Santoponte resists charging Grossmann for Trofeo Pirelli World Final win
Matteo Santoponte held off a late charge by Bjorn Grossmann to clinch the final win of the Ferrari Finali Mondiali weekend, becoming Trofeo Pirelli World Champion.
Starting second behind Grossmann, Santoponte seized the advantage on the opening lap as his German rival ran wide into the gravel, taking a lead he would maintain all the way to chequered flag.
But Santoponte could not afford to cruise in the closing stages, as Grossmann fought his way up from seventh back to second, falling only 0.7s short as the chequered flag fell.
The final podium spot fell to Max Blancardi, who found a way by Florian Merckx after the pair had been passed by the recovering Grossmann, with Dario Caso completing the top five ahead of David Gostner.
Alessandro Vezzoni meanwhile bested Martin Nelson in the battle for Europe Trofeo Pirelli Am class honours, the pair finishing seventh and eighth overall.
Hutasoit, Farano prevail in regional battles
With European competitiors filling out the top eight, the Trofeo Pirelli runners from the Ferrari Challenge North America and Asia-Pacific series were relegated to the status of bit-part players.
In the Asia-Pacific competition, an early exit for Steve Wyatt left the way clear for Indonesia's Renaldi Hutasoit to clinch the class win with ninth overall, with Wei Xu claiming the Asia-Pacific Trofeo Pirelli Am prize some way back.
Among the North American contigent, Gregory Romanelli and Emmanuel Anassis both failed to see the chequered flag, leaving John Farano as the best representative from across the Atlantic, albeit only 12th overall.
Trouble for Anthony Imperato and John Weiland meanwhile ensured Ferrari #208 would prevail in the battle in the North America Trofeo Pirelli Am class.
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