Gianni Morbidelli victorious in race one at Portimão

Audi Sport Italia’s Gianni Morbidelli took a dominant win in the first race of the day at Portimão, fighting his way back from a poor start to take the victory ahead of Vitantoni Liuzzi’s Romeo Ferraris Mercedes.

The 45-year-old started from the outside of the front row, but dropped behind the two Romeo Ferraris Mercedes of Vitantonio Liuzzi and Thomas Biagi at the start whilst the pole sitting Mercedes Coupé of Roma Racing’s Luigi Ferrara drove off into the distance.

At Turn 4, the Petri Corse Porsche Panamera of Fabrizio Giovanardi was spun around by Andrea Bacci’s Caal Racing Mercedes. The former European Touring Car champion managed to charge back up to ninth place before his Porsche stopped on circuit on lap five.

It was a very short race for Team Adria Raceway’s Jaguar XFs, with ‘Diabolik’ stopping on the opening lap and then team-mate Christian Montanari’s car grinding to a halt on the following lap.

Gianni Morbidelli’s recovery after his poor start began in earnest on lap two, passing Thomas Biagi’s Mercedes on lap two and then getting past Liuzzi’s car on lap four at Turn 12.

Morbidelli’s Audi RS 5 was on the tail of Ferrara’s Mercedes, who made a mistake at Turn 6 allowing Morbidelli through without much trouble on lap eight. Ferrara then suddenly slowed at the end of lap eleven and dropped several positions, eventually finishing in seventh place.

Liuzzi was hounded by team-mate Biagi throughout the final laps of the race but Liuzzi held on to cross the line just three-tenths of a second ahead of his team-mate.

The two Team Dinamic BMWs of Max Mugelli and Giovanni Berton finished fourth and fifth with Francesco Sini’s Solaris Motorspot Chevrolet Camaro in sixth position.

Ferrara went on to finish in seventh with Mauro Trentin taking eighth place in the third of the three Team Dinamic BMW M3s, thereby securing pole position for the reversed grid race which gets under way at 15:10 WEST.