Italian GT: Two podium finishes at Red Bull Ring for Audi Sport Italia

Audi Sport Italia Press Release

Two podium finishes at Red Bull Ring for Audi Sport Italia's R8 LMS ultras

Audi drivers come back with grit on Sunday, offsetting dismal qualifying sessions

The Italian GT morning round staged against the backdrop of Styria's hills saw Andrea Sonvico and Dindo Capello starting just 7th on the grid, but the additional challenge didn't faze the pair as they stormed to their first podium of the Italian Gran Turismo season in the No. 4 Audi Sport Italia R8 LMS ultra. Alex Frassineti and Johan Kristoffersson--who like team mates had experienced technical glitches on Saturday--then took the relay in the second race claiming their first podium finish, as well as the young Swedemaiden Top3 spot in a R8 LMS ultra cockpit. The young pair is also the best Audi duo in the provisional points standings led by Race 2 winners Postiglione-Lucchini, as they're 7th--level on points  with Race 1 winners Venturi-Maino--whilst Capello-Sonvico are 3 points behind fellow Audi drivers.

At the end of Race 1opening lap Kristoffersson had improved his P9 on the grid moving up two spots, whilst team mate Sonvico was 8th, after a Turn 1 swipe with Giuseppe Ciro's Ferrari. Sonvico spent just a few miles behind Kristoffersson, setting then his sight on Francesco LaMazza's Ferrari rear bumper. On Lap 4 Sonvico had the upper's hand on the black Ferrari and the No 5 Audi followed suit three laps later. As Sonvico was making up ground on Giorgio Sanna's Lamborghini, the Swede finally could spend time on a clear track to come to grips with the Austrian venue, a layout he had barely learned on Saturday. On Lap 11 Sonvico grabbed P5 from the black Gallardo and the driver from Lombardy then managed to post consistent laps before leaving the cockpit to Capello, who resumed the race in 3rd position benefitting from time handicap levied on cars which had had better outcomes at the previous GT3 meeting. Both Capello and Frassineti--who had taken over from Kristoffersson in P5--were on the pace with the fastest cars on track. The Rome-based young gun even managed to post the second fastest lap and the quickest of any R8 LMS ultra, only seconds removed from a spin which cost him P4 after putting his tyres on dirt.

From the word go Race 2 looked set to be the realm of incertitude, as half of the field was aware that some kind of time handicap would have been waiting for them at the mandatory pit-stop. Audi Sport Italia's No 4 crew had a 10-second levy chalked up for them, whilst teammates were spared such an hinderance. At the end of the day the race proved as close as a race can be, but the winning Ebimotors Porsche none the less managed to lead each lap. The first corner was less eventful this time out, and throughout five laps Postiglione, Venturi and Audi's Frassineti were bunched up, until the young driver from Rome made a minor mistake which opened up the door for Capello to claim P3. Capello and Frassineti put in a good run until the pit stop, that propelled Kristoffersson and Sonvico back into the fray respectively in 3rd and 6th position. The Top6 didn't lose sight of each other nearly until the very

end, as No 5 Audi fended off the pressure from ROAL BMWs right to the checker. Sonvico's No. 4 Audi backed off a bit at the end of the race sitting quietly ahaed of the closest pursuer and too far from the P5 BMW. The last lap proved a dash to the finish line, though, as a last-corner tussle nearly unfolded between Lucchini and Ciro's Ferrari, which allowed to 3rd Kristoffersson to close his gap from the winning Porsche to a tiny 0.5s.

ITALIAN GRAN TURISMO

RED BULL RING, Austria

Round 3: June, 16

1. Tommaso Maino/Mirko Venturi (Ferrari) 32 laps, 50m56.269s avg speed 163.05 Kph
2. ANDREA SONVICO/DINDO CAPELLO (AUDI R8 LMS ULTRA) +9.488s

3. Giorgio Sanna/Giacomo Barri (Lamborghini) +13.114s

../..
5. JOHAN KRISTOFFERSSON/ALEX FRASSINETI (AUDI R8 LMS ULTRA) +26.591s

AUDI No.        START/FINISH
4                              7/2  
5                              9/5  

DRIVERS’ STINTS (laps)
SONVICO CAPELLO  KRISTOFFERSSON  FRASSINETI
1/14                    15/32             1/16                             17/32

AUDI No.        LAPS LED (X times)
4                            - (0x) -  
5                            - (0x) -

Round 4: June, 16

1. Vito Postiglione/Luigi Lucchini (Porsche)  
31 laps 49:43.277 avg speed 161.82 Kph
2. Gabriele Lancieri/Giuseppe Cirò (Ferrari) + 0.351s

3. ALEX FRASSINETI/JOHAN KRISTOFFERSSON (AUDI R8 LMS ultra) + 0.593

../..
6. DINDO CAPELLO/ANDREA SONVICO (AUDI R8 LMS ultra) +9.148s

CAR No.        START/FINISH
4                            7/6  
5                            4/3  

DRIVERS’ STINTS (laps)
CAPELLO     SONVICO KRISTOFFERSSON  FRASSINETI
1/15                 15/31                  14/31                        1/14

LAPS LED (X times)
car            laps
No 4          -    (0x) -  
No 5          -   (0x)  -

2013 GT3 Drivers' Points Standings 

(after 4 of 14 rounds)

1. Postiglione/Lucchini 56 points;

3. Passuti/Mapelli 44 pts;

5. Lancieri/Cirò 43 pts;

7. Venturi/Maino/KRISTOFFERSSON/FRASSINETI 28 pts;

9. Sanna/Barri/Colombo/Comandini 26 pts.;

15. CAPELLO/SONVICO 25 pts.

Photo credit: Audi Sport Italia