Maserati's result - a true reflection of the season?

**chunterer** · 13 Apr 2005, 10:52 (Ref:1277021)

Dunno if it's just me but i wondered if the Mazzas were sandbagging...maybe a little bit to avoid any further spec changes to the regs during the season?

It looked like they didn't have enough towards the end of the race and i was surprised how well the 550's and C5R dealt with them?

Seemed to take Eurosport commentator an age to realise it has defo got better braking though!

Now, will the car reveal it's true colours when faced with the Astons at Silverstone or are we in for a truly brilliant season, particularly if the Saleens and Lambo get sorted out quickly as well?

**Bentley03** · 13 Apr 2005, 11:50 (Ref:1277062)

I don't think they were sandbagging. First race for both teams up against some very well sorted opposition. I'm certain there's more to come as the teams gain experience of the cars. It was a combination of Michelin tyres and Larbre's tyre change strategy which ultimately defeated the Maserati's.

Fab · 13 Apr 2005, 12:49 (Ref:1277135)

Yep, opponent won't be lucky the whole season... remember there was four Mazzas behind the Larbre car... they're fast and reliable... if they're consistent too... Bob is their uncle

**Dani Filth** · 13 Apr 2005, 13:20 (Ref:1277162)

i don't know how much of the car potential is being exploited .yet . the teams only just got the cars ..

SALEEN S7R · 13 Apr 2005, 15:12 (Ref:1277215)

Dont forget guys that the GPLK squad only just got their car prior to Monza too, they didnt have any pre season testing really to speak of. No tests at Monza or anywhere else, just a few shakedown laps at Spa before heading to Monza for round 1. Be sure that when the GPLK squad have put some more miles under their belts with the C5R that the car will be signifcantly faster than what it was Monza and IMO certainly capable of running neck and neck with the MC12's. Dont count out too the Ferrari 550's, especially not the Russian age car and the Labre entry, I think we will be seeing a lot more of them during the coming season, particulary the Russian age car. A good result for Maserati at Monza for sure, and yes they came out on top, but dominant? A little too early to say IMO, they didnt win after all, and no I for one do not think they were sandbagging.

Fab · 13 Apr 2005, 15:23 (Ref:1277224)

I'd put my money on the GPLK if they had two cars... against four Mazzas, with only one car, that's hard stuff... but it's really well balanced, and really promising for a great championship.

Too bad that the JMB cars have a so tasteless painting... I fancy a red Mazza (wasn't there a paintshop job on Crash.net ,)...

TheNewBob · 13 Apr 2005, 15:29 (Ref:1277231)

After the pounding that the Maseratis took in the Sebring race, I imagine the teams wouldn't want to risk sandbagging again for fear of getting left behind a great deal!

But for miserable Mazza performance at Sebring, Monza's equivalent was the miserable Saleen performance... My vote says there is a lot more to come from all cars concerned. Mazza, yes, but also particularly the C5-R, the Saleens, and possibly Lambo. The only type of GT1 car I can see which doesn't have a look in later on in the season really is Lister, very much unfortunately...

So not sure if the Mazzas were sandbagging or not, but expect more not just from them, but from the opposition too..?

Fab · 13 Apr 2005, 15:32 (Ref:1277239)

From Aston Martin too...

Francesco · 13 Apr 2005, 15:41 (Ref:1277251)

I was at Monza... well.. i that the race in Monza was the "Perfect" Sportscar race, the fastest car did not win, because you have to be no only fast in laps, but even in lapping GT2s have a perfect driver line-up, have a perfect team organization...

JMB had some problems on one of the pits and the drivers were not really good...

Vitaphone made mistake on pits too, and Bartels was not as fast as he should have benn

Larbre had a SuperLamy, but even a very consistent Gardel...

I am sure that there is a lot more potential in Maseratis, as well as in Lambo and Corvette... maybe the GNM saleen with Ruberti and Camathias can go a bit better but the konrad are not that good at all, they have never been reliable!!!

Lister... well... mmmmmmm i hope it will turn up with something better for the next races...

BTW i have spoken with Longin before the race start, (i am a Corvette fan) he told me: "we are not very competitive on this track, it's too fast for the Corvette... i think that in the slower tracks we will go much better"

TheNewBob · 13 Apr 2005, 15:49 (Ref:1277255)

Lister should maybe stick Magnussen in the Storm GT as well as LMP. I don't know much about Keen and Halliday but they've had better lineups in the past, as a result it could have effected how competitive the car could be this season - everything gone wrong for the Lister GT squad, seemingly, since JC-W went!

JAG · 13 Apr 2005, 16:10 (Ref:1277272)

Lister should drop the Strom GT1 full stop. The cars on its last legs as it is, no matter how much development it recieves. With no new GT1 car on the horizon they should focus all of their attentions on the LMP1, and its successor.

As for the Maseratis, they are already ultra competitive despite being new to the respectve teams and running with weight and wing restrictions.

jhansen · 13 Apr 2005, 16:24 (Ref:1277285)

JAG: I'm surprised that you have not started a grass roots petition process against the Maserati MC12 and its very existance.

As for the Lister, I couldn't agree more. They could pull the money they are spending on a factory GT1 program and plug that into the Storm LMP. Let whatever competitors are out there race the GT car. Time to sell some LMP customer cars. And they cannot sell customer LMP cars until they have the original sorted out first.

JAG · 13 Apr 2005, 17:36 (Ref:1277330)

Quote:

Originally Posted by jhansen

JAG: I'm surprised that you have not started a grass roots petition process against the Maserati MC12 and its very existance.

Wish I could. Its existence and acceptence is the begining of the end for GT1.

It seems the MC12s been around so long now some have decided to brush over the fact its illegal and accepted it.

Its still my favourite GT1 car, its just in the wrong class.

Fab · 13 Apr 2005, 18:27 (Ref:1277373)

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAG

It seems the MC12s been around so long now some have decided to brush over the fact its illegal and accepted it.

As long as the car doesn't enter LM/LMES without fitting the rules, that fine for me.

And I hope Maserati will show this ACO specs car soon...

For the other championships - FIA-GT and ALMS - that's fan's business. If they're happy to welcome the car, I'll be too...

tblincoe · 13 Apr 2005, 18:59 (Ref:1277412)

i can gurantee there was no sandbagging going on and that the Monza race was an all-out dogfight... one of the best sportscar races i've seen since Washington DC in 2002. the reason for the Larbre/Risi Maserati performance at Sebring is totally related to the nature of the Sebring track. the MC12 and 550 were created and developed for the flat, wide-open European circuits such as Monza and the teams had a tough time adapting to the bumpy and tight profile of Sebring. look for the MC12s to get quicker as this was the first race with the car for both teams, but also look for the other cars to improve as well(including GLPK 'Vette, the Konrad Saleens, and the Reiter Lambo)

i too believe that Lister needs to scrap the Storm... focus on LMP racing as the Storm is just not competitive anymore unfortunately, esp. with the MC12 and the impending debut of the DBR-9 in FIA-GT

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