Audi Sport Italia
Press Release
Wild, wild,
wild International Superstars Series decider at Pergusa: Sweden's
Johan Kristoffersson is triple king in spite of scary shunt to
his KMS RS5
Audi drivers soldier
on at ultra-quick and tough Sicilian venue in their less rewarding
day but Kristoffersson, Gianni Morbidelli and Thomas Schoeffler have
the last laugh
In his debut International
Superstars year the new RS5 built over the winter by Audi Sport Italia outfit,
with support from Ingolstadt customer department, won 8 rounds out of 16 and
sweeped the three championships up for grabs. In an unpredictable and weird finish to a long and entertaining season
Johan Kristoffersson was unflappable in showing his mettle
in the worst possible environment for his RS5 as well for the
sister Audis of Gianni Morbidelli and Thomas Schoeffler. The 23-year old from
Arvika started from a terrible 14th spot on the grid, as his
closest rival Vitantonio Liuzzi (in the CAAL AMG Mercedes entry) was set
to start from Row 4. The Swede after the grim outcome of Saturday was far
from wandering through the paddock head hanging, but was definitely
aware that at the ultra-quick Sicilian venue he and fellow Audi drivers would
have been sitting ducks. Ducks none the less, hoping to be encircled
by hunters on their way to shoot each other. Which ultimately proved the
winning plan: Kristoffersson posted 10 points, way under his average haul of
points, but this was enough today.
Pole sitter Raffaele Giammaria
took a lights-to-flag debut victory in the International Superstars Series'
morning race leading quietly and smoothly the entire 25-minute race, but
behind his Romeo Ferraris AMG Mercedes havoc unfolded and things
went Kristoffersson's way. Despite posting five or more seconds per
lap slower than the leaders throughout the race in the overweight KMS RS5, the
Swede found himself fifth at the finish, one place behind Liuzzi's team-mate
Andrea Bacci and one ahead of Gianni Morbidelli. The Camozzi Audi Sport
Italia driver after Saturday's practice had had a hard look at calling it
a day because of how the Audis were off the pace--moreover just a couple
of weeks after having sweeped the Vallelunga meeting. As a matter of fact
Audi drivers had been bemoaning all Saturday the demoralizing timesheets
that saw German 4WDs penalized by the edge in power of AMG Mercedeses and
Chevys, as well as by the layout of the four chicanes, whose kerbs were tilted
in favor of the swifter Audi rivals and magnifying the hindrances of their
hefty weight--the highest in the Series' scales. RS5 drivers even
tried to follow the lines of lighter cars' drivers through
the kerbs, but immediately they paid dearly with broken schocks,
and Morbidelli paid such a toll twice. But Audi tactics--if it may
have been the only available--proved right as a host of cars pitted early
due to either mechanical trouble or tussles. Besides Kristoffersson's
fifth place, Morbidelli wound up sixth and Schoeffler--in the MTM Motorsport
operated car--was able to break into the Top10 and claim a ninth place in spite
of starting from the pit lane, as the German had underwent a deep rebuild
after a shunt in free practice 1.
Kristoffersson was
therefore taking his 183 points to the afternoon decider--to Liuzzi's 178.
The former Formula 1 driver after a fairly disappointing race 1 (taking into account that Pergusa
proved an AMG Mercedes-friendly track, as Giammaria's pole and sweep of wins
proves) was kind of down, but far from out. And from their position on Row 2
Kristoffersson and Morbidelli braced themselves for the green light and a
possible stampede at the first corner. Surprisingly no mishap occurred at Turn
1, although the power of a couple of AMG Mercedeses had the upper's hand on the
RS5s in the opening lap, but the lightining was ready to struck. On Lap 2
Kristoffersson was torpedoed at Pineta chicane by Nico Caldarola's AMG
Mercedes, that seemed to miss completely the braking point. The Swede
looked shaken but safe out of the car, which immediately looked like a
chassis on the brink of being written off. If the morning race had barely
dented Kristoffersson's lead, the shunt seemed to put out of the hands of
Audi drivers the series' outcome, especially at the only 2012 venue where the
RS5 drivers were toiling with an inferior car.
Audi Sport Italia's team principal Emilio Radaelli, who's also owner of
Superstars RS5s radioed to survivors Morbidelli and Schoeffler to park
their cars in the pit lane.
Kristoffersson's being rammed
and sidelined for good looked like the icing of the cake of a meeting
build-up that had seemed to have everything in place to give Audis, and
especially the Swede rookie rival of Liuzzi, a raw deal. Audi Sport Italia's boss didn't
not refrain from getting his point across with the press and also remarked the
shortcomings of a circuit that in his mind was not well suited for a series
which is said to aspire to upscale status. After the surprise cancellation of
the Sentul round the white-hot finale was hosted at a venue which is not
on par with either most domestic series or Superstars legs and in
some areas had dangerous shortcomings. To borrow a line from former US
President Dick Cheney, all the "unknown unknowns" that
sprouted in the past few weeks looked unfavorable to the Audi camp. But as
things turned ugly for Audi and Kristoffersson--who was sure of claiming
at least the Italian and Rookie Superstars crown in any case--this time
actually victory was snatched from the grip of defeat. And this was due to a
family feud, as Andrea Larini's Romeo Ferraris AMG Mercedes punted off Liuzzi's
CAAL AMG Mercedes entry while the former Toro Rosso driver was occupying a
third place that would grant him the coveted International Superstars
title. But Larini had Liuzzi's number since the latter had roughed the
Tuscan in the Spa Francorchamps meeting. Liuzzi's battered car made it to
the ninth place, but this left him still four points adrift of the Swede, who
this year has claimed a record five titles, including a couple in his home
country... Morbidelli, level in wins at four with the KMS driver, wound up
fourth in the points standings. Schoeffler, the youngest Superstars regular
driver, claimed a nice eight place, breaking into the Top10 with a good
streak of results in the second half of the season.
International
Superstars Series 2012
Pergusa (EN), October 28
Race 1
1. R. Giammaria (Mercedes AMG) 14 laps/giri
2. F. Sini (Chevrolet) +5.988
3. V. Liuzzi (Mercedes AMG) +46.581
4. A. Bacci (Mercedes AMG) +48.814
5. J. KRISTOFFERSSON (AUDI RS 5) +1'18.093
6. G. MORBIDELLI (AUDI RS 5) +1'18.762
../..
9. T. SCHOEFFLER (AUDI RS 5) +1'28.840
International
Superstars Series 2012
Pergusa (EN), October 28
Race 2
1. R. Giammaria (Mercedes AMG) 10 laps
2. L. Ferrara (Mercedes AMG) +11.213s
3. S. Iacone (Chevrolet) +12.079s
4. T. Biagi (Mercedes AMG)
+14.430s
5. C. Fittipaldi (Maserati)
+35.806
../..
R. G. MORBIDELLI (AUDI RS 5)
R. T. SCHOEFFLER (AUDI RS 5)
R. J. KRISTOFFERSSON (AUDI RS5)
INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTARS
SERIES 2012
Drivers' points standings
after 14 rounds:
1. KRISTOFFERSSON 185 points;
2. Liuzzi 181 pts.;
3. Biagi 159 pts.;
4. MORBIDELLI 128 pts.;
5. Sini 92 pts;
6. Larini 90 pts.;
7. Gabellini 75 pts.;
8. SCHOEFFLER 71 pts.;
9. Pigoli 60 pts.;
10. Giammaria 45 pts.
If you are an Audi Motorsport fan then you are most likely a fan of Audi Sport Italia. The team has been one of the most loyal Audi teams during the last two decades. They debuted with Audi in 1994 and immediately won the Italian Super Touring Car Championship three years in succession from 1994-1996. After the demise of Super Touring it looked like the last of Audi Sport Italia, but this was not the case. In 2006 the team re-emerged as they entered the Audi RS4 B7 in the Italian Superstars Championship, and yet again they became the team to beat. 
Gianni Morbidelli, one of the team's most successful, and current driver of the #45 Audi RS5, made a video dedicated to the team. In the video he explores the Audi Sport Italia crew and pit area at a recent Superstars meeting. It provides some great insight into the Italian Audi team.
