JD Motorsport's Chris van der Drift claimed his sixth win of the season today in the final round of the 2008 Formula Master season in Monza. 

The newly-crowned Formula Master winner started the race in seventh and climbed steadily through the field, reaching second place when the safety car was deployed following an incident between Cram Competition team-mates Arturo Llobell and Frankie Provenzano. 

Using Josef Kral's slipstream at the restart, van der Drift overtook the Team JVA driver for the lead before racing to victory. Kral eventually finished third, having succumbed to Jenzer Motorsport's Fabio Leimer on lap 16. Finishing second, Leimer was also able to secure the runner-up position in the Series. 

Euronova Racing's Yuhi Sekiguchi delivered a superb drive; finishing fourth despite starting the race in 21st place. The Japanese driver was already in P16 at the end of lap one and proceeded to overtake drivers lap after lap throughout the 18-lap race. 

Trident Racing's Michael Ammermüller claimed fifth place in today's race. The German narrowly missed out on a point in yesterday's race which would have made him the only driver to score in every round this season. 

Having started 19th, JD Motorsport's Sergey Afanasiev fought through the field to finish in sixth place, ahead of ISR's Tim Sandtler. Trident Racing's Dominik Wasem secured the last points-scoring position in eight place on his first weekend with the Series. 

With the second Formula Master season now coming to an end, Chris van der Drift has secured the Drivers' title as well as a test prize with the Honda Racing F1 team. The New Zealander is also set to race in GP2 Asia. 

Leimer is in second place and will test with the Trident Racing GP2 team. Ammermüller is third, having also won the Rookies Classification; the German is set to receive a test with WTCC team N.Technology as well as an Indy-Lights test in America. 

JD Motorsport is this year's Team Classification winner, whilst van der Drift and Afanasiev are the Best Team-mates victors and will receive a test in America with the Grand-Am series. 

Chris van der Drift, JD Motorsport - 2008 Formula Master Winner
"Yesterday was a really good day for us and we managed to get the championship in the bag, so today's race meant we could have a bit of fun and just make sure we finished. After the safety car, I managed to get into the front and make a gap from Kral and then went on to win the race, so I'm very happy. With eight or nine laps to go I knew I was catching Kral reasonably quickly, but the safety car definitely made it easier. 

"It's amazing to get the chance to test a Formula 1 car; I have always wanted to and to get that opportunity by winning the Formula Master Series is fantastic. I really can't wait to until I can get in the car!" 

Fabio Leimer, Jenzer Motorsport - 2008 Formula Master Runner-up
"It was a very nice race for me. I had a good start but had to break a lot in the first corner and lost some positions, but I managed to overtake the other drivers lap by lap. 

"We have had six podiums over the season, and from the middle to the end of the year, it has been very good for us. It was important to finish second in the standings and win the GP2 test; I want to thank the team for doing such a good job." 

Josef Kral, Team JVA
"I knew Chris [van der Drift] was a bit quicker than me during the race but I was concentrating on what I was going to do in the next lap. When he overtook me after the safety car I wanted to stay with him but he got away and Fabio [Leimer] overtook. 

"My car was getting better and better towards the end of the race and I thought I could overtake but I didn't get the chance. I'm really pleased as the car has improved a lot towards the end of the season." 

Formula Master - Monza
Round 16
1. Chris van der Drift (NZL), JD Motorsport (#6)
2. Fabio Leimer (SUI), Jenzer Motorsport (#23)
3. Josef Kral (CZH), Team JVA (#29)
4. Yuhi Sekiguchi (JAP), Euronova Racing (#45)
5. Michael Ammermüller (GER), Trident Racing (#27)
6. Sergey Afanasiev (RUS), JD Motorsport (#5)
7. Tim Sandtler (GER), ISR (#19)
8. Dominik Wasem (GER), Trident Racing (#47)
9. Michele Caliendo (ITA), ADM Motorsport (#22)
10. Simon Trummer (SUI), Iris Project (#35)
11. Riccardo Cinti (ITA), Euronova Racing (#36)
12. Tomas Pivoda (CZH), ADM Motorsport (#8)
13. Arturo Llobell (ESP), Cram Competition (#1)
14. Harald Schlegelmilch (LAT), Trident Racing (#31)
15. Federico Scionti (ITA), ADM Motorsport (#20)
16. Daniel Mancinelli (ITA), Scuderia Famà (#46)
Not classified
Mihai Marinescu (ROM), Pro Motorsport (#41)
Matei Mihaescu (ROM), Jenzer Motorsport (#24)
Oliver Oakes (GBR), Euronova Racing (#44)
Marcello Puglisi (ITA), Cram Competition (#9)
Tor Graves (GBR), Team JVA (#30)
Frankie Provenzano (ITA), Cram Competition (#21)
Norbert Siedler (AUT), ADM Motorsport (#17)
Vladimir Arabadzhiev (BUL), JD Motorsport (#4)
Sergey Afanasiev (RUS), JD Motorsport (#5)

Formula Master drivers classification - top eight
1. Chris van der Drift (NZL), JD Motorsport (#6), 101 points
2. Fabio Leimer (SUI), Jenzer Motorsport (#23), 79 points
3. Michael Ammermüller (GER), Trident Racing (#27), 74 points
4. Harald Schlegelmilch (LAT), Trident Racing (#31), 46 points
5. Arturo Llobell (ESP), Cram Competition (#1), 29.5 points
6. Josef Kral (CZH), Team JVA (#29), 29 points
7. Vladimir Arabadzhiev (BUL), JD Motorsport (#4), 29 points
8. Sergey Afanasiev (RUS), JD Motorsport (#5), 28 points

Formula Master teams classification - top eight
1. JD Motorsport, 156 points
2. Trident Racing, 96 points
3. Jenzer Motorsport, 82 points
4. Iris Project, 70 points
5. Cram Competition, 68 points
6. ADM Motorsport, 36 points
7. Team JVA, 30 points
8. Euronova Racing, 25.5 points

Formula Master rookies classification - top eight
1. Michael Ammermüller (GER), Trident Racing (#27), 102 points
2. Fabio Leimer (SUI), Jenzer Motorsport (#23), 96 points
3. Harald Schlegelmilch (LAT), Trident Racing (#31), 67.5 points
4. Josef Kral (CZH), Team JVA (#29), 47.5 points
7. Vladimir Arabadzhiev (BUL), JD Motorsport (#4), 45 points
5. Sergey Afanasiev (RUS), JD Motorsport (#5), 44 points
7. Tim Sandtler (GER), ISR (#19), 41 points
8. Alejandro Núñez (ESP), Trident Racing (#33), 28 points

Formula Master team-mates classification - top eight
1. Sergey Afanasiev & Chris van der Drift, JD Motorsport, 765 points
2. Vladimir Arabadzhiev & Chris van der Drift, JD Motorsport, 743 points
3. Fabio Leimer & Matei Mihaescu, Jenzer Motorsport, 646 points
4. Sergey Afanasiev & Vladimir Arabadzhiev, JD Motorsport, 568 points
5. Josef Kral & Tor Graves, Team JVA, 464 points
6. Alejandro Núñez & Harald Schlegelmilch, Trident Racing, 405 points
7. Kasper Andersen & Harald Schlegelmilch, Trident Racing, 400.5 points
8. Kasper Andersen & Alejandro Núñez, Trident Racing, 369.5 points

Lap-by-lap analysis
Lap 1: Schlegelmilch takes the lead into Turn One / Kral passes Schlegelmilch
Lap 2: Mancinelli spins at Turn Two / Van der Drift passes Sandtler for third place / Mihaescu overtakes Afanasiev for P13 / Arabadzhiev and Mokshantev retire - OUT
Lap 3: Sandtler retakes third place from van der Drift / Leimer passes Marinescu ninth place
Lap 4: Mancinelli pits / van der Drift passes Sandtler for third place / Marinescu passes Leimer for eighth place
Lap 5: van der Drift passes Schlegelmilch for second place / Mancinelli rejoins from the pits / Leimer passes Marinescu for eighth place / Afanasiev overtakes Ammermüller for 10th  / Siedler retires - OUT
Lap 6: Provenzano paases Llobell for fifth place / Sekiguchi overtakes Ammermüller for P11
Lap 7: Llobell and Provenzano side-by-side on the pit straight / Leimer and Marinescu pass Trummer for seventh and eighth place / Sekiguchi overtakes Afanasiev for P10

Lap 8: Contact between Provenzano and Llobell / Provenzano spins - OUT / Safety car deployed
Lap 9: Safety car in this lap
Lap 10: Restart / van der Drift passes Kral for the lead / Graves stops on track - OUT / Drive-through penalty for Llobell announced for the incident with Provenzano / Leimer passes Sandtler for fourth place
Lap 11: Llobell serves drive-through penalty / Puglisi and Oakes pit - both OUT / Leimer overtakes Schlegelmilch for P3
Lap 13: Ammermüller passes Marinescu for seventh place
Lap 14: Incident between Mihaescu and Marinesccu - both cars in the gravel - OUT / Sekiguchi passes Sandtler for fifth place
Lap 15: Ammermuller passes Sandtler for sixth place / Caliendo overtakes Trummer for P11
Lap 16: Leimer passes Kral for second place
Lap 17: Afanasiev overtakes Sandtler for P7 / Caliendo passes Wasem for ninth place
Lap 18: Schlegelmilch hits the barriers at Turn One