2010 FIA GT1 Abu Dhabi round

The 2010 FIA GT1 Abu Dhabi round was an auto race held at the Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on 16–17 April 2010. It served as the opening round of the 2010 FIA GT1 World Championship season, and the inaugural race of the FIA GT1 World Championship series. It was the first sports car race designated by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) as a world championship event since the 500 km of Magny-Cours held on 18 October 1992. Swiss driver Romain Grosjean and German driver Thomas Mutsch won the championship race for Matech Competition Ford, ahead of the two Phoenix Racing Corvettes which completed the podium. The Phoenix Corvette of Marc Hennerici and Andreas Zuber had won the qualifying race held earlier that day. The UAE Touring Car Championship will serve as a support series for this event.[1]

Yas Marina Circuit

Qualifying

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Qualifying began under the flood lights of Yas Marina Circuit, the entire session being held late on 16 April. All 24 cars took to the track during the first 20-minute session, with Michael Krumm sitting on top of the field in the early minutes. Frédéric Makowiecki was able to take over the pole position from the Nissan, the first driver to set a lap in the 2:07 range, quickly followed by the Vitaphone Maserati of Enrique Bernoldi less than a tenth of a second behind. In the second half of the session Andreas Zuber was able to jump to the top in the Phoenix Corvette, beating Makowiecki's lap by just under a full second and the only driver to set a lap under 2:07.[2]

Toward the end of the session, Matech driver Natacha Gachnang crashed out on the back straight of Yas Marina, running off the end of the straight and impacting the safety barriers head-on. The session was stopped with just over two minutes remaining while safety crews attended to Gachnang, who was later airlifted from the circuit for medical attention and reported to have fractured her right leg.[3][4] A camera operator situated behind the safety barrier also sustained injuries when his television camera hit him in the face due to the impact.[5] The first session was delayed while Gachnang was attended to until it was announced approximately a half-hour later that repairs to the safety barriers could take up to three hours. The FIA race director then cancelled not only the remainder of the first session, but the entire second and third sessions as well. This awarded Zuber and his teammate Marc Hennerici pole position for the following day's qualifying race, while all other drivers remained in their positions due to the knock-out element of qualifying behind eliminated.[2][5]

Qualifying result

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For qualifying, Driver 1 participates in the first and third sessions while Driver 2 participates in only the second session. However, due to the cancellation of Sessions 2 and 3 for this event, only the Driver 1 participated in this qualifying session.

Pos No. Driver 1 Team Session 1 Grid
Driver 2
1 13   Andreas Zuber   Phoenix Racing / Carsport 2:06.780 1
  Marc Hennerici
2 9   Frédéric Makowiecki   Hexis AMR 2:07.705 2
  Philippe Dumas
3 2   Enrique Bernoldi   Vitaphone Racing Team 2:07.763 3
  Miguel Ramos
4 11   Xavier Maassen   Mad-Croc Racing 2:08.049 4
  Alex Müller
5 1   Michael Bartels   Vitaphone Racing Team 2:08.070 5
  Andrea Bertolini
6 12   Mika Salo   Mad-Croc Racing 2:08.078 6
  Pertti Kuismanen
7 24   Peter Kox   Reiter 2:08.090 7
  Christopher Haase
8 7   Darren Turner   Young Driver AMR 2:08.143 8
  Tomáš Enge
9 23   Michael Krumm   Sumo Power GT 2:08.287 9
  Peter Dumbreck
10 40   Bas Leinders   Marc VDS Racing Team 2:08.322 10
  Maxime Martin
11 5   Thomas Mutsch   Matech Competition 2:08.463 11
  Romain Grosjean
12 33   Alexandros Margaritis   Triple H Team Hegersport 2:08.494 12
  Altfrid Heger
13 4   Seiji Ara   Swiss Racing Team 2:08.610 13
  Max Nilsson
14 3   Karl Wendlinger   Swiss Racing Team 2:08.652 14
  Henri Moser
15 41   Markus Palttala   Marc VDS Racing Team 2:08.737 15
  Renaud Kuppens
16 34   Matteo Bobbi   Triple H Team Hegersport 2:08.787 16
  Bert Longin
17 37   Thomas Jäger   All-Inkl.com Münnich Motorsport 2:08.798 17
  Marc Basseng
18 10   Clivio Piccione   Hexis AMR 2:09.046 18
  Jonathan Hirschi
19 22   Warren Hughes   Sumo Power GT 2:09.446 19
  Jamie Campbell-Walter
20 8   Christoffer Nygaard   Young Driver AMR 2:09.629 20
  Stefan Mücke
21 6   Natacha Gachnang   Matech Competition 2:09.964 21
  Cyndie Allemann
22 25   Ricardo Zonta   Reiter 2:10.261 22
  Rafael Daniel
23 38   Nicky Pastorelli   All-Inkl.com Münnich Motorsport 2:10.628 23
  Dominik Schwager
24 14   Mike Hezemans   Phoenix Racing / Carsport 2:16.352 24
  Andrea Piccini

Races

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Qualifying race

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The first FIA GT1 World Championship race began in the afternoon, with pole sitter Marc Hennerici leading the field to the green flag from a rolling start. Entering the first left-hander Miguel Ramos in the No.2 Vitaphone Maserati attempted to secure second place but lost the rear of the car under braking and tapped the rear end of Hennerici's Corvette as the car spun across the course. While attempting to regain control, the rear of the Maserati was hit by the No.7 Aston Martin of Tomáš Enge, who ricocheted into the No.12 Mad-Croc Corvette of Pertti Kuismanen. All three cars would retire from the race due to the accident damage. Further into the first lap, the No.9 Hexis Aston Martin spun on his own, leaving driver Philippe Dumas at the tail of the field. These incidents forced the stewards to deploy the safety car as Hennerici lead the field ahead of the No.11 Mad-Croc Corvette of Alex Müller, the No.1 Vitaphone Maserati of Andrea Bertolini, the No.24 Reiter Lamborghini of Christopher Haase, and the No.5 Matech Ford of Romain Grosjean, who gained nine positions on the opening lap.

After two laps under the safety car, the race was restarted and Hennerici continued as the race leader. Grosjean began to climb his way through the field, passing Kox's Lamborghini on Lap 5, then Piccini's Maserati two laps later, then was able to take second place from Müller's Corvette before the end of Lap 8. The pit window opened on Lap 10, with Hennerici forfeiting the lead to Grosjean to take the first opportunity to pit and change to driver Andreas Zuber. Three laps later both the Matech Ford and Mad-Croc Corvette came in for their pit stops, but the Corvette had a slower pit stop and fell to seventh place. After the ten-minute pit window closed, Thomas Mutsch took over the second-place Matech Ford while Michael Bartels held third in the Vitaphone Maserati. Neither driver was able to catch the leading Corvette of Zuber, while Xavier Maassen in the No.11 Mad-Croc Corvette was able to climb back to fourth position before the car's engine failed three laps from the finish. Zuber eventually took the race win by just over two seconds ahead of Mutsch after having led by as much as ten seconds earlier in the race. Bartels completed the podium and final points earning position for the qualifying race.

Race result

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Pos No. Team Drivers Manufacturer Laps Time/Retired
1 13   Phoenix Racing / Carsport   Marc Hennerici
  Andreas Zuber
Corvette 26
2 5   Matech Competition   Thomas Mutsch
  Romain Grosjean
Ford 26 −2.273
3 1   Vitaphone Racing Team   Michael Bartels
  Andrea Bertolini
Maserati 26 −4.308
4 8   Young Driver AMR   Stefan Mücke
  Christoffer Nygaard
Aston Martin 26 −37.808
5 33   Triple H Team Hegersport   Altfrid Heger
  Alexandros Margaritis
Maserati 26 −43.535
6 40   Marc VDS Racing Team   Bas Leinders
  Maxime Martin
Ford 26 −45.608
7 9   Hexis AMR   Philippe Dumas
  Frédéric Makowiecki
Aston Martin 26 −54.118
8 10   Hexis AMR   Clivio Piccione
  Jonathan Hirschi
Aston Martin 26 −1:07.115
9 3   Swiss Racing Team   Karl Wendlinger
  Henri Moser
Nissan 26 −1:12.583
10 25   Reiter   Ricardo Zonta
  Rafael Daniel
Lamborghini 26 −1:13.649
11 23   Sumo Power GT   Peter Dumbreck
  Michael Krumm
Nissan 26 −1:15.161
12 4   Swiss Racing Team   Max Nilsson
  Seiji Ara
Nissan 26 −1:19.330
13 22   Sumo Power GT   Warren Hughes
  Jamie Campbell-Walter
Nissan 26 −1:27.725
14
DNF
11   Mad-Croc Racing   Xavier Maassen
  Alex Müller
Corvette 23 Engine
15
DNF
24   Reiter   Peter Kox
  Christopher Haase
Lamborghini 20 Brakes
16 14   Phoenix Racing / Carsport   Mike Hezemans
  Andrea Piccini
Corvette 20 −6 Laps
17
DNF
38   All-Inkl.com Münnich Motorsport   Nicky Pastorelli
  Dominik Schwager
Lamborghini 17 Retired
18
DNF
37   All-Inkl.com Münnich Motorsport   Marc Basseng
  Thomas Jäger
Lamborghini 12 Retired
19
DNF
41   Marc VDS Racing Team   Renaud Kuppens
  Markus Palttala
Ford 2 Clutch
20
DNF
2   Vitaphone Racing Team   Miguel Ramos
  Enrique Bernoldi
Maserati 1 Collision
21
DNF
7   Young Driver AMR   Tomáš Enge
  Darren Turner
Aston Martin 1 Collision
22
DNF
12   Mad-Croc Racing   Pertti Kuismanen
  Mika Salo
Corvette 0 Collision
DNS 34   Triple H Team Hegersport   Bert Longin
  Matteo Bobbi
Maserati 0 Did Not Start
DNS 6   Matech Competition   Natacha Gachnang
  Cyndie Allemann
Ford 0 Did Not Start

Championship race

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Race result

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Pos No. Team Drivers Manufacturer Laps Time/Retired
1 5   Matech Competition   Thomas Mutsch
  Romain Grosjean
Ford 28
2 13   Phoenix Racing / Carsport   Marc Hennerici
  Andreas Zuber
Corvette 28 −23.061
3 14   Phoenix Racing / Carsport   Mike Hezemans
  Andrea Piccini
Corvette 28 −26.485
4 1   Vitaphone Racing Team   Michael Bartels
  Andrea Bertolini
Maserati 28 −34.075
5 25   Reiter   Ricardo Zonta
  Rafael Daniel
Lamborghini 28 −49.496
6 2   Vitaphone Racing Team   Miguel Ramos
  Enrique Bernoldi
Maserati 28 −53.059
7 34   Triple H Team Hegersport   Bert Longin
  Matteo Bobbi
Maserati 28 −1:00.565
8 24   Reiter   Peter Kox
  Christopher Haase
Lamborghini 28 −1:12.694
9 33   Triple H Team Hegersport   Altfrid Heger
  Alexandros Margaritis
Maserati 28 −1:24.473
10 11   Mad-Croc Racing   Xavier Maassen
  Alex Müller
Corvette 28 −1:26.254
11 7   Young Driver AMR   Tomáš Enge
  Darren Turner
Aston Martin 28 −1:26.848
12 22   Sumo Power GT   Warren Hughes
  Jamie Campbell-Walter
Nissan 28 −1:28.174
13 40   Marc VDS Racing Team   Bas Leinders
  Maxime Martin
Ford 28 −1:37.634
14 3   Swiss Racing Team   Karl Wendlinger
  Henri Moser
Nissan 28 −1:59.534
15 12   Mad-Croc Racing   Pertti Kuismanen
  Mika Salo
Corvette 28 −2:01.150
16 23   Sumo Power GT   Peter Dumbreck
  Michael Krumm
Nissan 27 −1 Lap
17 37   All-Inkl.com Münnich Motorsport   Marc Basseng
  Thomas Jäger
Lamborghini 24 −4 Laps
18
DNF
10   Hexis AMR   Clivio Piccione
  Jonathan Hirschi
Aston Martin 22 Puncture
19
DNF
9   Hexis AMR   Philippe Dumas
  Frédéric Makowiecki
Aston Martin 15 Retired
20
DNF
38   All-Inkl.com Münnich Motorsport   Nicky Pastorelli
  Dominik Schwager
Lamborghini 12 Retired
21
DNF
4   Swiss Racing Team   Max Nilsson
  Seiji Ara
Nissan 1 Collision
22
DNF
8   Young Driver AMR   Stefan Mücke
  Christoffer Nygaard
Aston Martin 0 Collision
DNS 41   Marc VDS Racing Team   Renaud Kuppens
  Markus Palttala
Ford 0 Did Not Start
DNS 6   Matech Competition   Natacha Gachnang
  Cyndie Allemann
Ford 0 Did Not Start

References

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  1. ^ "Battle lines drawn for Abu Dhabi". FIA GT1 World Championship. SRO Group. 2010-04-10. Archived from the original on 2010-04-15. Retrieved 2010-04-14.
  2. ^ a b Gary Watkins (2010-04-16). "Zuber on GT1 pole as session stopped". Autosport.com. Haymarket Publications. Archived from the original on 19 April 2010. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
  3. ^ Gary Watkins (2010-04-16). "Gachnang crash halts GT1 qualifying". Autosport.com. Haymarket Publications. Archived from the original on 19 April 2010. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
  4. ^ Gary Watkins (2010-04-16). "No surgery required for Gachnang". Autosport.com. Haymarket Publications. Archived from the original on 19 April 2010. Retrieved 2010-04-17.
  5. ^ a b "Zuber on pole in incident-packed Qualifying". FIA GT1 World Championship. SRO Group. 2010-04-16. Archived from the original on 19 April 2010. Retrieved 2010-04-17.
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