Three-time series champion Christophe Bouchut returned to winning ways at the second round of the 2008
FIA GT campaign, partnering Dutch team-mate Xavier Maassen to victory at Monza.
The pair, driving Belgian team SRT's Corvette C6-R converted second on the grid to a maiden success together, taking the lead from the pole-sitting Jetalliance Aston Martin at the first round of pit-stops and never looking back. The win was a first for both SRT and Renault World Series convert Maassen, but marked veteran Bouchut's 14th trip to the top step - his eighth overall - and allowed the Frenchman to win with a fourth different car, adding the Corvette to previous successes in the Chrysler Viper, Aston Martin DBR9 and Lamborghini Murciélago.
Jetalliance's Alex Müller led from the pole, but the Aston Martin eventually joined the list of retirements following a clash with the Phoenix Racing Corvette of Jean-Denis Deletraz and Marcel Fässler, allowing Vitaphone Racing to come through and claim another podium spot. Having finished second in Silverstone with Andrea Bertolini and Michael Bartels, however, it was the turn of the team's second Maserati MC12 to enjoy the champagne, as Miguel Ramos - who also finished second at Monza in 2007 - guided GT newcomer Xandi Negrão to runners-up honours in just the Brazilian's second outing since switching from GP2.
Allan Simonsen and Philipp Peter ensured that Aston Martin was at least represented on the podium, taking the #10 Gigawave-run example to third, just as they had at
Silverstone. Circumstances were quite different this time around, however, as a fine recovery drive after an early off-track excursion replaced the loss of P1 at the British circuit.
Three different makes filled the top three, but fourth place was taken by the #6 Phoenix Racing Corvette of Fabrizio Gollin and Mike Hezemans, giving the German team some measure of success, while Bertolini and Bartels claimed fifth after a puncture scuppered their recovery drive from 16th on the grid.
