Modena (Italy), May 25, 2016. A paradoxical drive through penalty caused a bitter epilogue after a very competitive French racing weekend for Andrea Montermini and Mario Cordoni, engaged in the third round of the 2016 VdeV GT/Tourisme on the #51 AF Corse Ferrari 458. Started from second in the GT class, Italian crew took the lead of their category during Montermini’s final stint, but, with only a few minutes to go, Race Direction of Le Castellet circuit imposed a drive through against the former F1 driver, denying him the possibility to win. The penalty relegated the AF Corse Ferrari in third place while the lead was took by a French team. Drive through was imposed for cutting the line of the pit lane entry. During the race, the same cut was done several times by all the competing crews, including the same French crew who then took the lead.
As stated personally by Montermini: “Touching that line of the pit lane is inevitable and, unfortunately, all drivers have been forced to do this move for years, in every race, it is almost impossible to avoid it. The rules should always be strictly respected, but when they can lead to partiality they should be changed”.
Also the organizer of VdeV series expressed solidarity to the Italian crew who was refused by the Race Direction any possibility of a complaint or to appeal the decision. It is another unfavorable episode for Montermini; in 2012, also on a Ferrari 458, a similar case, related to a race contact, compromised his success in the International GT Open.