Maserati won its first international endurance race since 1957 at the weekend (30th-31st July 2005) when it finished the legendary Spa 24 Hour race 1-2 with the Maserati MC12 of Michael Bartels, Timo Scheider and Eric Van de Poele dominating the race and the Maserati MC12 of Andrea Bertolini, Karl Wendlinger and Philippe Peter crossing the line in second place.

"It is not easy finding the words to express what I feel," said an emotional Michael Bartels at the finish. "For me it is a dream come true. It was a tough race but the whole team was fantastic. I have to thank my driving partners who drove when the weather was really bad. Now we will aim to win a normal three hour race, maybe the next one in Germany at Oschersleben."

Held in the abysmal weather that the Spa track, set in the hills of the southern Belgium, is renowned, it was also the first outing for the Maserati MC12 in an endurance race.

"It was an exciting race from beginning to end and, in fact, I had to avoid another car that spun on the very last lap in the driving rain," commented Timo Scheider. "With this result, I can confirm that our next aim is to take the next three hour in the FIA GT championship calendar, at Oschersleben at the end of August."

The result also lifts Maserati into the lead in the FIA GT Manufacturers' Championship, while Ferrari driver, Gabriele Gardel maintained his lead in the Drivers' Championship.

The last time a Maserati won an International Endurance race was in 1957 when the 450S took the Sebring 12 Hour with Fangio and Behra at the wheel.

The Vitaphone Racing Team's number 9 MC12, with Michael Bartels, Timo Scheider and the Belgian Eric Van de Poele in the driving seat, dominated the Ardennes race and sixth round of the FIA GT championship. Behind them came Andrea Bertolini, Karl Wendlinger and Philippe Peter in the number 15 JMB Racing MC12.

The two MC12s thus finished in the top two places and were also quickest in qualifying. Fabio Babini, Thomas Biagi and Jamie Davies were unlucky in their number 10 car. They were forced to retire with a transmission problem halfway through the race when holding a podium place.

The two MC12s crossed the line ahead of the Ferrari 550 driven by Gardel, Bouchut, Mollekens and Vosse, and the Corvette C5R with Hezemans, Kumpen, Longin, Bleekmolen in the driving seat. The crew of the JMB Racing number 16 Maserati MC12 decided to pull out six hours into the race but the car was in perfect mechanical order. Gianni Giudici/Diego Romanini/Raffaele Raimondi can be proud of the 25th place overall and the 8th in their class secured in the Maserati Trofeo Light. The car is closely derived from the standard road-going model and took on the 24 Hour without any problems.

Results: 2005 Spa 24 Hour race

1. Bartels/Scheider/Van de Poele Vitaphone Maserati MC12 GT1 576 laps GT1
2. Bertolini/Wendlinger/Peter JMB Maserati MC12 GT1 +2 laps GT1
3. Gardel/Bouchut/Mollekens/Vosse Larbre Ferrari 550 Maranello +9 laps GT1
4. Longin/Kumpen/Hezemans/Bleekemolen GLPK Carsport Corvette C5R +13 laps GT1
5. Bryner/Calderari/Zacchia/Bouvy Labre Ferrari 550 Maranello +14 laps GT1
6. Goossens/Kox/Lamy Aston Martin Aston Martin DBR9 +19 laps GT1
7. Brabham/Turner/Sarrazin Aston Martin Aston Martin DBR9 +21 laps GT1
8. Lieb/Rockenfeller/Luhr Gruppe M Porsche 996 GT3 RSR +35 laps GT2
9. Duez/Menten/Hernandez/Cayrolle Renstal Excelsior Corvette C5R +40 laps GT1
10. Moccia/Groppi/Camathias Autorlando Sport Porsche 996 GT3 RSR +41 laps GT2
11. Newton/Erdos/Mallock/Bennett GNM Saleen S7R +47 laps GT1
12. Penders/Lamot/Couwbeaghs Renstal de Bokkenrijders Porsche 996 GT3 RS +47 laps G2
13. Virenque/Labhart/Prette/De Radigues Didier De Radigues Chrysler Viper GTS-R +67 laps G2
14. de Gastines/Cloet/van Rossem/de Laet Nicolas de Gastines Porsche 996 GT3 RS +79 laps G2
15. Mattheus/Vanbellingen/Fumal/Geoffroy Muhler Motorsport Porsche 996 GT3 Cup +81 laps G3
16. Lemeret/Deman/Belloc/Livio GPC Sport Ferrari 575 Maranello GTC +84 laps GT1
17. Ried/Ried/Felbermayr/Felbermayr Jr Proton Porsche 996 GT3 RS +87 laps GT2
18. Lambert/Lefort/Palttala/Andre Ice Pol Racing Porsche 996 GT3 RS +90 laps G2
19. Model/Tenchini/Riolo/Cerati Autorlando Sport Porsche 996 GT3 RS +99 laps G2
20. Collard/Sugden/Ortelli Gruppe M Porsche 996 GT3 RSR +99 laps GT2
21. Cunningham/Collins/Maassen Embassy Racing Porsche 996 GT3 RSR +100 laps GT2
22. Noziere/Levy/Levy/Brouard Jean Charles Levy Porsche 996 GT3 Cup +107 laps G3
23. Corbel/Baron/Cohignac/Stepec Olivier Baron Porsche 996 GT3 RS +111 laps G2
24. Chaillet/Nef/Morlet Patrick Chaillet Porsche 996 GT3 Cup +115 laps G2
25. Guidici/Romanini/Raimondi Gianni Guidici Maserati Light GT 4200 +141 laps G2
26. Vonka/Konopka/De Castro Czech National Porsche 996 GT3 RS +153 laps GT2
27. Babini/Biagi/Davies Vitaphone Maserati MC12 GT1 +175 laps GT1
28. Coens/Beltoise/Blanchemain PSI Motorsport Porsche 996 GT3 RSR +234 laps G2
29. Muytjens/Coenen/Grouwels EBRT Porsche 996 GT3 Cup +358 laps G2
30. Ickx/Bermes/Hemroull/Reis Muhler Motorsport Porsche 996 GT3 Cup +377 laps G3
31. van der Zwaan/van der Zwaan/Kutemann JMB Maserati MC12 GT1 +435 laps GT1
32. Keen/Halliday/Moller/Verdon-Roe Lister Lister Storm GT +442 laps GT1
33. Fomenko/Vasiliev/Minassian/Campbell-Walter Russian Age Ferrari 550 Maranello +480 laps GT1
34. Leinders/Kuppens/d'Ambrosio/Delcour Belgian Racing Gillet Vertigo +492 laps G2
35. Melo/Morbidelli/Piccini/Deletraz GPC Sport Ferrari 575 Maranello GTC +547 laps GT1
36. Belmondo/Khan/de Pauw/van den Hove Ian Khan Porsche 996 GT3 RSR +574 laps G2
37. Businelli/Sonvico/Jacoma/Rapetti Ebimotors Porsche 996 GT3 RSR +575 laps GT2

2005 FIA GT CHAMPIONSHIP - GT1 DRIVERS' STANDINGS -
TOP 10 (AFTER ROUND 5 OF 11)

POSITION     DRIVER             TEAM              POINTS

2005 FIA GT CHAMPIONSHIP - GT1 TEAMS STANDINGS
(AFTER ROUND 5 OF 11)
POSITION     TEAM             POINTS