The final 2005 FFSA GT race was very eventful, right from the start. At the wheel of the Larbre FerrarI 550 Maranello, Policand was the fastest starter and passed Ayari, the pole-sitter. Zangarelli (#2 Mirabeau Viper) was third, but positions were going to change soon.
On the second lap, Ayari was threatening the leader while Zangarelli had to do his best to hold off Dupuy (DDO Saleen). Simultaneously, Ayari and Dupuy passed Policand and Zangrelli (below), so Ayari was leading the field, ahead of Policand, Dupuy, Zangarelli, Beltoise (#11 Lease Plan Autovitesse Viper), Makowiecki (#3 Mirabeau Viper), Giroix (#8 First Racing Viper), Prost (#50 Exagon Racing Viper) and Lasserre (#15 Tarrès Team Viper).
These nine cars were very close, but Soheil Ayari set a stronger pace and pulled out a large gap, two seconds bigger with each passing lap. Dupuy was now right with Policand’s Ferrari exhaust. The gaps were changing as usual when the leaders were lapping the backmarkers. Ayari soon had a fifteen second lead, Policand and Dupuy still racing neck and neck. At half-distance, Policand braked too late in the Lycée corner and Dupuy passed him for second place. It was time now for the driver changes. Thévenin had moved up to tenth place, racing alone, and he handed over to Bornhauser.. At the wheel of the #21 Corvette, Bruno Hernandez inherited the lead, ahead of Balthazard (Maranello), Fiat (Saleen), Blanchemain (#11 Viper), Lagniez (#3 Viper) and Nicolas Prost (#50 Viper). But suddenly Bruno Hernandez stopped his car on the circuit with an alternator problem. Balthazard took the lead, but for a few seconds only, Fiat passing him in the Lycée corner. Then Balthazard had a stop and go penalty for a pit infraction. Nicolas Prost was meanwhile playing a starring role: he passed Lagniez, then after a tough fight with Blanchemain, he was in second position. However, the #50 Viper was now smoking. Prost overtook Fiat’s Saleen, but the four times world champion’s son had to stop on the track, with an oil leak, within five minutes of the end. Another disappointing end to a race for the Prosts. So, François Fiat crossed first the finish line, ahead of Blanchemain and the 2005 champion, Patrick Bornhauser.
In the GT2 Trophy, Raymond Narac and Sébastien Dumez were winners again, ahead of Rabineau and Demigneux (Riverside Lamborghini) and the Monteiro brothers. Dominique Dupuy: “The gap with Jérôme Policand was changing because I didn’t take any risks. We have plenty of ideas for next year, but it will depend on the budgets we’ll have.”
Alain Prost: “Our season outcome is good. At first, we came to have some fun, then we fell for the game. Afterwards, there was this fine story with Nicolas. Unfortunately, we didn’t win together, but we’ll have some good memories. Nothing is decided yet, but I loved this Championship and I might come back next year.” Final
Championship Standings Claude Foubert, with thanks, as ever, to Fred Espinos. Images by David Fontayne.
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Olivier
Thévenin (with Bornhauser, right): “This was
a festive weekend, we enjoyed it with every entrant, our friends
and sponsors. We have been lucky enough to be twice on the podium.
The whole season was fantastic. Since Le Mans we are enjoying our
title. Next year we will come back with the same car to try to claim
a third title, which has never been done before.” 
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