The Superstars Series is at Imola this weekend for the penultimate round of the season. Battle is raging for the title between Audi and Mercedes-Benz.With Audi Sport Italia fielding no less than three Audi RS 5 quattro cars. Unfortunately that was not enough as the official Audi Italia dealer team faced an extremely hard qualifying session this afternoon.
Team's regular Gianni Morbidelli is joined this weekend by Davide Di Benedetto and Giuseppe Cipriani. The car is coming from a successful British round at Donington park last time out. Following Morbidelli's strong performances in the UK, Superstars Series organizers adjusted the Balance of Performance. The Audi RS 5 quattro once again penalized and slowed down. The three drivers had two very difficult free practice sessions earlier today. Things did not improve in the qualifying session as the Audi drivers were not able to match the pace of the rivals from AMG Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Gianni Morbidelli qualified his #45 RS5 quattro in eighth place. His team-mate Davide Di Benedetto ended in ninth place with car #46. Giuseppe Cipriani was twelvth with the #47 Audi.
The two races are set for tomorrow and it will be hard to see Audi Sport Italia drivers battling for the top spots. The Balance of Performance changed a lot of times this year in Superstars Series and each time hitting the RS 5 quattro. With only two meeting left, this is very difficult situation for title contender Gianni Morbidelli.
At Imola Gianni Morbidelli aims to pick six, as newcomers Davide Di Benedetto and Giuseppe Cipriani join Audi line-up
RACE PREVIEW
This weekend will see the return of the International Superstars Championship to Italy as the V8-series heads South to embark on the final two meetings of the year, with two drivers sitting atop the tables level on points. Vying for the prestige of a record fifth crown Morbidelli, will shoot for his sixt success. Six season wins would tie his unforgettable 2007-2009 vintage years. Even more surprising though, since he's sitting in a RS 5 Gianni still has to please his dedicated fans posting a win in front of a home crowd. As it is, the Pesaro-based driver has claimed all of his 9 successes in the amazing four-wheel-driven car at venues abroad. Moreover, Imola is a track that Morbidelli still has to conquer in this series--although he's posted wins there in other categories. A spate of minor chinks in the Audi star's armor that he's willing to redress Sunday.
The Camozzi Audi driver is quite unlikely to keep the field at arm's length on Saturday, as the Balance Of Performance provisions levied on his RS 5 make him an underdog in the battle for race one front row. However, Audi Sport Italia will be mustering up her strength for the demanding Italian track on Sunday, when braking and tyre wear is expected to pick the eventual winners. This time out Morbidelli will not find himself in the uncomfortable position of lone Audi knight: Davide Di Benedetto and Giuseppe Cipriani are set to join him at the former F.1 venue, making their debuts in tin-tops, the latter fresh from a spell in single-seaters, the former making a comeback with Audi Sport Italia after a successful 2012 season in the domestic GT series. Taking into account the features of Imola, they may well end up eating up at the haul of points that Morbidelli's foes aim to claim.
Gianni Morbidelli grabs Superstars lead --level on points with Thomas Biagi -- after posting win number five at Donington Park
RACE REPORT
At Donington Park today Audi Sport Italia and Gianni Morbidelli had their Superstars winning streak snapped at four by a brilliant Gigi Ferrara effort. But, after the stunning coupe AMG Mercedes lights-to-flag success, the former F.1 driver put in a solid come back win in race two edging another Three-pointed-star driver, Thomas Biagi, and claiming from team Romeo Ferraris mainstay a share of the points standings lead: they both boast 173 points, with two meetings to go.
The measures taken by the series' body to slow down the rolling Camozzi Audi--which included choking down the V8 engine, raising the ride height and pushing even higher the already beefy car minimum weight--produced a toiling Saturday for the Audi camp, but Morbidelli's car vying for a podium place all the time on Sunday made soon a statement that his RS 5 was better than his P4 qualifying performance suggested. As race one got underway Morbidelli was squeezed in P5 between Biagi's AMG Mercedes and Colin Turkington's BMW. The three driver were packed behind Giovanni Berton's BMW who was fighting tooth and nail to keep his P3. But the young two-time race winner could only keep at bay the experienced folks behind him for three laps, then Biagi and Morbidelli moved past his M3 in sync, rushing to close the gap from the leading pair of polesitter Gigi Ferrara and Vitantonio Liuzzi. The AMG Mercedes drivers had pulled a gap from the closest pursuers, but it all was suddenly disposed by a safety car triggered by a shunt occurred to Francesco Sini's Chevy. When the safety car left the course Morbidelli immediately set about challenging series' leader Biagi for P3, completing his task on Lap 11. The Camozzi-liveried RS 5 then quickly closed in on Liuzzi's bumper, but Morbidelli saw his hopes of a runner-up finish --or an even better outcome-- dashed when Diego Romanini parked his ailing Lexus on the run-off area at Melbourne hairpin on Lap 12. The oil sprayed sent Liuzzi and Morbidelli spinning, allowing Biagi and Berton to move up the ranks. The unlucky former F1 drivers resumed the race, though, and the lone Audi soon had the red-silver Romeo Ferraris AMG Mercedes in sight, claiming again P4 with two laps to goI. It was too late to try any move on Biagi for P3, though, and the AMG Mercedes nipped Morbidelli at the checker by 0.3s, as Ferrara claimed a light-to-flag win and Berton wound up second.
Compared to race one, the second round looked quite uneventful. For Morbidelli, that is, as Liuzzi's Mercedes fell by the wayside due to technical trouble in the opening lap and Race 1 winner Ferrara's car followed suit at the half-race mark. Therefore if you do not count Max Mugelli's BMW, that Morbidelli overtook on Lap 1 to claim the runner-up spot, the Audi driver only had eyes for arch-rival Biagi, who took P1 at the start but could not open a gap on Morbidelli. The AMG Mercedes driver gave it all, even posting the fastest lap and the point that comes along it, but Morbidelli was biding his time waiting for the tyre wear to tilt the balance towards his 4WD. Which happened on Lap 11 when the Audi went past the C63 at Redgate Corner. As Morbidelli was dialing in his overweight car to make sure to take it to the checker, Motors TV commentator Clive McNeill quipped that 'you can take away a wheel off this car but Morbidelli will manage do find a way to win'. Which the Italian actually managed to do...
At Donington Park Audi Sport Italia lodged a protest in order to ascertain the compliance of bodywork and aero parts of team Romeo Ferraris C63s. The result of the protest will be available at a later date.
A great victory for Gianni Morbidelli and Audi Sport Italia in Superstars Series race 2 at Donington Park. After an unlucky race 1 earlier today, the RS 5 quattro took an impressive win in the second race of the day.
Gianni Morbidelli, driving the #45 Audi RS 5 quattro, won race 2 in style. The car is clearly the heaviest and the slowest in top speed of the entire field, yet the Italian touring car ace managed to battle against the much more powerful Mercedes-Benz AMG C63 of Thomas Biagi. Morbidelli had to win this race, not to let his rival increase his points lead. With only a few minutes left in the race, Morbidelli overtook Biagi for the lead. Right after that the three-time Superstars Series champion managed to built a big gap. His rival Biagi started to struggle and could not match the pace of the Audi driver.
A great win for a team that was forced to split and compete at two different locations this weekend. Big points collected in Britain, battling with single car against factory supported teams from AMG Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Now Gianni Morbidelli and Thomas Biaggi are leading the series with 173 points each.
It was a very eventful Superstars Series race 1 at Donington Park today. Gianni Morbidelli finished fourth with his Audi RS 5 quattro, but it could have been a lot better.
The 25 minutes sprint race saw titanic battles on track between the three German brands, Audi, BMW and AMG Mercedes-Benz. Gianni Morbidelli started from fourth place with his RS 5 quattro. The three-time Superstars Series champion battled hard all race long and was even able to catch third place. In the closing stages of the race, whilst putting great pressure on Thomas Biagi for second place, bad luck hit the Audi. Oil on track from a retired Lexus and Gianni Morbidelli had a spin. Down to fifth place, but he was able to recover and catch the leading group again. With some minutes left he passed Liuzi for fourth place after a great move. In the last lap he gave everything to do the same with Thomas Biagi, but the AMG Mercedes driver closed the door.
Race victory went to Luigi Ferrara with his AMG Mercedes-Benz C63. Second was Giovanni Berton with his BMW M3 and third Thomas Biagi with the works AMG Mercedes-Benz C63.
A fine fourth in the end, given how strongly penalized the Audi Sport Italia run RS 5 quattro is at the moment. Race 2 will take place later today, with live TV coverage on Motors TV.
The Superstars GT Sprint is at Donington Park this weekend. A single Audi R8 LMS from MTM is at the British track and has already achieved very strong performances. The #45 Audi R8 LMS is shared by the team's regular Thomas Schöffler, who is joined by Audi factory driver Oliver Jarvis this weekend. Thomas Schöffler is leading the overall driver's points standings. In the first qualifying session they took pole position with a fastest time of 1:28.834. The Audi car was followed by two Ferrari 458 GT3 cars in second and third.
In the second qualifying session the MTM Audi performed well again. A fine third for Jarvis and Schöffler. Up ahead it was a Ferrari 458 GT3 1-2, the two cars from Team Ukraine.
The two races are set for tomorrow. Best of luck to MTM and their two drivers.
In addition to the Italian GT Championqhip at Imola, Audi Sport Italia is also competing in the Superstars Series at Donington Park this weekend. A single Audi RS 5 quattro is in Britian for their regular driver, Gianni Morbidelli. The three-time Superstars Series champion qualified his #45 Audi in a strong fourth, after a very close session. Not bad at all, given how penalized the Audi RS 5 quattro is now compared to the rivals from the other brands.
Gianni Morbidelli was only 0.320 behind pole-sitter Luigi Ferrari and his much more powerful AMG Mercedes-Benz C63. Second was Vitantonio Liuzi with the factory supported #15 AMG Mercedes-Benz C63 (Mercedes Romeo Ferraris). Third was the #4 BMW M3 of Giovanni Berton (Team BMW Dinamic).
The two races are set for tomorrow on the British track. Motors TV will provide live coverage for both races.
Gianni Morbidelli's 2013 Superstars Season At A Crossroads
DONINGTON PARK RACE PREVIEW
Quite soon a host of Italy-registered trucks will head north to United Kingdom, as after a long summer break the 2013 Superstars series resumes on September 1st. At Donington Park AMG Mercedes’ Thomas Biagi will top the points table, but the upcoming weekend is rather likely to focus on Gianni Morbidelli’s fate: after four consecutive wins in twin-race meetings (an accomplishment which equalled his own 2009 record) can he keep his streak alive and grab the series’ lead or possibly the momentum that has sustained him and his Audi so far is on the brink of petering out?
The Leicestershire venue is renowned as a demanding but low-grip track: both features suit well the Audi assets. However, the Audi Sport Italia squad is heading into rougher waters at the British historic circuit. After the Portoguese round the series’ body levied an array of measures to undercut the rolling RS 5 and there is no question that these will add up to leave Morbidelli in a bit of spot. As a matter of fact the latest Balance Of Performance provisions will be pushing the envelope of RS 5's resiliency to its limit. The series’ rulebook had scheduled BOP updates after the Slovakian and British meetings: therefore the post-Zolder and post-Algarve mandates can well be dubbed as kind of extraordinary. It’s quite likely that the new mandatory measures will put a substantial strain on the Audi equipment, something the Italian outfit had struggled with early on.
The hurdles Morbidelli will have to clear at Donington Park can be split in two categories: reliability and performance issues. Audis were already topping the Superstars’ scales when the first technical bulletin was issued in mid-March: the RS 5 then was 30 or 40 kilos heavier than the beefiest competition (respectively AMG Mercedes and Cadillacs). The latest bulletin has increased Audi’s weight 40 kilos, therefore the German car is now 60 kilos heavier than C63s and 80 kilos more than the lone Cadillac—if the latter will show up. Including the sporting ballast the Camozzi-liveried car will be gauged at 1530 kilos, stamping a substantial reliability question mark on the Audi Sport Italia package. (By the way, this huge bulk isn’t even going to set a glum record: back in 2008 Superstars, Morbidelli’s RS 4 was forced to take on Monza at 1610 kilos. He wound up second, though, but he’d rather forget the car driveability throughout the weekend…)
As far as performance is concerned, the lone RS 5 is also headed to UK as the tallest car in the field, as it happened until the Slovakian outing: its ride height has been increased to 90 mm, i.e. 15 mm more than any competitor. This measure may not hurt excessively through Donington Park hairpins, but Craner and other tricky spots will be another story altogether. Last but not least, Audi’s V8 engine, whose 4.2 litre capacity is among the leanest in the series, has now to fit a 79mm air-restrictor which will replace the previous 85mm device. The choken down powerplant is expected to affect massively the car performance, further worsening the gap in horsepower with the BHP-happy competition, but at least it seems unlikely to have significant consequences on reliability.
However, the points standings are still bunched up enough to propel the title hopes of four drivers–besides Morbidelli and Biagi, Tonio Liuzzi and Giovanni Berton. Therefore there is a fair chance that Morbidelli’s staunch competition will feel compelled to rack up as many points as possibile --and take the risks that come along with such a gameplan -- before the Audi Sport Italia package come to grips with the latest overhaul. At Donington Park the Audi will be unloaded from the team truck without having undergone any major tweak. This means that it’s going to be easy to overlap the latest BOP provisions with the mid-Summer performance. Our hunch here is that, provided that weight and ride height measures will not chip away excessively on the car reliability, the upcoming meeting is not set to sap Morbidelli's confidence that he's well positioned to make a deep championship run. We’d not urge any fan to bet the farm on Morbidelli easily keeping the winning streak alive, but write him off as a Top3 finisher at your peril.
Gianni Morbidelli and Audi Sport Italia have the last laugh in Portugal with clean-sweep
RACE REPORT
This year Superstars' stop at Autodromo de Algarve had in store quite different storylines on this hot summer weekend, as Saturday belonged to AMG Mercedes C63s but Sunday gave Gianni Morbidelli plenty of time to celebrate his second consecutive sweep, an accomplishment that vaults him into full contention for his fifth and sixth --taking into account the domestic title-- Superstars ring with three 2013 meetings remaining: Morbidelli is now only three points behind current leader Thomas Biagi.
On Saturday Morbidelli had fell a litlle short for the inside pole, but his fastest lap was enough to grant him a front row spot, although at the rolling start the power and torque of AMG Mercedes had the upper hand and the Audi driver was shuffled down the order to P4, behind polesitter Gigi Ferrara and team mates Tonio Liuzzi and Thomas Biagi. The former F.1 driver did not lose track of them on the opening lap and he started breathing down on their necks quite soon, actually moving past Biagi on Lap 2. The Camozzi-liveried Audi had to stay in P3 until Lap 3, when Morbidelli went past Liuzzi, the tallest hurdle to clear in Race 1. Ferrara had unfolded a brave gameplan in Portugal, but in doing so he possibly put too much strain on his machinery trying to pull away early on and by Lap 8 he had to relinquish P1 to the Audi rival, then dropping further down the order to a dismal -- and unfair-- P7.
After the morning outcome the paddock was full of insiders forecasting that, one month removed from his Belgium sweep, Morbidelli and his RS 5 could again grab the Portuguese's limelight. And the Pesaro-born driver, although hindered by a 60-kilos ballast coming along his Belgian sweep, made again good use of the latest technical developments that, especially in the drivetrain area, have somehow offset the 1520 kilos minimum weight of the black, white and green Audi. The Pesaro-based driver therefore revelled again in a fine racing rivalry with championship protagonists Liuzzi, Biagi and Ferrara... and won, altough Morbidelli had to work his tail off to make it four-in-a-row.
In the early stages of Race 2, as he was battling with Biagi's AMG Mercedes, braking and front axle issue started to develop, leaving the Audi driver unsure of the reliability of his RS 5. But as time passed Morbidelli adjusted his driving style to the situation and it turned out the opposition was undergoing even worse pains. Therefore with ten minutes to go, as up front Gigi Ferrara and Tonio Liuzzi were dicing for the lead, Morbidelli was grabbing from another C63 P3, moving past Biagi. On lap 9 as Ferrara was suffering servo-steering woes Morbidelli took P2 from the Coupe, then closing on Liuzzi. The Audi put its nose in front of the AMG Mercedes for a couple of corners on lap 10 but Liuzzi fended off the charge. On lap 11 Morbidelli again took the lead and this time out he did not relinquish it until the checker.
Audi Sport Italia had a perfect weekend at Algarve in the Superstars Series. After the fantastic race 1 victory earlier, Gianni Morbidelli did it again in race 2.
The three-time Superstars Series champion scored his fourth straight win, after double victories at Circuit Zolder, and today's double win at Portimao. The driver of the #45 Audi RS 5 quattro dominated the second race after 14 laps. Morbidelli finished first ahead of two Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG cars, those of Vitantonio Liuzzi and Luigi Ferrara respectively.
Alessandro Battaglin with the #35 Audi RS 4 quattro from team Adria Raceway finished ninth, whilst bad luck hit his team-mate Jonathan Giacon with the sister #36, as he retired after only 1 lap into the race.
Despite entering only a single car in Portugal, and the team being split between two locations (Italian GT at Imola), Audi Sport Italia and Gianni Morbidelli performed very well. Two fantastic race victories and more importantly, big points collected for the championship title.
The next round of the Superstars Series will be in Great-Britain, at Donington Park on September the 1st.
Audi Sport Italia has gracefully handled a tight logical challenge this weekend. A clash between the Italian GT at Imola and the Superstars in Portugal has left the team spread between both events. Two Audi R8 LMS ultra at Imola and one RS 5 in Portugal.
Despite the clash Audi Sport Italia took pole and victory in race one of the Italian GT, and they have backed this up with victory for Gianni Morbidelli in Portugal. Morbidelli qualified on the front row in Portugal and capitalised on the strong starting positions by converting it into his third race win of the season. A Sunday to remember for Audi Sport Italia.
Two more Audis are also taking part in Portugal. Adria Raceway is fielding two of the ex-Audi Sport Italia RS 4 (B7) cars. Their drivers Jonathan Giacon and Alessandro Battaglin finished race one in ninth and tenth respectively, ensuring that all of the Audis finished within the top ten.
Race two will take place later this afternoon, and we wish the best of luck to the team and Gianni Morbidelli to repeat the success.
Audi Sport Italia is very busy this weekend. In addition to the Italian GT Championship round at Imola where the team scored a fantastic pole position, the official Audi Italia dealer team is also racing in the Superstars Series at Portimao.
The team being split between two locations, with a single Audi RS 5 quattro having been entered for the Portuguese round. The #45 Audi of Gianni Morbidelli, who is currently second in the driver's standing after double victories at Zolder last time out. The three-time Superstars Series champion performed very well today in the qualifying session with a fine second on the grid. Not bad from the Italian touring car ace as the Audi RS 5 quattro is carrying an extra 60 kilograms and a smaller air restrictor.
Gianni Morbidelli will have to fight with three fast Mercedes-Benz cars in the two races tomorrow. Pole position went to Luigi Ferrari with a Mercedes-Benz AMG C63. In third and fourth were the factory supported Mercedes Romeo Ferraris cars of Vitantonio Liuzzi and Thomas Biagi. Both Liuzzi and Biagi are the direct rivals for Morbidelli in the hunt for the championship title.
In addition to the official Audi Sport Italia entry, two Audi RS 4 quattro (B7) cars are also entered for the Portimao round. The cars are from Adria Raceway with drivers Jonathan Giacon and Alessandro Battaglin. They qualified in tenth and fourteenth respectively.
Audi Sport Italia and Gianni Morbidelli gear up for the challenges of the long hauls
PORTIMAO RACE PREVIEW
Audi Sport Italia and Gianni Morbidelli travel to Portugal for round 9 and 10 of the 2013 International Superstars Series riding on the coattails of a double 1-2 win at Zolder. They both know that it's impossible that things go their way as they did in Belgium: to start with, the Pesaro-based driver will not have a team mate this weekend -- as for the first time this season the four-ring Superstars operation will have a lone RS 5 involved --. Moreover insane clashing schedules will force the team owned by former rallying co-driver Emilio Radaelli to stretch thin its resources. On the same weekend, besides the Camozzi-liveried RS 5, two GT3 R8 LMS ultras will be fielded at Imola, which hosts an Italian Gran Turismo race meeting. As the latter is supported by the domestic importer the precedence in allocating resources will go to GT3, but this does not mean that the Audi Sport Italia camp will relinquish any will to fight, just the opposite: they're ready to use the runner-up spot as a springboard to improve in the tables. However -- as it's common in motorsports that more often than not things may crop up that alter plans even in ideal condition -- being forced to a plan-B for both the Portuguese and then again the forthcoming Donington Park meeting is something that team and driver would have been keen to avoid.
But these are the cards and Morbidelli and his lean squad are ready: as a matter of fact the Portuguese venue even looks a good playing field, on the paper. Unfortunately the former F.1 driver will have to toil with 60 additional kilos that came along his Zolder's twin victories. Moreover the Series’ Tech Bureau has levied to the lone four-wheel-driven car a provision that will have the V8 engine fitted with a 85-mm air restrictor, something that Morbidelli and Vanthoor were indeed spared in Belgium.
Surprisingly, tables' provisonal leader Thomas Biagi and title contender Vitantonio Liuzzi offered little resistance to title-chasing Morbidelli at Zolder, taking a back foot even to fellow AMG Mercedes drivers. But for all the C63s the ride heigth set for the initial rounds has been restored, and this may well help them on the flowing lines of the Algarve racetrack. BMWs and Panameras, which are renowned for having an asset in their chassis, may well spring up to the top of the standings, especially on Saturday. But the lone Audi driver has not made his mind only to sit on his position throughout the weekend waiting for others to experience problems. Moreover this meeting also has an added value: scoring points towards both the International and the Italian Superstars standings.
INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTARS SERIES 2013
Int'l drivers points standings after 8 rounds:
1. Thomas Biagi 119 points, 2. GIANNI MORBIDELLI 96 pts., 3. Giovanni Berton 91 pts., 4. Vitantonio Liuzzi 90 pts., 5. Luigi Ferrara 71 pts., 6. Andrea Bacci 42 pts., 7. LAURENS VANTHOOR 34 pts., 8. Francesco Sini 32 pts., 9. Fabrizio Giovanardi 31 pts., 10. Max Mugelli 27 pts.
Gianni Morbidelli and Laurens Vanthoor star at Zolder as twin 1-2 wins end Audi Sport Italia Superstars drought
ZOLDER RACE REPORT
Apparently it's been a worldwide quattro-Sunday, as Superstars round 7&8 added their humble bricks to the Big House that R18 e-tron Audis have built on La Sarthe earlier today. In Belgium, good old RS 5s driven by Gianni Morbidelli and Laurens Vanthoor--a well-respected Audi GT3 driver on a one-off V8 appearence --finished in this order twice at 50-year old Zolder. The double win was the first of the season for the Audi Sport Italia outfit, which had been winless in the V8 series since the Spa-Francorchamps rounds in mid-July 2012, both signed off by Morbidelli.
Starting race 1 from pole position, four-time Superstars champion Gianni Morbidelli went on to secure his first win of the 2013 campaign, leading home Vanthoor by 7.422s. After a stunning comeback race, in the closing stages of the race the Belgian was anticipating a prop-shaft problem that then forced the crew to take action, replacing it before racing resumed in the afternoon for Superstars round 8. Morbidelli then made it two wins from two, albeit he had to wait the pits' straight line to claim P1, courtesy of Vanthoor who left him the door open.
Minutes before Noon and the green light drizzle sprayed water on the 4-kilometer track but all the field stuck to slick tyres. At the start poleman Morbidelli's RS 5 held off at Turn 1 another fast getaway from Tonio Liuzzi's AMG Mercedes before pulling clear. At long last, it was meant to be a quiet round for the former F.1 driver, who could safely control the closest pursuers for most of the race. Life wasn't as easy for homeboy Vanthoor. In spite of starting from row 8 after skipping qualifying as a consequence of a transmission failure, the young gun was already flirting with Top10 on the opening lap, chasing the Porsche duo of touring car legends Fabrizio Giovanardi and Nicola Larini. Dicing with the former, Vanthoor scythed through the field and by Lap 4 he also managed to claim P5 from the ex-Alfa Romeo star. Then the No.46 went on a fastest lap binge, which propelled it past AMG Mercedes' stars Liuzzi and Gigi Ferrara. Possibly Vanthoor faced then the stingiest opposition from fellow countryman Renaud Kuppens. Assoon as Vanthoor claimed a well-deserved P2, an all-Audi fight for P1 seemed likely to develop, but the Belgian driver run took a toll on the prop-shaft, and the checker came timely to seal the first 2013 Audi 1-2, before Vanthoor pulled over his RS 5 without reaching the parc ferme.
Audis didn't lead race 2... that is, they did not for 3 laps and half. That's how long it took to Vanthoor--starting on row 4 on the reserved grid mandatory for race 2--to come back on top.
After a blazing opening lap that saw him climb from P7 to P4, the homeboy did not disappoint his politely rabid fan base, grabbing the leading spot from Raffaele Giammaria's AMG Mercedes. Team mate Morbidelli had had a less comfortable beginning, as an understeering car forced him to wait lap 5 to break into the Top 5, which he did overtaking Kuppen's BMW. Another manoeuvre on a Bimmer, Berton's one, granted him P4. Then, whilst Ferrara's AMG Mercedes was felled by mechanical trouble, on lap 11 Morbidelli found a way by another AMG Mercedes, Giammaria's one. At this stage Vanthoor was far away in a lonely leading spot, but in the final lap the Hasselt-born driver backed off and Morbidelli further boosted his title chase moving un final step up the ladder. It's worth noting thatwithout Vanthoor's help the Pesaro-based driver would still be now runner-up in the table, but five further points adrift of Thomas Biagi and also level on points with BMW's Giovanni Berton.
Gianni Morbidelli lands first Audi pole position since September 2012. Homeboy Laurens Vanthoor experiences mixed fortunes in Superstars debut
ZOLDER QUALIFYING REPORT
Gianni Morbidelli has taken today pole position at Zolder under grey skies for round 7 of the International Superstars Series in his Camozzi-liveried RS 5, after a daring late charge that left former F.1 driver Vitantonio Liuzzi 4-tenths of a second behind.Morbidelli, who was on a pole position drought since the summer of 2012, hopes to kick start his championship hopes in Belgium--a country where he scored a double Superstars victory at Spa last year. Moreover, Zolder is famously a 4WD-friendly venue and the Sunday look full of promise for the Audi camp.
Audi Sport Italia's newcomer Laurens Vanthoor -- sitting on car No 46 replacing Ferdinando Geri who has stood down from the series after three meetings -- had an outstanding morning, claiming P1 in his first ever run in the RS 5, then claiming P2 in the second practice session behind Liuzzi. Unfortunately he could only put in one lap before pulling over between turn 3 and 4 as his RS 5 was felled by the input shaft. In spite of having to start from row 8 his impressive poise is a guarantee that on Sunday the home crowd will be sure to get something to cheer for.
The morning had not been as happy and smooth for Morbidelli as it had been for his one-off team mate. The Pesaro-born driver had claimed P2 in FP1 but fell down the order in FP2 as his rear diff gave good reason to the team crew to have it tweaked before qualifying. The 30-minute session saw Morbidelli on top on a regular basis, early on briefly heading Raffaele Giammaria's AMG Mercedes by 0.015s. Then it was Gigi Ferrara's Swabian coupe turn to lead the tables, 0.161s ahead of the Audi man. But it was then the sedan AMG Mercedes of Liuzzi that made it again to the top, the former Red Bull driver hardly hindered by the outcome of the new Balance Of Performance that had been put in place before the fourth 2013 meeting. Liuzzi's 1:36.462s was a good lap fair and square, but today Morbidelli was on top form and he managed to post an outstanding 1:36.055 that left Liuzzi 0.407 adrift, also securing Audi's 20th pole position since entering the series in 2005.
Audi Sport Italia Press Release ZOLDER RACE PREVIEW
2013 International Superstars Series - Round 7 + 8
AUDI SPORT ITALIA KEEN TO BRING ITS RS5S TO THE FIRST 2013 VENUE WHICH, ON PAPER, SUITS THEIR 4-WHEEL-DRIVE International Superstars Series’ Belgian meeting has novelty recipes in store for Audi Sport Italia. Young Audi driver Laurens Vanthoor has signed to race for the four-ring Italian outfit in this year's round seven and eight.
The Hasselt-based Belgian will be a newcomer to V8 tin-tops, but since he calls Zolder his hometrack and being an Audi stalwart in GT3 racing he’s unlikely to be expected by a steep learning curve. Moreover, he may well be the hottest man on Sunday, as he’ll also share driving duties with former Superstars driver Thomas Schoeffler in the MTM R8 LMS ultra fielded by the German team in GT Sprint. Vanthoor will replace in the silver No 46 RS 5 Ferdinando Geri, who stood down from Superstars.
Regular driver Gianni Morbidelli will be a precious help for the Belgian teammate to make a quick transition from the rear-wheel-driven R8 LMS ultra to the 4WD RS 5; the pair might together mount a sharp challenge to the Top Spot, which has been escaping Audi drivers since September 2012. Morbidelli can’t wait to try his car for the first time since the series’ June 12 Balance Of Performance, which was aimed at slowing down the so far dominating AMG Mercedeses and to help the opposition to rebound: namely so for the Panamera Porsches which were granted 40 kilos less on the scales, but the Ingolstadt cars’ minimum weight was also cut by 20 kilos. Even better the Audi engines were saved the depressing choke of air restrictors.
Interestingly the Balance Of Performance provisions might have been a boon in the past meetings--where Audis struggled with the quick features of Monza and Slovakia--but they may well prove a less deciding factor at Zolder, whose layout used to be a favorite for 4WDs on a regular basis. 90s’ touring cars top series, DTM and Supertourenwagen made 11 visits to the Belgian track from 1994 to 1997, and only 3 times could a non-4WD post a win, each time courtesy of BMW legend Johnny Cecotto.
Surrounded by Ferrari 458s, Porsche 997s and Chevy Corvette Z06 Rs accustomed to victory. MTM drivers Thomas Schöffler and Antti Buri in their MTM Audi R8 LMS assured themselves of a place in the sun in training for the third qualifying run.
They managed to start the first of the two qualifying runs in third position and put in an impressive showing in the further course of the race against the fastest two Ferrari teams in training of Studenic/Tkac and Vorba/Jakubik. After one hour, the Audi R8 LMS prepared and fielded by mtm was the first through the finishing tape with a lead of a shade under ten seconds. For technical reasons the previously victorious team was then unable to take any further part in deciding the second run of the race.
Roland Mayer, MTM GmbH's Managing Director commented: "Because of a minor fault with the Electronic Control Unit, the engine only run in emergency mode. This may have been caused by an inspection of the r estrictors after the first run - we are currently looking into that." Apart from that Roland Mayer was satisfied with the dynamic development of his team: "Racing is not just about the speed on the track. All the different disciplines have to work together quickly and accurately, get the job done with split second precision so that we can challenge and beat the established competition."
The direction is clear - the next meeting of the GT-Sprint International Series will take place in Zolder on 23.06.2013.
Our new goal: overall victory at the end of the season.
Gianni Morbidelli's comeback in Race 2 saves the day for Audi Sport Italia at Slovakia Ring after scoreless Race 1
SLOVAKIA RING RACE REPORT
Audi Sport Italia's first ever visit to Slovakia had started with confidence, as Gianni Morbidelli had reached the Central European venue buoyed by his best 2013 finish at Brno's round 4. As it turned out, on Saturday he was soon on the back foot as the fast track layout, the current Balance of Performance, and moreover the 20-kilo ballast levied for his Czech Republic runner-up spot proved a bitter pill to swallow for him and team mate Nando Geri. This weekend's time sheets and results seem to make pretty obvious that the Series promoter still have a long way to go to make it fair the competition between the currently dominant AMG Mercedeses and the rest of the field.
Despite a disappointing race 1, the Camozzi-liveried No45 car fought back hard to secure a third place in race 2, the second podium finish as yet for the Audi Sport Italia camp. Geri in the team No 46 retired in both rounds, and this dealt a blow to his hopes of clinching a consistent points haul to keep his chase to Star Driver glory --a weekend warrior-only standings-- intact.
Race 1 soon turned out to be the shortest 2013 outing for Audi drivers, as by Lap 3 both had already being forced to wave goodbye to the 16-car field. As polesitter Vitantonio Liuzzi was on his way to a dominant lights-to-flag win, the Audi pitwall was relieved to watch Morbidelli keep the same P7 he had claimed on Saturday, whilst team mate Geri was in P15 at the end of the opening lap. Giovanni Berton and Max Mugelli were not far ahead of Morbidelli, who overtook the latter on Lap 2 and the former on Lap 3. Unfortunately the Pesaro-based driver could enjoy P5 only a few more corners before the prop-shaft let go. Geri had already pitted on the same lap: a sllly problem to his pedal box forced the Rome-based driver to surrender.
Starting Race 2 from the lowly row 6 and 7, Morbidelli and Geri were pretty sure to have soon their hands full at the start, but actually the safety car cooled the roaring bunch for five laps, as Race 1 winner Liuzzi had to pull his AMG Mercedes over at the controversial chicane on the opening lap in a plume of smoke. When the oil had been removed from the tarmac and the green flags were waved, Morbidelli had propelled his Camozzi RS 5 to P6, moving past Roberto Benedetti's Cadillac, on pole position due to the reversed grid. Sadly his team mate could not move up as fast, as after a brief spell on P12 Geri had to retire again.
Things looked definitely brighter for the No 45 Audi after a quick scare --he drove wide in the grass of Sector 2-- on Lap 8 Mugelli's BMW and Andrea Bacci's AMG Mercedes were close at hand. By the end of Lap 9 the ebullient Italian was occupying P4, and an unexpected opportunity to break into the top 3 looked far from being over the top. As a matter of fact on Lap 10 Gianni moved past series leader Thomas Biagi to grab P3, and then was able to move up to P2 when then runner-up had to slow down his pace. As Berton's lead was beyond reach Morbidelli had to relinquish the second place to Biagi, as the Audi brakes were feeling the strain of overheating after having picked up grass and dirt during the brief off at mid-race. None the less the second 2013 podium finish was a welcomed outcome for Morbidelli, a score that helped the Audi driver his 5th position in the points.
