Superstars: Audi Sport Italia confirmed with the 2013 teams’ title

By Johan Laubscher

The 2013 Italian Superstars Series saw the Audi Sport Italia squad defeating the balance of performance to take yet another set of titles for the new Audi RS 5 quattro.

Despite an imposing balance of performance, the Italian Audi Dealer team was able to bounce back and secure both of the drivers’ titles with Gianni Morbidelli, who won the International Superstars drivers’ title and later the Italian title as well.

It was almost a complete set for Audi Sport Italia, as they narrowly missed out on the teams’ title, facing off against the original victors, Mercedes Romeo Ferraris.

However, the final standings of the 2013 teams’ title was not finalised, as Audi Sport Italia lodged a complaint against the Mercedes Romeo Ferraris team at Donington Park, regarding technical issues with bodywork components.

The FIA court has ruled that the components on the Mercedes-Benz cars at Donington where indeed illegal and their points have been revoked, costing the Romeo Ferraris squad a total of twenty points.

This points deduction was enough to promote Audi Sport Italia to the top of the points table, crowning them as the 2013 Superstars Series teams’ champions by seventeen points, adding to the two 2013 drivers’ titles of Gianni Morbidelli.

Audi Sport Italia and up to four RS 5 quattro cars will be returning to this form of competition this year, as they are entering the 2014 EuroV8 Series, which replaces the Superstars Series. So far only one driver has been confirmed by the team, Tomáš Kostka from the Czech Republic.

The 2014 EuroV8 Series will be getting underway at Monza, 6 April.

Audi Sport Italia’s official season review can be seen HERE.

Photo credit: Audi Sport Italia

EuroV8 Series: Audi Sport Italia back with the RS 5 quattro

By Tarek Ramchani

The EuroV8 Series will replace the Superstars Series this year. The Italian based touring car championship will have a 6-round calendar in 2014 with Audi Sport Italia set to join the field.

The EuroV8 Series will welcome the cars of the old Superstars Series. The Audi RS 5 quattro the car that dominated the competition since 2012 will be back to defend the titles.

Audi Sport Italia has been officially confirmed as a full season competitor by the series organisers. The number of cars and driver line-up will be announced soon by the official Audi Italia dealer team.

In 2012 Swedish driver Johan Kirstoffersson won the title with his family run KMS Motorsport after a titanic battle with Mercedes-Benz AMG driver Vitantonio Liuzzi. In 2013 it was the turn of Gianni Morbidelli to be crowned with Audi Sport Italia, despite a very penalizing Balance of Performance hitting the RS 5 quattro.

You can read Audi teams 2013 season review in the Superstars Series right here.

Audi Sport Italia and the Audi RS 5 quattro will have strong rivals from BMW, Mercedes-Benz AMG and Chevrolet teams.

The season opener of the EuroV8 Series is set at Monza, April the 6th.

Photo credit: Audi Sport Italia

Superstars: All goods things go by three - Audi Sport Italia Superstars season yields three crowns

Audi Sport Italia Press Release

All goods things go by three

Audi Sport Italia Superstars season yields three crowns

SEASON REVIEW

Fresh off a 2012 Superstars season that bolstered Johan Kristoffersson's three-title chase, the search for a name as favourite to succeed the incumbent was easy. Apparently it takes an RS 5 to win in the series for V8 tin-tops: Audis won half of the available races last year and things remained the same in 2013 as RS 5s picked nine of the 18 rounds. The outcome was that Italy’s Gianni Morbidelli achieved his own second International-Italian double to add to the four other honours he had already racked up in the series run by Rome-based promoter Maurizio Flammini. From 2007 on the former F.1 driver had claimed three Italians crowns and one International one, therefore the successes he celebrated in October make him the sole driver able to repeat in the International-Italian points standings.

17 Top3 finishes for Audi drivers --nine of those translating into wins-- may well mislead into thinking that the Audi camp enjoyed a smooth ride. On contrary 2013 started on the back foot for Audi Sport Italia, as Morbidelli struggled early on with quick circuits and a string of retirements. After six rounds Audis had picked no wins whatsoever and Morbidelli was lying fifth in the tables, and Emilio Radaelli's staff undertook a thorough review of the car weaknesses, especially focusing on tweaks to drivetrain details. By mid-summer the Audi squad was beginning to see the light. AMG Mercedes’ joyride, which had propelled Thomas Biagi, Vitantonio Liuzzi and Gigi Ferrara to the top with only BMW’s Giovanni Berton hindering their charge came to a end at Zolder. In Belgium Morbidelli and sensation guest star Laurens Vanthoor were handed the quickest RS 5s seen throughout the season, as the promoter took off a chunk of ballast and let Audis run their 2012 ride height. Relying on sheer car speed and swiftness Morbidelli and Vanthoor dominated the opposition and the former title bid was re-launched for good.

The promoter in a U-turn rolled back the measures that had given wings to Audis, but the Italian team was looking forward to a host of venues friendly to four-wheel-driven cars: the schedule helped Morbidelli to barrel ahead of any Balance Of Performance provision that was thrown at him. Although the car did not appear to handle the challenge with ease on Saturdays, as performance-wise the measures upheld took a toll on speed, the Audi camp had learned to bid its time and overcome the lack of performance with better endurance, getting the upper hand by way of superior braking and handling and less tyre wear. Stats provide a telling guide to the split between Audi results on Saturday and on Sundays: whilst RS 5s claimed two pole positions, eleven fastest laps were posted. An approach that yielded four successive wins for Morbidelli, who after the fifth victory at Donington Park was sitting on top of the standings level on points with Thomas Biagi.

Wresting the lead from AMG Mercedes’ driver for good was another story, though, as the Imola meeting loomed and a further BOP measure forced Audi Sport Italia to go to the quick and historic venue with an engine massively choked by a skimpy air restrictor. AMG Mercedes C63s looked set to keep the field at arm's length there and even more so the RS 5s. But events were to swing in Audi's favour: on Sunday Morbidelli put the Camozzi-liveried RS 5 back in its accustomed position in rain-soaked races,  even forcing Biagi to go scoreless after a late-race mistake and piling up a 33-point lead that enabled him to comfortably grab the International crown at Vallelunga, as Andrea Larini made a winning debut in the RS 5. Morbidelli was back to winning ways in a fortnight at Franciacorta, adding the domestic title to the International one at the expenses of Liuzzi, who had led the tables before the decider. Ermanno Dionisio came back to the series posting two podium finishes. The Italian series -- which predated the International -- was made up of races staged at domestic venues, plus Algarve.

Audi Sport Italia, besides boosting Morbidelli to two drivers’ titles, also picked the Teams’ trophy, as the aftermath of a protest lodged at Donington Park against Mercedes AMG Romeo Ferraris is ultimately winding down in favor of the Novara-based outfit, confirming the Superstars’ rule of three, as far as Audi titles are concerned.

INT.N'L SUPERSTARS SERIES (Top5)*:

1. GIANNI MORBIDELLI (AUDI) 235 points;

2. Giovanni Berton (BMW) 192 pts.;

3. Vitantonio Liuzzi (Mercedes AMG) 159 pts.;

4. Thomas Biagi (Mercedes AMG) 138 pts.;

5.  Gigi Ferrara (Mercedes AMG) 127 pts.

CAMPIONATO ITALIANO SUPERSTARS(Top5):

1. GIANNI MORBIDELLI (AUDI) 170 points;

2. Vitantonio Liuzzi (Mercedes AMG) 158 pts.;

3. Giovanni Berton (BMW) 83 pts.;

4. Thomas Biagi (Mercedes AMG) 76 pts.;

5.  Gigi Ferrara (Mercedes AMG) 59 pts.

SUPERSTARS TEAM TROPHY (Top5)*:

1. AUDI SPORT ITALIA 330 points;

2. BMW Team Dinamic 306 pts.;

3. Mercedes-AMG Romeo Ferraris 297 pts.;

4. Roma Racing Team 127 pts.;

5.  CAAL Racing 104 pts.

Photo credit: Audi Sport Italia

Superstars: Audi Sport Italia 2013 season review

By Tarek Ramchani and Johan Laubscher

Title successfully defended in the International and Italian Superstars Series. The Audi RS 5 quattro, which was victorious with Johan Kristoffersson last year, was again the series champion in the Italian based touring car series.Gianni Morbidelli and Audi Sport Italia took two great championship titles after battling with arch rivals from Mercedes-Benz AMG and BMW all season long.

The Italian ace, Gianni Morbidelli, was able to beat all of his rivals, despite the fact that the car was extremely penalized with extra weight and smaller air restrictors. Morbidelli was strong and Audi Sport Italia was very well prepared this season. The quattro system also made a big difference in some very wet races throughout the season.

The season review has been compiled from the 2013 Audi Motorsport Blog Weekend Round Up posts. Each round has been added as was seen in the individual Weekend Round Up posts during 2013, which can be accessed via the links throughout the review below:

Round 1: Monza

Monza hosted the opening round of the Superstars championship. Audi Sport Italia entered two RS 5 race cars. Monza is traditionally a difficult track for the Audis, due to the very high end top speeds, however the team worked well this weekend. A top four qualifying position and finish was achieved by Gianni Morbidelli in both races. His teammate, Ferdinando Geri, finished in the lower half of the field at Monza, and retired from race two.

Taken from Weekend Round Up - Audi Motorsport Blog (6-7/04/2013)

Round 2: Brno

Superstars headed to the Czech Republic this weekend, for round two at Brno. Audi Sport Italia arrived with their two Audi RS 5 quattro cars. The Audis suffered at Monza, round one, but the team was confident that Brno would better suit the four wheel drive cars. Gianni Morbidelli topped the first wet free practice session and qualified fifth, but unfortunately he retired from race one. His teammate Ferdinando Geri finished within the top ten. Race two saw Morbidelli perform very well, taking second place.

Taken from Weekend Round Up - Audi Motorsport Blog (18-20/05/2013)

Round 3: Slovakia Ring

The Superstars Series returned to Central Europe for the second round in succession, as they headed to the Slovakia Ring following Brno in the Czech Republic last time out. The Slovakia Ring hosted the third round of the series. Audi Sport Italia arrived with their two RS 5 quattro cars and qualified seventh and thirteenth for race one. The first race proved to be very difficult as both RS 5 cars retired. The second race saw Morbidelli improving up to third place, salvaging a good result from a difficult weekend.

Taken from Weekend Round Up - Audi Motorsport Blog (8-9/06/2013)

Round 4: Zolder

The Superstars headed to Zolder this weekend for round four of the championship. Audi Sport Italia arrived full of confidence, expecting the tighter Belgian track to suit their RS 5 quattro race cars. The team was joined by local Audi racing star, Laurens Vanthoor, in the silver #46 car. Vanthoor impressed during the free practice sessions. He was unable to take part in qualifying but his teammate and Audi Sport Italia regular, Gianni Morbidelli, was able to take pole position for the races on Sunday. During race one Morbidelli dominated at the front whilst Vanthoor came from behind and stormed through the field to finish second, completing an Audi Sport Italia 1-2. Race two saw a reverse grid and Vanthoor once again stormed through the field, this time taking the lead and dominating the race. Eventually Morbidelli was able to move up into the lead followed by Vanthoor, ensuring another Audi 1-2 finish.

Taken from Weekend Round Up - Audi Motorsport Blog (22-23/06/2013)

Round 5: Portimao

The Superstars Championship headed to Portugal, hosting round five at Algarve in Portimão. Audi Sport Italia was competing on two fronts this weekend, the Superstars in Portugal and the Italian GT at Imola, thus they decided to only enter one Audi RS 5 at Algarve. The car was driven by their lead driver, Gianni Morbidelli. He qualified on the front row and dominated both races, taking four straight wins now in the series following the double win at Zolder. Two Audi RS 4 cars were also entered by the Adria Raceway team.

Taken from Weekend Round Up - Audi Motorsport Blog (20-21/07/2013)

Round 6: Donington Park

The Superstars Series was also at Donginton, but only one Audi was entered. With Audi Sport Italia being split between Imola and Donington they again decided to only enter one Audi RS 5 quattro, the #45 with Gianni Morbidelli. He qualified fourth and battle at the front during race one, despite the severe performance penalties. He was battling for third and second when the leading group all slipped on oil dropped by a Lexus. Morbidelli unfortunately spun, but recovered to finish fourth, right behind his title rival. Race two saw Gianni Morbidelli battling for the lead with his title rival, Thomas Biagi. He finally passed Biagi for the lead during the second half of the race and held it to take victory, despite the performance penalties.

Taken from Weekend Round Up - Audi Motorsport Blog (31/08-1/09/2013)

Round 7: Imola

The Superstars Series headed to round seven at Imola. Audi Sport Italia arrived with a full set of three Audi RS 5 quattro race cars. Championship points leader and lead Audi Sport Italia driver, Gianni Morbidelli, was joined by Davide Di Benedetto and Giuseppe Cipriani. During qualifying the Audis struggled and Gianni Morbidelli was the highest Audi on the grid in eighth. Race one saw the Audis improving in the wet conditions, as Gianni Morbidelli moved up to second ahead of Di Benedetto in fourth and Cipriani in ninth. Race two again saw the Audi drivers capitalizing with quattro in the wet weather. Gianni Morbidelli won the second race, extending his championship lead even further. His teammates, Di Benedetto and Cipriani, finished fourth and fifth respectively.

Taken from Weekend Round Up - Audi Motorsport Blog (28-29/09/2013)

Round 8: Vallelunga

The Superstars Series finale was also held at Vallelunga this weekend. Gianni Morbidelli arrived at the finale as the championship points leader in his #45 Audi Sport Italia RS 5 quattro. He was joined by Andrea Larini in a second Audi RS 5 quattro from Audi Sport Italia for this event. Both drivers showed excellent pace by topping both free practice sessions. Morbidelli qualified on the front row, but most importantly, he was ahead of his championship rivals. Larini qualified sixth. The first race concluded with Morbidelli finishing third, ahead of Larini in fourth. These results were enough to crown Gianni Morbidelli as the 2013 International Superstars champion, his third title with Audi Sport Italia, his fifth in total. The second race of the day marked the final 2013 Superstars race. The season closed with another victory for Audi Sport Italia during the second race, as Larini won ahead of Morbidelli in seventh.

Taken from Weekend Round Up - Audi Motorsport Blog (12-13/10/2013)

Round 9: Franciacorta - Italian Series finale

The Superstars Series was at Franciacorta this weekend. The International Superstars Series, featured on tracks in various European countries, concluded at Vallelunga two weekends ago, when Gianni Morbidelli was crowned as the champion. There is also an Italian Superstars Series, which is comprised of all the Italian venues visited by the Series. This Italian series component of the Superstars hosted its final round at Franciacorta this weekend. Gianni Morbidelli was once again in the think of the title fight, as he arrived lying second in the points, trailing Vitantonio Liuzzi by only four points. Audi Sport Italia entered two cars this weekend, Gianni Morbidelli was joined by Ermanno Dionisio, who was making his return to the Audi Sport Italia team. Morbidelli dominated practice, setting the fastest time during both sessions, followed by Dionisio in second and fourth in the two sessions respectively. Gianni Morbidelli continued his good pace by taking pole position, backed up by Dionisio on the second row. Race one saw Morbidelli taking victory and the points lead. Dionisio finished third in race one, ensuring that both Audis were on the podium. The weekend was concluded by Morbidell taking the second race win as well, leading an Audi 1-2 with Dionisio in second. These results meant that Morbidell added the 2013 Italian Superstars crown to his International crown as well.

Taken from Weekend Round Up - Audi Motorsport Blog (26-27/10/2013)

Photo credit: Superstars Series

Superstars: Swan song for quattros in Franciacorta - as Gianni Morbidelli seals Italian crown - also posting Audi's 40th win

Audi Sport Italia Press Release

It's Superstars' swan song for quattros in Franciacorta, as Gianni Morbidelli seals Italian crown--also posting Audi's 40th win

RACE REPORT

A fortnight ago Superstars' International Series finale at Vallelunga had crowned Gianni Morbidelli 2013 champion. However, the meeting hadn't filled the blank column next to "Italian Champion" caption. Superstars' Italian crown may well have played second fiddle over the last few seasons to the glitzy International one, but with AMG Mercedes' Vitantonio Liuzzi leading by a four-point margin it was well worth for Morbidelli giving it a go to clinching twin-crowns, something that he had already accomplished in 2009 and that fellow Audi driver Johan Kristoffersson had also chalked up last year in frantic Pergusa decider.

Franciacorta, a premiere for the V8 series, turned out into a romp as the Pesaro-born driver was first in practice, qualifying and both races, also posting fastest laps in both races. Yesterday, the ninth and tenth 2013 rounds counting towards the Italian points standings followed the same script: Sunday morning Liuzzi leapfrogged into the lead at the start with Morbidelli biding his time in race one until lap seven to grab the lead for good. As Liuzzi wound up as runner-up fending off the late charge from Morbidelli's team mate Ermanno Dionisio, race one handed over to the Camozzi-liveried RS 5 driver the lead in the box score by three point. It was not enough to give Morbidelli an insurance policy against bad breaks, therefore when Liuzzi again sneaked into the lead at the start of race two, this time out the Audi driver showed less patience, moving past the leader on lap four, never looking back thereafter. Liuzzi tried to stay close to his rival, but the twisty and tight layout took a toll on his tyres and by lap twelve he had to relinquish the runner-up spot to Dionisio, who on his home circuit helped to make it an Audi 1-2--and also posting his best finish in 42 Superstars' starts.

A healthy crowd and a poor field--i.e. six entries--marked what most likely will be Superstars' last Italian Championship rounds. As Audi Sport Italia celebrated the second 2013 drivers' crown --Morbidelli has picked up six Superstars titles since 2007, two of those International, four domestic--Franciacorta sweep also marked Audi's 40th win in the series run by Mr. Maurizio Flammini. In spite of Audis having been a mainstay of the series since 2005, unfortunately the Rome-based promoter already pledged to ban V8 quattros from next season on, which means that yesterday's wins will be the last for iconic Audis. Nonetheless, Audi Sport Italia bitterness was soothed by learning that besides Morbidelli's two crowns a third is on its way to the team premises, as the pending appeals to MSAUK from teamMercedes Italia-Romeo Ferraris have been discarded by the British body. Therefore the Lombard outfit will be forced to dock a heavy haul of points posted at Donington Park. To make it short: Emilio Radaelli's team is to inherit soon the Salvatore Genovese Trophy awarded to the best Superstars team, making of 2013 a vintage season.

CAMPIONATO ITALIANO SUPERSTARS

Franciacorta, Italy - race nine, 2013

1. GIANNI MORBIDELLI (AUDI RS 5) 21 laps 26:47.851s, avg speed 118.441 kph;
2. Vitantonio Liuzzi (Mercedes AMG) +2.797s;
3. ERMANNO DIONISIO (AUDI RS 5) +3.007s;
4. Nicola Baldan (BMW) +8.841s;
5. Francesca Linossi (BMW) - 1 lap.

CAMPIONATO ITALIANO SUPERSTARS

Franciacorta, Italy - race ten, 2013

1. GIANNI MORBIDELLI (AUDI RS 5) 21 laps 26:41.539s, avg speed 118.908 kph;
2. ERMANNO DIONISIO (AUDI RS 5) +5.957s;
3. Vitantonio Liuzzi (Mercedes AMG) +9.432s;
4. Nicola Baldan (BMW) +10.429s;
5. Francesca Linossi (BMW) +27.400s.

CAMPIONATO ITALIANO SUPERSTARS(Top5):

1. GIANNI MORBIDELLI (AUDI) 170 points;

1. Vitantonio Liuzzi (Mercedes AMG) 158 pts.;

3. Giovanni Berton (BMW) 83 pts.;

4. Thomas Biagi (Mercedes AMG) 76 pts.;

5.  Gigi Ferrara (Mercedes AMG) 59 pts.

Photo credit: Audi Sport Italia

Gallery: Gianni Morbidelli and Audi Sport Italia Superstars Series champions at Vallelunga

By Tarek Ramchani

The Audi brand successfully defended the Superstars Series title at Vallelunga last weekend. Gianni Morbidelli and team Audi Sport Italia were crowned series champions after a great 2013 season. A back to back title for the Audi RS 5 quattro after Johan Kristoffersson (KMS) last year.

Audi Sport Italia had a perfect season finale at Vallelunga. In addition to Gianni Morbidelli's title, new comer Andrea Larini won race 2 driving the #46 Audi RS5 quattro.

Photo credit: Superstars Series

Superstars: Audi Sport Italia's Gianni Morbidelli wrapped up his record fifth Superstars title

Audi Sport Italia Press Release

A top three finish in round 15 at Vallelunga was more than enough for Audi's Gianni Morbidelli to wrap up his record fifth Superstars title. Andrea Larini highlights his Audi debut with nailbiting win 

RACE REPORT

Former Formula 1 driver Gianni Morbidelli clinched the 2013 International Superstars Series title with a restrained drive in the season finale at Rome's Piero Taruffi. Audi Sport Italia's star made sure that RS 5s remain unbeaten in the tin-top league reserved to big and loud V8 sedans: Sweden's Johan Kristoffersson claimed the 2012 crown in a sister car operated by KMS. Unflappable as ever, Morbidelli entered race one with a 33-point edge over arch-rival Thomas Biagi, and he treated his first match point with astonishing coolness--even if his stomach must have been filled with a ball of twisted nerves. As BMWs were on their way to their first 2013 1-2 success, Morbidelli spent most of the Noon race snapping at Biagi's rear bumper, putting the rival under a relentless pressure that--possibly--produced an unexpected twist on the next-to-last lap when the AMG Mercedes driver suddenly pulled over at Rome corner--even putting the title-bidding twosome at risk of a collision. Morbidelli's P3 finish put an end to the title chase that had had him and Biagi swap tables' lead after Vitantonio Liuzzi enjoyed a brief one-round lead as by-product of his win in Monza opener. Race two was not as lucky for Morbidelli, whose effort was hindered by brake problems, but Andrea Larini took the relay posting his second career Superstars win in only his second outing in a RS 5 Audi.

On Saturday, Morbidelli's opposition got bogged down in practice by a damp circuit, therefore BMWs and AMG Mercedes could not build an edge on his beefy (due to both BOP provisions and success ballast) RS 5 car. Morbidelli claimed an unexpected front row spot next to polesitter Giovanni Berton, as Biagi clinched P4. Under a bright sky, race one saw M3s skyrocket ahead as Berton and team mate Max Mugelli took the lead without being bothered until the checker. Biagi quickly claimed P3 as Liuzzi had his hands full with Four-ring drivers. Morbidelli challenged the former F.1 driver on lap two, but it wasn't until lap three that the Camozzi Audi had a firm grip on P4. However, Liuzzi was meant to have an Audi guy as travel companion, as Andrea Larini took over from Morbidelli, triggering an entertaining battle that lasted until lap six, when Larini made the most of his freshly-discovered four-wheel-drive manoeuvrability in the mixed section. Up front BMWs were unchallenged, but Morbidelli sitting in P4 had eyes only for the best placed AMG Mercedes until Biagi's car let go, handing him over his 10th 2013 Top3 finish place. Larini, who had made a brilliant Audi debut on Saturday on wet posting the fastest time in the first free practice, wound up fourth, ahead of Liuzzi.

The Tuscan driver and the freshly-crowned champ teamed up on row three for race two. Larini started well, whilst on the opening lap Morbidelli was boxed in behind the swift BMWs. As the Camozzi Audi battled it out with the M3s Larini was closing the gap from the leading pair of Chevys, passing by Mimmo Schiattarella on lap 2. The former single-seater driver was also leapfrogged by the No. 45 Audi a couple of laps later, as Larini was posting the fastest lap and catching up with Francesco Sini's Camaro. Obviously the Audis had Sini's number, and the Abruzzi-based driver was spending a fair amount of time looking in the mirrors. He was doing so at the hairpin when Larini rolled the dice going on the inside of him: he succeeded, but Morbidelli got the upper hand on both claiming the leading spot. Morbidelli looked set to clinch a record seventh success, but it was not meant to be so, as he developed braking trouble that forced him to slow down, in order to finish the race. Larini, who inherited the lead, was on his way to a surprise but deserved win in spite of a dearth of mileage in the German car, but he had to stay focused until the checker, as race one winner Berton was staging a comeback race closing in on the leading Audi, whose driver kept his cool to the finish line denying the BMW rival a sweep by a mere 0.4s. Larini--Nicola's junior brother--had posted his maiden Superstars win at home circuit Mugello, in mid-2012. Morbidelli limped home in seventh place, but his post-race time was already booked hoisting silverware and doing interviews, rather than mulling over the unfortunate outcome of race two...

INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTARS SERIES

Sunday, October 13, 2013.

Round 15 - Vallelunga, I:

1. Giovanni Berton (BMW) 16 laps, 27:39.604s average speed 141.8 kph;

2. Max Mugelli (BMW) + 3.268s;

3. GIANNI MORBIDELLI (AUDI RS 5) +6.934s;

4. ANDREA LARINI (AUDI RS 5) +11.908s;

5. Vitantonio Liuzzi (AMG Mercedes) +22.776s.

INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTARS SERIES

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Round 16 - Vallelunga, I:

1. ANDREA LARINI (AUDI RS 5) 16 laps, 27:53.960s average speed 140.6 kph;

2. Giovanni Berton (BMW) +0.467s;

3. Francesco Sini (Chevrolet) +3.270s;

4. Vitantonio Liuzzi (AMG Mercedes) +4.427s;
5. Max Mugelli (BMW) +5.259s;

../..

7. GIANNI MORBIDELLI (AUDI RS 5) +15.133s.

INT.N'L DRIVERS' POINTS STANDINGS (Top5):

1. GIANNI MORBIDELLI (AUDI) 232 points;

2. Giovanni Berton (BMW) 190 pts.;

3. Vitantonio Liuzzi (Mercedes AMG) 189 pts.;

4. Thomas Biagi (Mercedes AMG) 188 pts.;

5.  Gigi Ferrara (Mercedes AMG)127 pts.

Photo credit: Audi Sport Italia

Superstars: Hard qualifying and bad BoP for Audi Sport Italia at Imola

By Tarek Ramchani

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.

Photo credit: Audi Sport Italia

Superstars: At Imola Gianni Morbidelli aims to pick six

Audi Sport Italia Press Release

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.

INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTARS SERIES

DRIVERS' POINTS STANDINGS

1. MORBIDELLI - Biagi 173 points;

3. Berton 136 pts;

4. Liuzzi 132 pts;

5. Ferrara 113 pts.

Photo credit: Audi Sport Italia

Superstars: Gianni Morbidelli grabs Superstars lead at Donington Park

Audi Sport Italia Press Release

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.

INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTARS SERIES

Sunday, September 1.

2013 Round 13 - Donington Park, UK:
1. Gigi Ferrara (AMG Mercedes) 16 laps;

2. Giovanni Berton (BMW) +1.874s.

3. Thomas Biagi (Mercedes AMG) +2.678s;
4. GIANNI MORBIDELLI (AUDI RS5) +2.962s;
5. Vitantonio Liuzzi (Mercedes AMG) +5.202s;

INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTARS SERIES

Sunday, September 1.

2013 Round 14 - Donington Park, UK:

1. GIANNI MORBIDELLI (AUDI RS 5) 17 laps;

2. Thomas Biagi (Mercedes AMG) +8.544s;

3. Max Mugelli (BMW) +9.322s;

4. Giovanni Berton (BMW) +10.916s;

5. Tiziano Trentin (BMW) +39.145s.

POINTS STANDINGS

1. MORBIDELLI - Biagi 173 points;

3. Berton 136 pts;

4. Liuzzi 132 pts;

5. Ferrara 113 pts.

Photo credit: Audi Sport Italia 

Superstars: Victory for Morbidelli and Audi Sport Italia at Donington Park race 2

By Tarek Ramchani

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.

Photo credit: Audi Sport Italia

Superstars: Gianni Morbidelli Audi RS 5 quattro fourth in Donington Park race 1

By Tarek Ramchani

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.

Photo credit: Superstars Series

GT Sprint: Pole position for MTM Audi R8 LMS at Donington Park

By Tarek Ramchani

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.

Photo credit: Superstars Series

Superstars: Gianni Morbidelli Audi RS 5 quattro fourth in Donington Park qualifying

By Tarek Ramchani

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.

Photo credit: Audi Sport Italia

Superstars: Gianni Morbidelli's 2013 Superstars Season At A Crossroads

Audi Sport Italia Press Release

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.

INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTARS SERIES

Drivers' Points Standings:

1. T. Biagi (AMG Mercedes) 143 points;

2. G. MORBIDELLI (AUDI RS 5) 140 pts;

3. V. Liuzzi (AMG Mercedes) 122 pts;

4. G. Berton (BMW) 109 pts;

5. G. Ferrara (AMG Mercedes) 90 pts.

Photo credit: Audi Sport Italia