Suffering from seasonal late summer stormy weather, the penultimate Italian round of the FIA GT Championship went to Aston Martin for the first time in 2006. The Austrian Racing Alliance team finishing nearly 5 secs ahead of the pursuing Maserati MC12s. The race took place at the beautiful rolling Tuscan circuit of Mugello.

Behind the wheel of the Championship-leading Team Vitaphone Maserati MC 12, Andrea Bertolini had taken pole position the previous day in a thrilling session, which started off wet but later dryed out. Series newcomers, Scuderia Playteam had qualified their MC12 in third place behind Bertolini and the Saleen, while the Aston Martin DBR9 ranks were a little further back, the eventual winners in 5th.

Bertolini took an immediate lead, followed by the Scuderia Playteam car, and after two hours it was a Vitaphone Maserati MC12 1-2, however with constant rain and pitstops for tyres coming into the equation it was the blue Austrian Aston Martin DBR9 that took the chequered flag.

After three hours of racing the top five cars finished within 5.5 seconds of each other.



In GT2, Andrew Kirkaldy had claimed his sixth GT2 pole of the year in the Scuderia Ecosse Ferrari 430 GT2 but it was the superior wet-weather performance of the Porsche 911 GT2 of Collard and Riccitelli that won in the race.

The two supporting GT3 races were both won by Sean Edwards and Phil Keen in the nr 9 Tech 9 Motorsport Porsche 911 997 GT3, giving Edwards the Championship at this, the final round of the year.



Results FIA GT1:

1 Wendlinger/Peter Aston Martin DBR9
2 Bertolini/Bartels Maserati MC12 GT1
3 Davies/Biagi Maserati MC12 GT1
4 Bert/Montermini/Janis Saleen S7R
5 Babini/Pescatori Aston Martin DBR9
6 Piccini/Deletraz Aston Martin DBR9

Text: Classic Driver
Photos: DPPI/FIA GT