AS MORBIDELLI, KRISTOFFERSSON SHARE FRONT ROW
PALMA (FERRARI 458 ITALIA) SECURES GTSPRINT POLE
On a damp but quickly drying racetrack, the Audi RS5 racecars dominated the qualifying session for the SUPERSTARS INTERNATIONAL SERIES at Spa-Francorchamps. On the Belgian circuit, Gianni Morbidelli (Audi Sport Italia) cruised to pole with a best laptime of 232.340 to top Johan Kristofferson (Audi Sport KMS), who ended up in 232.943. The session was not easy as it seemed for the Ingolstad-based manufacturer, especially when some pretty rare rays of light started drying the Belgian circuit and forced everybody to move to slicks.
At the end of a last-gasp battle, two Mercedes C63 AMG racers shared row three for CAAL Racing, the works-supported team of Mercedes-AMG. Championship leader Vitantonio Liuzzi scored third place followed by returning Luigi Ferrara while Mika Salo, also back to SUPERSTARS for the occasion aboard a Maserati Quattroporte, eventually settled for 5th after having chased the pole all day. In Race 1, starting tomorrow at 11:20, Camilo Zurcher (Mercedes C63 AMG), the BMW M3s of Thomas Biagi and Stefano Gabellini, the Mercedes of Andrea Larini and the third Audi RS5 of Thomas Schffler will round out the top-10. Race 2, with the top-8 positions on the grid reversed from the Race 1 results, will be taking-off at 16:20.
In the GTSPRINT INTERNATIONAL SERIES, Rome-based Andrea Palma cruised to his third straight pole position aboard the Black Team Ferrari 458 Italia. He set his best mark in 2'44.109 to edge his team-mate, the returning Max Mugelli, who was lined-up on a 430 model. Both of them, as well as the Pellegrinelli-Linossi duo, are running GTS2-spec machinery. Mario Cordoni topped the GTS3 field and ended up in third position overall on an Ombra Racing-prepared Ferrari 458, followed by the GTS3 Corvette of Roberto Del Castello and Roberto Benedetti and by Pellegrinelli-Linossi. As the LMS-prepared Dodge Viper driven by Finn Antti Buri was sixth overall, Marco Galassi for Team Malucelli took a surprise pole in the GTS Cup Trophy in front of the GDL Racing Porsche of Goldstein-Piccini. The two GTSPRINT races are scheduled for tomorrow, respectively at 9:15 and 14:20.The many fans of the two championships are expected to support a really intense series of events from the grandstands and in the paddock. The popular Paddock Show entertainment will be back at the series' arena with interviews, autograph sessions and much more. For the fans back at home, a wide live TV coverage plan will provide all the SUPERSTARS excitement in 175 countries worldwide. MotorsTV will broadcast all the races in Belgium.
SUPERSTARS Qualifying results (top-5): 1. Gianni Morbidelli (Audi RS5 - Audi Sport Italia) 232340; 2. Johan Kristoffersson (Audi RS5 - Audi Sport KMS) 232943; 3. Vitantonio Liuzzi (Mercedes C63 AMG - Caal Racing) 234016; 4. Luigi Ferrara (Mercedes C63 AMG - Caal Racing) 234305; 5. Mika Salo (Maserati Quattroporte - Swiss Team) 235007.
GTSPRINT Qualifying results (top-5): 1. Andrea Palma (Ferrari 458 GTS2 - Black Team) 244.109; 2. Max Mugelli (Ferrari 430 GTS2 - Black Team) a 246.281; 3. Mario Cordoni (Ferrati 458 GTS3 - Ombra Racing) 246.397; 4. Benedetti-Del Castello (Corvette Z06 R GTS3 - RC Motorsport) 248129; 5. Linossi-Pellegrinelli (Ferrari 430 GTS2 - Black Team) 248514.
