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Driving a Via4One Racing's BMW Z4, Yelmer Buurman and Michael Bartels took the GT1 world championship lead after they claimed their maiden win on the Slovakia Ring.

Frederic Makowiecki clinched pole position in his Hexis' McLaren MP4/12C, but the Frenchman was passed during the opening laps of the qualifying race by Toni Vilander in the Salaquadra's AF Corse Ferrari F458.

The Ferrari claimed its maiden win of 2012 ahead of Von Thurn und Taxis and Enge's Lamborghini Gallardo, and the BMW Z4 driven by Buurman and Bartels.

The AF Corse Ferrari maintained its lead during the opening laps of the championship race, but it was passed by Makowiecki and Dusseldorp's McLaren a bit later.

Finally, that was the BMW Z4 that emerged in first position after the mandatory pit stops to take victory and the championship lead.

Slovakia Ring - Qualifying race:
1 - Vilander/Salaquarda (Ferrari 458) - AF Corse - 25 laps in 1h01'26"548
2 - Von Thurn&Taxis/Enge (Lamborghini Gallardo) - Reiter - 4"568
3 - Buurman/Bartels (BMW Z4) - Vita4One - 16"106
4 - Basseng/Winkelhock (Mercedes SLS) - Munnich - 19"777

5 - Parisy/Halliday (Porsche 997) - Exim - 26"693
etc.

Ferrari 458, AF Corse. (Photo: GT1 World)

Championship race:
1 - Buurman/Bartels (BMW Z4) - Vita4One - 29 laps in 1h01'24"886
2 - Makowiecki/Dusseldorp (McLaren MP4/12C) - Hexis - 2"951

3 - Basseng/Winkelhock (Mercedes SLS) - Munnich - 5"600

4 - Vilander/Salaquarda (Ferrari 458) - AF Corse - 17"260

5 - Stippler/Jarvis (Audi R8) - WRT - 30"511
etc.

BMW Z4, Vita4One. (Photo: GT1 World)

Championship:
1. Bartels-Buurman 70 points; 2. Dusseldorp-Makowiecki 64; 3. Basseng-Winkelhock 57; 4. Ortelli-Vanthoor 50; 5. Salaquarda-Vilander 47, etc.