Audi Sport Italia Press Release
- Emanuele Zonzini to start from row two in his third tin-top start
- Early fuel pump problems doom Ermanno Dionisio qualifying
Hockenheim – According to conventional wisdom the Baden Wurttemberg track was supposed to be a boon for Camaros and AMG Mercedes and for their beefy engines: it turned out that only in free practice one a car that boasts power among its primary assets, Francesco Sini's Chevy could top the time sheets. Then the game belogned Audi Sport Italia's RS 5s and no one benefitted more of this twist of fate than the best-placed Audi driver in the tables: Tomas Kostka. The Zlin, Czech Republic-based driver was first in free practice two posting the fastest time in practice as well as the lone lap one under the 1-minute 48-second barrier: 1'47.924.
In qualifying he repeated himself: his 1:47.632 remained unbeaten, but Kostka himself trimmed it when the session resumed after the second red flag, posting a shining 1:47.134, four-tenths of a second ahead of the closest pursuer. Nicola Baldan, runner-up in the tables, three points removed from the Czech, tomorrow will start from row three: his Saturday was blighted by technical trouble. Sini, third in the points standing 14 points behind the leader, will start next to the pole sitting RS 5, and could not get ahead of the best Audi in spite of clocking the fastest times in sector two on a regular basis. But sheer power was not enough to displace Audis as the RS 5 quattros were having an edge at the hairpin and in the twisty sections. A confirmation came from Emanuele Zonzini, that put the morning troubles, and a replaced engine, behind himself breaking out at the eleventh hour to cliam a nice third place (1:47.756): The young San Marino-based driver hadn't put a wheel before at Hockenheimring, as during his 2013 GP3 season the singleseater series had paid visit to the Nurburgring, but he quickly made up for the lack of experience building on the knowledge of team mates and the Audi Sport Italia staff. His team mate Ermanno Dionisio --the star at the previous Sachsenring round, courtesy of his astounding come back race-- was not as fortunate as Zonzini, as a pick-up problem stopped him in the grass before he could put in a single lap, even triggering a brief red flag-- the second as outcome of Max Mugelli's crash. The Brixia-born driver will have to start the EuroV8 Series decider from the bottom of the grid.
Qualifying:
1. KOSTKA (AUDI) 1:47.134
2. Sini (Chevrolet) 1:47.524
3. ZONZINI (AUDI) 1:47.756
4. Berton (Chevrolet) 1:48.498
5. Mugelli (BMW) 1:48.664
6. Baldan (Mercedes AMG) 1'48.880
S.T. DIONISIO (AUDI)
Standings:
1. KOSTKA 149 punti
2. Baldan 146 p.
3. Sini 135 p.
4. Mercatali 108 p.
5. Copetti 92 p.
6. Mugelli 91 p.
7. DIONISIO 87 pts.
Photo credit: Audi Sport Italia
