Sernagiotto takes the final Maserati Trofeo win with Monti again on the podium
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| Abu Dhabi (Uae), 11 December 2015 – Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina circuit played host to the final round in the sixth Maserati Trofeo World Series season. Frenchman Romain Monti was crowned champion as the series that began at Monza in 2010 came to an end. The last race was won by Giorgio Sernagiotto, making a return to drive for Team Red Dragon, flanked by Emanuele Smurra. Sernagiotto, from Veneto, headed a pack of four drivers who applied the pressure to the very end. The other contenders were Monti, Riccardo Ragazzi and Adrien De Leener. Monti, fresh from his title win, managed to climb to second spot after starting on tenth and with a 50kg weight handicap on board. This grid position was assigned as the Race 1 finishing order is inverted for Race 2. Another driver who made a solid comeback was Ragazzi: he came home third despite lining up in ninth. Some way down on the front four was Lino Curti. Behind him came an Alessandro Iazzetti who failed to make the most of his pole position. Dutchman Mathijs Bakker came in seventh, Giuseppe Fascicolo eighth and Andreas Segler ninth. In the close battle for the Over 50 title, Richard Denny’s 14th place finish was enough to see him edge it from rival Barrie Baxter. In the Maserati Trofeo Hall of Fame, Monti joins Mauro Calamia (2014 winner), Renaud Kuppens (2013 and 2012), David Baldi(2011) and Pietro Zumerle (2010). Giorgio Sernagiotto: “It was tough holding off Ragazzi and Monti towards the end. I wasn’t as quick as them and, most importantly, I am used to driving prototypes. It was hard but I pulled it off. It felt good to top the podium again. I am really pleased because I left my mark on the last Maserati Trofeo race and that means a lot”. The GranTurismo MCs will be back on the track in 2016, run by private squads. They will mainly be competing in international GT4 series in Europe and in the USA. The teams have taken delivery of the cars and will make the modifications needed to bring them into line with GT4 regulations. Maserati will provide the teams with technical support and replacement parts, transferring all the experience and know-how picked up in the past six Maserati Trofeo seasons. Race 2 results: 1 Giorgio Sernagiotto – 42:27.162 2 Romain Monti – 42:27.968 3 Riccardo Ragazzi – 42:28.691 |
This blog will expand on themes and topics first mentioned in my book, "The Automobile and American Life." I hope to comment on recent developments in the automobile industry, reviews of my readings on the history of the automobile, drafts of my new work, contributions from friends, descriptions of the museums and car shows I attend and anything else relevant. Copyright 2009-2020, by the author.
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