Audi Sport Italia Press Release
Spa meeting
confirms Audi RS5 as 2012 Superstars most winning car, as Gianni Morbidelli
sweeps wins
At rain-soaked Belgian venue Johan Kristoffersson's runnerup finish in Race 1 helps Swede to move from third to second in the points standings -- but misfortune in Race 2 widens his gap from leader Vitantonio Liuzzi. Thomas Schoeffler shows promise but fails to deliver as mechanical trouble strucks MTM car in closing lap of Race 2
Audi teams unpacked their haulers at Spa on Friday
hoping for a change of fortune after a dismal outing in previous Superstars race
meeting at Hungaroring. The rain front hovering above Francorchamps throughout
the weekend meant that this time out unlike the previous meetings the Audi camp
didn't had to toil too much with weight ballast and air restrictor-choked
engines as rain offset these hindrances and drivers were keenly able to squeeze
the most from their quattro drivetrains, whilst rear-wheel driven opposition was
left to struggle with the slippery tarmac.
As it turned out teams were allowed to
temporarily shelf their grooved-tyre inventory just once, on Saturday: after two
wet free practices easily led by Johan Kristoffersson and Gianni Morbidelli, the
latter grabbed his second 2012 pole
position. The former F1 driver edged Kristoffersson to make it an all-silver front row as racing lines
were drying up in the sun.
But on Sunday morning rain was back in full
swing and the Audi Sport Italia star just had to wait a bit more than usual --
as this morning two formation laps were put in -- to make the most of his
starting position and open up a gap over the
field in the treacherous conditions. Behind
Morbidelli the 23-year old
Swede, despite inexperience of the famed
circuit, confirmed his speed keeping up with the leading
Camozzi-sponsored Audi, overcoming glitches to his gearbox and even posting the
race fastest lap to reach fellow RS5 driver on the podium and taking four points
out of Vitantonio Liuzzi's points lead as well as leapfrogging previous runnerup
Thomas Biagi.
Race 2 reversed grid lodged in the front
row Mugello winner Andrea Larini alongside Schoeffer, whilst Morbidelli and
Kristoffersson were moving from row 4. They met opposite fates as
Morbidelli took a blindly fast start, one that propelled him in P3 by Turn 3,
whilst the KMS Audi was faultlessly caught in a melee at La Source corner
alongside a couple of AMG Mercedeses. Although Kristoffersson crossed the finish
line eigth on lap 1 he had to retire minutes later with a broken front shock
damaged beyond repair by the fray at Turn 1. As the KMS RS5 had reached its pit
Morbidelli had already grabbed P1, as he had aggressively moved past Liuzzi and
Larini. Fearing rain could wind down soon triggering tyre wear, Morbidelli was
poised to get a comfortable cushion over the opposition. He was able to do so
and as rain gained again strength in the second half of the race his fourth 2012
win wasn't even threatened by tyre issues. Morbidelli's second perfect weekend
after Donington Park helped him to rally in the points standings to fourth,
although 39 points behind leader Liuzzi. The Italian is still a long shot to
claim his fifth Superstars crown, but as Spa put him back into contention
Kristoffersson's misfortune put him 19 points adrift of Liuzzi.
The Swede managed to keep the runner-up spot, 22 points ahead of BMW's Thomas
Biagi, who's trailed by Morbidelli.
As Morbidelli starred, another Audi driver looked set to make the best of the dreadful conditions of race. On Sunday
morning, with his proverbial jinx apparently holding off, Schoeffler put in the
lone share of thrill to a rather dull --if watched from the grandstands-- Race
1. The MTM Motorsport driver rallied from his row 5 qualifying spot overtaking
in the order Andrea Larini's AMG Mercedes and Stefano Gabellini's BMW and
reaching the 7th place by lap 5. He then set the race fastest lap trying to
catch up Camilo Zurcher's AMG Mercedes, but then received advice from his pit
wall staff to stay put to make sure to enjoy a front row on the reversed grid
for Sunday afternoon race. The 18-year old from Singen wisely complied.
Unfortunately Schoeffler wasn't able to keep behind his RS5 the experienced
drivers who were lurking around him, and he found himself fighting for P4 with
Mika Salo's Maserati on Lap 1. Poised to keep this spot and even grab his maiden
Top3 finish, which would have easily been his best performance of the year so
far, the MTM Audi rolled the dice throughout the race, fending off Larini's
charge and being overtaken again by the tough Italian. Biagi and Ferrara soon
joined the fray and the foursome pur on a good show until the next-to-last lap,
when the 18-year old German felt something going wrong in the transmission and
cruised in the final lap to P7, in order to make sure to seal at least a win in
the rookie standings.
INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTARS SERIES 2012
Round 11 - Spa,
Belgium
Sunday, July
15
1
GIANNI MORBIDELLI (AUDI RS5) 9 lap 28'12.795 avg speed 134.056kph2 JOHAN KRISTOFFERSSON (AUDI RS5) +1.269s
3 Vitantonio Liuzzi (AMG Mercedes) +13.938s
4 Luigi Ferrara (AMG Mercedes) + 15.725s
5 Mika Salo (Maserati) + 17.248s
../..
7 THOMAS SCHOEFFLER (AUDI RS5) + 26.241s
INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTARS SERIES
2012
Round 12 - Spa,
Belgium
Sunday, July
15
3. Mika Salo (Maserati)
+ 13.537s
4. Thomas Biagi (BMW) +
25.917s
5.
Stefano Gabellini (BMW)
+ 29.255s;
6. THOMAS SCHOEFFLER
(AUDI RS5) +
31.638s
DNF JOHAN
KRISTOFFERSSON (AUDI RS5)
INTERNATIONAL
SUPERSTARS SERIES 2012
Drivers points
standings after 12 rounds:
1. Liuzzi 149 total
points;
2.
Kristoffersson 130
pts
3. Biagi 127 pts
4. Morbidelli 110
pts
5. Larini 83
pts
6. Sini 73
pts
7. Gabellini 73
pts
8. Pigoli 57
pts
9. Schoeffler 38
pts
10 Herbert 36
pts
