The dark horse of the practice sessions came good in qualifying in Dubai as it stormed to pole position for the final round of the
FIA GT campaign, in the process giving Ferrari its first GT1 pole in the series since its withdrawal at the end of last year.
Making its 2006
FIA GT bow, the Larbre Competition-run Ferrari 550 Maranello Evo, driven by GT3 regulars Steve Zacchia and Frederic Makowiecki and reigning GT1 champion Gabriele Gardel, seized the top spot by less than a tenth of a second in a closely-fought session after Makowiecki saw off a twin Aston Martin threat, though the Aston that had figured most prominently throughout practice – the Phoenix Racing DBR9 of Andrea Piccini and Jean-Denis Deletraz – was left right down in the lower fringes of the top ten after completing just three laps.
In its place came the sister Aston Martin Racing machines of Fabio Babini and Matteo Malucelli in second, and Fabrizio Gollin and Miguel Ramos – another pairing not to show their true colours in practice – third. The GLPK-Carsport Corvette C6R of Bert Longin, Anthony Kumpen and Mike Hezemans continued its impressive form to snatch fourth, just over a tenth shy of pole.
Newly-crowned GT1 champions Michael Bartels and Andrea Bertolini – joined for this event by former grand prix ace Eric van de Poele – ended the session fifth in their Vitaphone Maserati despite running with 95kg of ballast on board. The twin MC12 of Jamie Davies, Thomas Biagi and Vincent Vosse was two positions further back, as the two Italian cars sandwiched the third Aston Martin – the Race Alliance DBR9 – of Philipp Peter, Karl Wendlinger and Jarek Janis in sixth.
The unfortunate Piccini and Deletraz wound up eighth at the close, just ahead of the final GT1 machine – the Zakspeed Saleen of Sascha Bert, Andrea Montermini and Jos Menten – meaning that three of the drivers vying for the runner-up spot in the end-of-season standings – Piccini, Deletraz and Bert – will be starting right at the back of the GT1 pack. The other pilots still in contention for the position are Janis, Davies, Biagi and, undoubtedly the best-placed on the grid but a long shot being nine points adrift – Babini.
Tim Mullen and Chris Niarchos picked up exactly where they had left off in practice to annex the GT2 pole and a top ten grid position outright as they endeavour to deprive Mika Salo and Rui Aguas of their second position in the title chase. Unfortunately for the Scuderia Ecosse duo, Salo and Aguas line up just one place behind in their AF Corse Ferrari 430 GT2, with champion Jaime Melo and new partner Toni Vilander struggling to fifth in class more than a second away from the pole time.
G3 qualifying honours went the way of Sergey Zlobin, Marcello Zani and Roberto Benucci in their BMS Aston Martin DBRS9.
