FIA GT CHAMPIONSHIP

BAHRAIN

DISSAPPOINTING END TO EXCELLENT SEASON

The final race of the 2005 FIA GT championship in Bahrain on Friday 25th November did not bring the fairy tale end to Tim Sugden’s season that he hoped for as a small fluid leak on lap 19 of the 90 lap race lost them 4 laps and caused a 5th place finish.

After the pit crew had made the repair Sugden was able to make up places before handing the car back to Emmanuel Collard at the second stop and both drivers lapped within tenths of the lead car but they were unable to make it another podium finish with their team mates in #66 who won this final round.

Looking back over the season Sugden and Collard have taken 5 wins and 2 second places on their way to second place in the championship which was won by their #66 sister car of Mark Lieb and Mike Rockenfeller who took 6 wins and 4 second places, as Mike said after the race:  “In the end, this year was just about who had more wins, and we had that by one. We were even on quickest race laps, I think, but one up also on poles. That shows how close it was, all the way. It would have been nice to have had both cars on the podium for the last race, but as a team, we still won every race.”

Kenny Chen, owner of the GruppeM team is to be congratulated on winning all 11 races in the series, something that a private entrant team has never before achieved.    The only previous clean sweep was when full factory teams were permitted to take part and Mercedes Benz took all 10 races in the 1998 series.   As GruppeM was only established as a race team at the start of 2004 to compete in the British GT championship, which they also won they have a record of achievement that will probably stand for some time.

Full details of the Bahrain race can be found on www.dailysportscar.com under the GruppeM reports section (see links)