18 runners remaining. The pit window now beckoned but the lead battle was fully engaged - Bertolini took a look around the outside of the leader into Turn 8, The Ford man defended successfully though and Bertolini found himself exposed to an attack from Zuber. The Vette was up to second place. Mutsch pitted as soon as possible, Zuber inheriting the lead and pulling away from Bertolini. The Ford was followed down the pit lane by #14-34- 11-7-24-22-40 and #10. The following lap saw Bertolini give up the chase, pitting in the #1 Maserati to hand over to Michael Bartels - The #3Nissan also pitting this time around. The leader pitted next time around on lap 14, Zuber handing over to Hennerici but the danger was growing from behind, Romain Grosjean up to speed and taking the fastest lap of the race thus far - 2:07.774 - That was enough for the Ford to grab the lead, the Vette though was still ahead of the Bartels Maserati.
The #9 Hexis Aston Martin meanwhile suffered a long delay in the pits - its race effectively over from that point. The pace of both Grosjean and Hennerici was extending the gaps between the leading cars - By lap 16 #5 led #13 by 4.293s and #1 by 12.063 - the order now - #5-13-1-14-25-2-34-33-7-24-11-22-12-40-10-3-9-23-37 Grosjean's speed was a revelation - He was extending the lead at a startling rate - up to 2 seconds per lap in the opening circuits of his stint. The closest battle on track by now was for 8th place - Alex Muller putting Altfrid Heger under pressure with Christopher Haase in close attendance too in the #24 Reiter Lamborghini. It would be the Lamborghini that would profit from that situation, Haase passing both cars ahead for 8th by Lap 19. The #10 Hexis Aston continued a disappointing weekend for the French Aston team by being assessed a drive through penalty - too many team members had hands on the car at the routine stop. Grosjean though was in a class of his own, the gap extended by well over a second per lap, the lead over 11 seconds by lap 20 - just 6 laps after taking the lead!
The podium order wasn't set yet though, the charging #14 Corvette had continued to make its way up through the order - Andrea Piccini's mount sporting a gaping hole where the front right wing panel should have been. That wasn't cramping his style though, he was soon right with the #1 Maserati and battling hard for third position, the order on Lap 21 - #5-13-1-14-25-2-34-24-33-11-7-40-22-12-10-3-23-37 Two laps later and Piccini, after a couple of hefty efforts, made his way by the Maserati - 9 minutes remaining and now Grosjean, finally eased his pace just a little, but was still pulling away - the gap by now over 18 seconds! Hexis's miserable weekend was completed with the sight of the delayed #10 Aston parking off the circuit, both DBR9s from the team retired. Tomas Enge though was still battling for points in the #11 Young Driver Aston - the order #5-13-14-1-25-2-34-24-33-11-7-40-22-12-3-23. Enge was right with Heger's MC12. The Aston though seemed to have had the best of its tyres for the day and Enge was unable to press home the challenge, in fact as the laps ticked down he was under pressure from behind. Piccini was closing in fast by now on the sister #13 car, the gap tumbling but Hennerici seemed to have enough in reserve - He did - A very convincing win from the Matech Ford ahead of a satisfying comeback drive from both Phoenix Carsport Corvettes. Points too for both Vitaphone and both Triple H Maseratis, and both Reiter Lamborghinis. The final point going to the #11 Mad-Croc Corvette. Grosjean and Mutsch's victory means they sit on top of the driver standings with 31 points when the tally from both the Qualifying and Championship races are added together. Second overall is Zuber and Hennerici with 26 and the Vitaphone Maserati pair Michael Bartels and Bertolini third on 16. In the Team Championship the Phoenix Corvette team lead the way with 41 points from the Matech Ford on 31 and and Vitaphone Maserati with 24. A poor weekend though for the Nissan and Aston Martin teams - No points at all for the GT-Rs or DBR9s - We'll await any further Balance of Performance measures with interest! Thomas Mutsch, Matech Competition Ford GT #5 "I was trying a little bit at the end with my tyres as I think we were one of the only teams who started on used tyres that had already done more than over half an hour. "The team did an amazing job. They really worked so hard over the winter. All the mechanics and engineers pushed hard from the end of last season to build and develop a new car. "At the beginning Andrea (Bertolini) was behind me and I saw he was getting a little bit closer. He was not coming to overtake or starting to fight, but let’s say the last three or four laps it was very close with my tyres and especially the traction was getting worse. "I was trying to go slowly into the corners and of course keep up the speed at the exit so that he could not pass me or open a gap on the braking point." Romain Grosjean, Matech Competition Ford GT #5 "The main function of the team going out was to have a clear track with new tyres for the second stint. We kept them for the second stint and I can tell you it is much harder to lead the race in the pit garage than in the car. "Thomas did a fantastic job and knew exactly what he should do as well as the team and I think we are very happy to win the first championship race for FIA GT1. "I knew I had to push in the first two or three laps of my stint and that is what I did. Then I could do my race without any traffic or trouble or mechanical problems. It was just bringing the car back to the finish and when everything goes well it is the easiest part of the job. "I have always liked GTs. It is a very nice championship, six big brands and very good drivers. We will see at the end of the season but we started quite well and if we keep working like this with Thomas it will be a very interesting season." Andreas Zuber, Phoenix Racing/Carsport, Corvette #13 "This was my first rolling start ever, like Romain in the first race. I was fifth I think after the first lap as there were some crashes in the first corner and I was avoiding them. "After three or four laps I got a lot of oversteer. I think the Corvette is quite quick on new tyres but on old ones we were struggling a little bit. "I tried to push the Maserati and the Ford in front of me and the Maserati had better traction than me and the Ford was generally quicker than me on the straight, so it was nearly impossible to pass them." Marc Hennerici, Phoenix Racing/Carsport Corvette #13 "We had a perfect strategy that we said let’s go out with new tyres and see if we could catch Romain. In the end he could catch up but he could not pass him. If he couldn’t pass someone it wouldn’t have been good but in the end it was perfect. I had to go on the old tyres for the first race I know but it was quite okay in the end I could not push any more but second place I am so happy. Mike Hezemans, Phoenix Racing/Carsport Corvette #14 "I started last and I also came last over the line last because everybody was already at full speed and then there were just cars and I saw a gap and put the car in then I got hit from left, right and then the cars disappeared in front of me. "I was a little bit lucky. We have more tyres than engines so we had four sets to start the race with so we had no problems. The car was really good. I had a little small thing with Karl (Wendliger) in the Nissan, he opened up and I went inside and closed and then we touched a bit which put me back but finally I could pass him. "They just came in after me when the pit window was open I had new tyres so we could push and make up some track time which is what we did and Andrea did a fantastic stint." Andrea Piccini, Phoenix Racing/Carsport #14 "The team did it this weekend with the pit stop, with changing the engine and all the issues we had on the car. "I started on new tyres and could use this gap in the beginning to help so when all the guys came out of the pits I was already P4. I had a good battle with Michael (Bartells). The Maserati has always had good traction and so it was very difficult for me to get close to him but a couple of times I was able to do it. "He kept closing, quite fair I have to say. A couple of times he kept closing and defending his position but I found a gap and went in. After that I kept pushing to see if I could catch up the others but they were a bit too far away and the tyres were starting to go off. I just kept the pace and tried to get this fantastic result." Championship Race Result 1 #5 Matech Mutsch/ Grosjean Ford GT 1:01:14.892 28 laps
2 #13 Phoenix Carsport Zuber/ Hennerici Corvette C6.R +23.061
3 #14 Phoenic Carsport Hezemans/ Piccini Corvette C6.R +26.485
4 #1 Vitaphone Bertolini/ Bartels Maserati MC12 +34.075
5 #25 Reiter Zonta/ Daniel Lamborghini Murcielago 670 R-S +49.496
6 #2 Vitaphone Bernoldi/ Ramos Maserati MC12 +53.059
7 #34 Triple H Bobbi/ Longin Maserati MC12 +1:00.565
8 #24 Reiter Kox/ Haase Lamborghini Murcielago 670 R-S +1:12.694
9 #33 Triple H Margaritis/ Heger Maserati MC12 +1:24.473
10 #11 Mad Croc Maassen/ Muller Corvette C6.R +1:26.254
11 #7 Young Driver Turner/ Enge Aston Martin DBR9 +1:26.848
12 #22 Sumo Power Hughes/ Campbell-Walter Nissan GT-R +1:28.174
13 #40 Marc VDS Leinders/ Martin Ford GT 1:02:52.526 +1:37.634
14 #3 Swiss Racing Wendlinger/ Moser Nissan GT-R +1:59.534
15 #12 Mad-Croc Salo/ Kuismanen Corvette C6.R + 2:01.150
16 #23 Sumo Power Krumm/ Dumbreck Nissan GT-R 27 laps
17 #37 Munnich Jager/ Basseng Lamborghini Murcielago 670 R-S 24 laps
18 #10 Hexis Piccione/ Hirschi Aston Martin DBR9 22 laps
19 #9 Hexis Makowiecki/ Dumas Aston Martin DBR9 15 laps
20 #38 Munnich Pastorelli/ Schwager Lamborghini Murcielago 670 R-S 12 laps
21 #4 Swiss Racing Ara/ Nilsson Nissan GT-R 1 lap
0 #8 Young Driver Nygaard/ Mucke Aston Martin DBR9 0 0 0
0 #41 Marc VDS Palttala/ Kuppens Ford GT Matech 0 0 0 Championship Points and Positions after Round 1 - Drivers 1 Romain Grosjean 6 (Q) - 25 (C) - 31 Pts
1 Thomas Mutsch 6 (Q) - 25 (C) - 31 Pts
3 Andreas Zuber 8 (Q) - 18 (C) - 26 Pts
3 Marc Hennerici 8 (Q) - 18 (C) - 26 Pts
5 Andrea Bertolini 4 (Q) - 12 (C) - 16 Pts
5 Michael Bartels 4 (Q) - 12 (C) - 16 Pts
7 Andrea Piccini 15 (C) - 15 Pts
7 Mike Hezemans 15 (C) - 15 Pts
Championship Points and Positions after Round 1 - TEAMS
1 Phoenix Carsport 8 (Q) - 33 (C) - 41 Pts
2 Matech Competition 6 (Q) - 25 (C) - 31 Pts
3 Vitaphone Racing Team 4 (Q) - 20 (C) - 24 Pts
4 Reiter Engineering 14 (C) - 14 Pts
5 Triple H Team Hegersport 8 (C) - 8 Pts
6 Mad-Croc Racing - 1 (C) - 1 Pt
Q - Qualifying race points
C - Championship race points
| 
