Villa attacked me and I left the braking late to hold him off but ended up in the sand. Luckily the engine kept going but I lost two places, dropping from fifth to seventh. Still, it was good to have got a few kilometres under my belt as the Maserati GranTurismo MC Trofeo is not a car I know too well. We will see how things go in the next round at Budapest. My team-mate, David Durante, will drive Race 2”.
 

Paolo Ciccarone: "The incredible thing is that even though I got into the car on an empty stomach, I managed to set fast lap times almost straight away. I found out that the more laps I ran the faster I got because the car is really special. The only disappointing thing is that, sooner or later, the race ends and you have to get out, even though I really didn't want to! This is why I always reply 'yes' whenever I am asked if I want to drive a Maserati".

Mario Cordoni: "I have to praise Maserati's organisation: everything was perfect; the atmosphere stupendous. Still, I have to get used to the car as it is very different to the Porsche I usually drive in the Italian GT3 championship. There are differences in the braking, weight and in many other areas. I still have to comprehend how the Maserati GranTurismo MC Trofeo handles but I am getting there. I made a mistake in Race 1, spun, and ended up on the artificial turf. This isn't normally a problem in the dry but it is in the wet. I have experience of rally driving and so I enjoyed the spin!"