Maserati duo claim first ever GT1 world championship

(GETTY IMAGES)

The Vitaphone Maserati duo of Michael Bartels and Andrea Bertolini claimed the first ever GT1 world championship yesterday afternoon by finishing ahead of the Young Driver Aston Martin pair of Darren Turner and Tomas Enge.

In the Championship Race the Hexis Aston Martin No.9, starting from pole, scored a dominant victory in San Luis.

Second was the Matech Ford GT No.5 of Richard Westbrook and Thomas Mutsch with the sister Hexis Aston Martin No.10 of Clivio Piccione and Jonathan Hirschi.

First and third for Hexis secured them second place in the teams' championship behind the Vitaphone Maserati team which clinched both titles following the Qualifying Race results earlier in the day.

It also meant that Aston Martin won the SRO Trophy for manufacturers.

The Championship Race settled the squabbles for second and third in the drivers' and teams' points battle.

Mutsch finished second in the drivers' championship with Makowiecki third and Darren Turner and Tomas Enge in the Young Driver Aston Martin No.7 fourth.

In the teams title, Reiter Engineering took third place behind Vitaphone Maserati and Hexis AMR.

For the Hexis Aston No.9 it was a dominant weekend on the magnificent Potrero de los Funes. Having won the Qualifying Race, they eclipsed the field by over 15 seconds at the flag.