The new Dubai Autodrome hosted a tremendous round of the FIA GT Championship this week, with a breath-taking race around the 5.4 km circuit. In extreme temperatures, the cars and drivers gave the spectators a fascinating display of GT driving, in a race that finished after nightfall. Gabriele Gardel put in the drive of his life in the BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari 550 Maranello he shares with Matteo Bobbi, catching and battling with the Maserati MC 12 of Herbert and De Simone towards the end of the three-hour race.

This was the first round of the FIA GT Championship to take place in the United Arab Emirates, and the first round outside Europe since 1999 and could not have got off to a better start. A successful debut was crowned by a thrilling race, with all the best.phpects of GT racing, including an unscheduled finish after dark due to a red flag in the FIA European Touring Car Championship earlier in the afternoon. The weather was extremely hot, making this three-hour race a real test for drivers and machines alike.

Fast all weekend, the BMS Scuderia Italia 550 Maranello, which has suffered plenty of bad luck through the season and lost out on the title to their team-mates Gollin and Cappellari, put in a spectacular performance to win the inaugural GT race at the Dubai Autodrome. On differing strategies, Gardel came out for the final stint 34 seconds behind the Maserati of Herber/de Simone and proceeded to catch up with the car five laps before the end. The two cars then battled nose to tail for a couple of laps, with Gardel taking the lead when the Maserati made a last-minute splash and dash.

Gardel and his team-mate, Matteo Bobbi finished ahead of the Maserati, with the Care Racing 550 Maranello crossing the line third, driven by Thomas Biagi, Lilian Bryner and Enzo Calderari, and the Vitaphone Saleen, which recovered from a difficult weekend, two fires and a back-of-the-grid start to finish third on the GT podium. This result guaranteed the second place in the GT Drivers Championship to 2003 Champion Matteo Bobbi and his team-mate Gardel, behind their team-mates Gollin and Cappellari, who finished 5th today despite carrying a hefty 150 kg penalty weight.

Taking the points for fifth in GT was the GPC 575GTC of Morbidelli and Babini, while JMB Racing's 575GTC of Daoudi, Kutemann and Garbagnati claimed the final point for eighth in GT. The JMB 575GTC of Garbagnati/Kutemann/Daoudi, finished 13th. .phpetti/ Peter (GPC 575GTC) was 16th, 7 laps down and the JMB Longin/Zlobin/ Buncombe 575GTC, the last to be classified, 21 laps down.

The JMB 575GTC of Wendlinger/Marques retired on lap 48. The second Maserati of Bertolini/Salo retired with engine failure after 42 laps, the team explaining that the engine had not been changed since the Imola round, to test its endurance.......

In the Teams Classification, although BMS Scuderia Italia has secured the title, the fight for second place goes on between GPC Giesse and JMB Racing, while in the Drivers, third place behind the two BMS duos could go to any of seven drivers.

In N-GT, the GPC Giesse Squadra Corse 360 Modena of Christian Pescatori and Jaime Melo came in third, having led mid-race. The sister 360 of Lambertini/Drudi/Vosse finished 5th.

The last race in the calendar is planned for the Chinese Zhuhai circuit on the weekend of 14 November.

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Bobbi took an early lead

First race at the Dubai Autodrome

GPC 575GTC Morbidell/Babini was fifth in GT

.phpetti/Peter 575GTC

Herbert/de Simone Maser lead the race, but a last-minute pit-stop...

...handed the win to Bobbi/Gardel

pics by FIA GT