Morbidelli dominates opening Superstars race at Donington Park

Having been fastest in every session so far across the weekend, the Audi Sport Italia driver took an emphatic lights-to-flag win in the 25-minute first race. After pulling a massive 3.79-second gap on the first lap, Morbidelli was able to cruise to his first race win of 2012.

Johan Kristoffersson made it an Audi 1-2, but he did so the hard way. The rookie of the year contender was forced to start from the back of the grid after missing qualifying due to his Swedish Touring Car Championship commitments.

Thanks to the speed advantage of the four-wheel-drive Audi, Kristoffersson was easily able to surge his way through the field, slotting into second place with 10 minutes of the race left to run.

Behind the Audis there was a frenetic battle for third place. Having lost several positions at the start, Johnny Herbert (Team Swiss Maserati) soon found himself embroiled in a battle with Max Pigoli (Ferlito Motors Jaguar), Thomas Biagi (Team Dinamic BMW) and Tonio Liuzzi (CAAL Racing Mercedes).

With just two minutes to go Pigoli made a crucial mistake, running wide at Hollywood and gifting the final podium spot to Herbert. Biagi and Liuzzi finished fourth and fifth respectively, while Pigoli was forced to settle for ninth.

Thomas Schoffler finished sixth in the third Audi, but it could have been a very different story. Having qualified second, the German stalled at the start of the formation lap. He eventually started the race, albeit from pit-lane and a long way behind the field.

Stefano Gabellini was seventh in the second BMW, ahead of Andrea Larini, who locked in a pole position start for race two by finishing eighth. Pigoli and Francesco Sini rounded out the top 10.

Meanwhile, it was a day to forget for British Touring Car Championship regular Tom Onslow-Cole. The Superstars debutant started third, but finished 18th and last after suffering a suspension failure on his Ferlito Motors Jaguar while battling for third with Herbert, Pigoli, Biagi and Liuzzi.

Results - 17 laps:

Pos  Driver               Team/Car              Time/Gap
 1.  Gianni Morbidelli    Audi Italia         27m18.823s
 2.  Johan Kristoffersson Audi Italia           + 6.971s
 3.  Johnny Herbert       Swiss Maserati        + 8.976s
 4.  Thomas Biagi         Dinamic BMW           + 9.977s
 5.  Tonio Liuzzi         CAAL Mercedes        + 13.980s
 6.  Thomas Schoffler     MTM Audi             + 14.195s
 7.  Stefano Gabellini    Dinamic BMW          + 18.012s
 8.  Andrea Larini        Romeo Mercedes       + 18.759s
 9.  Max Pigoli           Ferlito Jaguar       + 19.618s
10.  Francesco Sini       Solaris Chevrolet    + 20.886s
11.  Max Mugelli          CAAL Mercedes        + 21.783s
12.  Paolo Meloni         W&D BMW              + 35.574s
13.  Mauro Cesari         Swiss Maserati       + 39.470s
14.  Sandro Bettini       Dinamic BMW          + 48.455s
15.  Nico Caldarola       Roma Mercedes        + 50.612s
16.  Walter Meloni        W&D BMW            + 1m24.504s
17.  Andrea Boffo         Roma Mercedes         + 2 laps
18.  Tom Onslow-Cole      Ferlito Jaguar        + 3 laps