FIA GT Round 1 Silverstone

Read the story here: http://www.fiagt.com/newsitem.php?key=1539

See the race results here: http://www.fiagt.com/results.php

3rd place drivers Simonsen/Peter in the Aston Martin DBR9.

Ferrari 430 GT2.

Moser/Del Monte.

Aston Martin DBR9.

Thomas Biagi.

Ferrari 430 GT2 doing a pratice drivers change and tire stop.

One of the English FIA GT grid girls.

Karl Wendlinger.

Peter Kox.

Ferrari 550 Maranello GTC.

Bartels in the Maserati MC12.

Porsche 997 GT3 RSR.

Playing with my camera!

The G2 pole positon Saleen S7R lost the left rear wheel.

Ferrari 430 GT2.

Another shot shows that I know my job.

The safty car had to came out just before the end of the race.

Ferrari 430 GT2.

Bartels making a little pose for me.

Race winner Ryan Sharp.

GT1 podium.

GT2 podium.

————————————————–

The GT3 class:

Grid girls line up.

Going into detail…

Lorgere-Roux in the Ferrari 430 GT3.

Doing a last pose just before the race.

Another grid girl.

Forsten/Loix.

Ascari KZ1R GT3

Khan/Mutsch the winners of race 1 and 2 in the Ford GT.

The top 3 for the second race.

Nikki Cadei in the Ferrari 430 GT3.

It was very tricky on the wet track.

Ferrari 430 Challenge – Silverstone [Trofeo Pirelli]

The Trofeo Pirelli was the last class on the program during Saterday. The weather became from bad to wurse and the Trofeo Pirelli class should have all difficaults to keep the cars on the track. Never the less 18 out of 19 cars should finish the race.

The field had an extra warm up lap to heat up the tires and check the conditions. After the start it was Baron for half of the race leading the field but than the drivers had to came in for rain tires.

After the pitstops it was Barde in controle followed by Blancardi and Baron back to third place.

The places for the podium didn’t chance, so at the end of the race it was the 2006 Trofeo Pirelli champion Barde in first, Blancardi second and Baron third.

Ange Barde

Max Blancardi

Philipp Baron

Robert Pergl (39) and Phillipe Prette (7) showing the conditions.

Bjorn Grossmann

Max Blancardi

Ange Barde on top of the podium.

During race 2 it was still wet but a little better as the laptimes showed. The drivers were about 10 to 15 seconds faster in their fastest lap.

Guest driver Andrea Piccini for the Ferrari GB Dealer Team was in controle for the second race. He was taking a pretty big gap but half way the race Barde came back.

In lap 7 Robert Pergl went off in Becketts. Two laps later it was Sergio Rota who left the track almost on the same point.

Piccini won the race but Barde took the points for the championship. At the end of the race the gap was just 1.948.

The start of race 2 and Piccini was allready pulling away.

Andrea Piccini

Phillipe Prette

Sergio Rota lost controle in Becketts. Very disappointed he left the gravel to retire.

Jan Danis

Bjorn Grossmann

Piccini across the line to win the second race.

Piccini searching for his teamsleader to share the joy.

Ange Barde

Ferrari 430 Challenge – Silverstone [Coppa Shell]

This weekend it was time for the second round in the European Ferrari 430 Challenge 2008 season.

It wasn’t the ulitmate weather for racing. Fougy, drizzle and cold conditions all weekend.

These conditons were not only bad for the drivers and mechanics but also for the media. Walking through the mudd, standing all day long freezing around the track, difficault to find the right focal for sharp photographs and the correct color settings are a few of the difficaults.

The Coppa Shell had the kick off for the first race on Saterday. With the Ferrari GB Dealer Team driver Cantillon on the pole the home crowed had all hopes for a victory on home ground. Michael Cantillon (‘MIKE’) didn’t disapoint the fans by taking a huge lead at the end of the first lap. But because of a collision in Abbey the safty car had to came out.

Three laps later the field was good to go again. Cantillon didn’t waste his first place and never had real fear from the rest of the field.

Mike won by 12.467 ahead of team mate Jaimie Constable and third spot was for Angel Santos.

Cantillon leading the field by a huge gap in lap 2.

The field behind the safty car.

Later on this should be the guys on the podium.

Also for Coleman it was a home race.

Michael Cantillon on the way to take victory!

A very happy Michael Cantillon.

For race 2 in the Coppa Shell the conditons were even wurse than the day before. With foug and drizzle the drivers had to prepare for a wet race.

With laps about 10 to 15 seconds slower the drivers had to handle the powerfull Ferrari’s with care and persision.

Cantillon felt very good in the wet and again he took the lead. This time with an even bigger gap on the rest of the field. Only Plamen Kralev could follow a little. After the 38 minutes + 1 lap it was Michael Cantillon who took his second victory of the weekend followed by Plamen Kralev on 27.292 seconds and third spot was again for Angel Santos.

“WET RACE”

Dutch pride Dave Basu in the Kroymans Ferrari 430 Challenge.

An all front row for the Ferrari GB Dealer Team at home ground!

The pictures shows the conditons… but it didn’t bother Cantillon.

Plamen Kralev also had good weekend with 5th in race 1 and 2nd in race 2.

Angel Santos kept his head cool and took two times third place at Silverstone.

Cantillon flirting with the crowed.

Santos made a little pose…

…but it was Cantillon with the big smile!

Monza, March 2008

After the winter stop the kick off for the Ferrari 430 Challenge was traditional in Italy, the home of Ferrari.

Host for the first races was the Monza circuit. Monza, a historic circuit where alot happend.

I took the time to take a picture of the old Monza circuit that situated next to the regular track. Just look at the angel of the banking! Only heroes could handle it.

On Saterday it was the honor for the Trofeo Pirelli Euro series to do the first Official race of the Ferrari 430 Challenge in 2008.
With the champion from last year (Michael Cullen) missing it was the young and talented Bjorn Grossman who took pole position.

Bjorn Grossman (4) in the lead at the start followed by Philipp Baron (9) and Ronnie Kessel (72) in 3rd.

Lap after lap there was a strong battle between Grossman and Baron. For one moment Bjorn nearly lost it but he didn’t and drove a great race!

Furter down the field it was the 2006 champion Ange Barde (2) who was pushing hard and overtook Nicolas Misslin (5) half way the race. Ange finished 4th, Misslin 5th.

A classic shot from Monza.

At the end of race 1 it was Bjorn Grossman (4) who won the race followed by Phillipp Baron (9) in second place and Max Blancardi (3) took the final spot on the podium.

The second class who made their first race of the season was the Coppa Shell Euro series. Like always this field is much bigger than the Trofeo Pirelli. This time there were 30 cars at the start.

It was Walter Forer (109) who took the lead and never gave it away.

After 3 laps Frank Gelf missed the Ascari corner and took a step out on the grass. One lap later has was forced to give up. Its unofficial but I think Frank Gelf and Jaimie Constable touched. Both cars didn’t finish the 40 minutes race.

The race also didn’t took full distance for Wido Roessler (106) who was forced to give up in lap 6.

It didn’t bother Angel Santos who was making progress during the race. He finished 4th.

The action happend all behind the green 430 Challenge from Walter Forer who had no problem at all to win race 1. Second became Gianluca Carboni (173) and third place was the Ferrari GB Moto driver Jean-Marc Bachelier (129).

Because of personal problems I sadly enough had to miss the second day.

For more photographs go: http://www.vandeveldephotography.com/cpg1414/index.php
For video clips go: http://www.youtube.com/user/ferrariworld