The aabar Abu Dhabi Villorba racing with Ferrari Team clinched a crucial podium for the championship in race-1 of the Belgian round of the 2012 International GT Open at Spa. Race drivers Andrea Montermini and Juan Manuel Lopez finished a very tough race in third place behind the wheel of their powerful Ferrari 458 of Super GT class. This comes from a superb comeback by the fast Italian driver and the young Argentine after completing a very difficult qualifying session in the morning, when the aabar Abu Dhabi Villorba duo suffered some troubles on the rear suspension and the team had to start the race from seventh on the grid.

Yesterday, at the start of race-1, Montermini was very aggressive and he already reached the fifth position on the second lap after two massive overtakes on the Kemmel straight. During half race the former F1 driver and tester came in fourth when he left the wheel of the supercar from Maranello to his teammate Lopez during the mandatory driver-change. Despite a handicap of 90 seconds (due to the last win at the Nurburgring), 15 more than the other crews of the GT Open, the Argentine driver was able to stay in fourth place and clinch the third at the finish line thanks to a penalty given to one of his opponent ahead of him.

"We are very happy - said Raimondo Amadio, Team Principal -. Yesterday morning we had a very difficult qualifying session but we were able to solve the problem. Then, in the race, our drivers completed the good work of the whole team with a super performance. The championship is still open and today we expect another race in which it will be essential to be perfect."

"It was a tough race - said Montermini - but that is quite usual when you have to recover. In the end it went well although in the final laps a lapped car touched us as it happened in Portimao early in the season. This time the contact did not put us out of the race and now we enjoy this important third place. However, we know very well that today is another story: we will look for a new comeback and we hope to make it again.”

Today race-2 (50 minutes) will take place at 12.55. The race will be broadcasted live and slightly deferred at 19:00 in Italy on RaiSport 2 (channel 58 on terrestrial digital and 228 on Sky satellite platform). Montermini-Lopez will start from the forth row in seventh position again.