A nail-biting race, in front of 32,000 spectators, took the suspense in today's sixth round of the FIA GT Championship right down to the chequered flag - and beyond. Uwe Alzen and Michael Bartels fought up from the back of the grid in their Saleen, overtaking long-time race-leader Karl Wendlinger in the JMB Racing Ferrari 575 GTC in the closing stages of the race. But a collision with the Freisinger Motorsport Porsche at the penultimate corner broke a rear wishbone in the Saleen, which limped across the line in second place, behind the Ferrari. However, the latter was awarded a five minute penalty for failing to comply with parc fermé restrictions, which dropped it down to fifth, and gave the Vitaphone Racing Team the win. JMB Racing have appealed, and the GT results therefore remain provisional.

The GPC Giesse Ferrari 575 GTC, initially third, inherited second for Babini and Peter, with the two BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari 550Ms taking third and fourth. After their penalty, Wendlinger and Melo were classified fifth, ahead of .phpetti and Morbidelli in the second GPC car, with Care Racing seventh. Erdos and Newton took the final point for eighth, in the RML Saleen.

Pending the results of the appeal, Gollin and Cappellari lead the Championship with 45 points, eight ahead of Bobbi and Gardel. Bartels and Alzen are on 30 points, with Wendlinger, Babini and Peter all on 25. In the Teams classification, BMS Scuderia Italia continues to lead, with 82 points compared to 37 for GPC Giesse Squadra Corse. JMB Racing and the Vitaphone Racing team are provisionally tied on 30.

In N-GT Scuderia Ecosse's Ferrari 360 Modena was the first Ferrari home, driven by Kinch and Kirkaldy, finishing fourth and beating Championship regulars Pescatori and De Simone in their GPC Giesse 360.

In the Titles' races, Ortelli and Collard are now two points ahead of Maassen and Luhr. De Simone and Pescatori are a further ten points behind. Freisinger Yukos lead the Teams with 64 points, while Freisinger Motorsport is on 46 and GPC Giesse on 36.

The next race is at Spa, the Proximus 24 Hours of Spa. Double points are on offer, with half normal points available after six hours, half after twelve, and the normal amounts after the full race distance.

Surprisingly, there was no sign of the Arnoux/Tambay 575, but the Maserati MC12 did appear - at Goodwood.

POSTSCRIPT 23/07/04

The 5-minute penalty awarded to the JMB Racing Ferrari 575 M Maranello has been quashed by the International Court of Appeal in Paris, and a US $15,000 fine has been substituted. This means that JMB Racing has regained their Donington win, ahead of Vitaphone Racing Team's Saleen S7, with GPC Giesse Squadra Corse third.

Click here to return to the Ferrari Happenings page.

Wendlinger/Melo lost the win with a 5 min penalty - then got it back on appeal

Scuderia Ecosse's 360 was first Ferrari home in N-GT

Peter/Babini's 575 GTC was second - then third

The .phpetti/Morbidelli 575 GTC finished a lap down

pics by FIA GT