Photo: Superstars Media

Gianni Morbidelli leads Laurens Vanthoor in Audi 1-2 at Zolder

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Gianni Morbidelli won the first race of the day for Audi in Zolder ahead of local driver Laurens Vanthoor, with Luigi Ferrara’s Mercedes C63 AMG Coupé third. A damp track created difficulties for the drivers, particularly in the opening stages of the race.

At the start Morbidelli retained the lead ahead of Renaud Kuppens’ Scuderia Giudici BMW and the Roma Racing Mercedes of Luigi Ferrara. Ferrara soon began to put pressure on the Belgian, who made a mistake and let the Mercedes through.

Laurens Vanthoor, who had started from the back of the grid, was however charging through the field and was soon to overtake fellow Belgian Kuppens for third, and soon was up to second after passing Ferrara as well.

As the track dried out, Gianni Giudici stopped with a technical problem whilst Francesco Sini had a big off in his Solaris Motorsport Chevrolet Camaro. The driver emerged from the car unscratched, but the hit was heavy. No safety car was needed and the race continued as the Caal Racing Mercedes of Raffaele Giammaria managed to pass Fabrizio Giovanardi’s Petri Corse Porsche for sixth. Giovanardi was however able to keep a charging Giovanni Berton behind to claim seventh at the end.

Vanthoor tried desperately to catch Morbidelli but gave up on the last lap as the Belgian cut a chicane and presumably damaged his Audi RS 5, losing four seconds on the closing lap. Meanwhile Romeo Ferraris Mercedes’ Thomas Biagi and Petri Corse Porsche’s Nicola Larini, who had spun earlier in the race when the track was slippery, managed to overtake Domenico Schiattarella’s Chevrolet Lumina and advanced to ninth and tenth respectively.

The race was won by Gianni Morbidelli ahead of Laurens Vanthoor, making the first Audi win of the year a 1-2. Luigi Ferrara completed the podium ahead of a consistent Renaud Kuppens, fourth in his BMW M3. The Belgian held up Vitantonio Liuzzi, who finished in fifth ahead of fellow Mercedes driver Raffaele Giammaria and the Petri Corse Porsche Panamera S of Fabrizio Giovanardi.

Giovanni Berton will start from pole in race two after finishing in eighth, which starts at 16:00 CET.