Zolder Superstars: Gianni Morbidelli and Audi take pole in Belgium
Gianni Morbidelli took his and Audi Sport Italia's first pole position of the 2013 Superstars International Series season with a dominant performance at Zolder
After being slowed by a rear diff problem in the second practice session, the former series champion was right back on the pace in qualifying.
Having been at or near the top for the majority of the 30-minute session, Morbidelli put in his final flyer five minutes from the end, his 1m36.055s lap easily the fastest of the day.
Tonio Liuzzi's Romeo Ferraris Mercedes wound up second, albeit four tenths down on Morbidelli's time, while Belgian driver Renaud Kuppens was the surprise of the session, taking third spot in the Scuderia Giudici BMW on his series debut.
After missing the majority of free practice two thanks to an engine problem with his Roma Mercedes, Luigi Ferrara took no time getting back up to speed. He ended up fourth, less than a second behind Kuppens, having spent the middle part of the session at the top.
Max Mugelli was the best of the Dinamic BMWs in fifth, ahead of Raffaele Giammaria's CAAL Racing Mercedes, which took sixth despite whacking the wall halfway through the session.
Giovanni Berton was seventh, his Dinamic BMW carrying 40 kilogrammes of performance ballast after he won the last race in Slovakia.
Nicola Larini, Thomas Biagi and Francesco Sini were next.
Meanwhile, Laurens Vanthoor's qualifying session was significantly shorter than expected. The debutant was expected to be a pole contender after showing promising pace in the morning's practice sessions, only to have his Audi Sport Italia RS5 stop on track with a transmission problem before he had the chance to set a flying lap.
He will start Sunday's first race from the back of the grid.
Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap 1. Gianni Morbidelli Audi Italia 1m36.055s 2. Tonio Liuzzi Ferraris Mercedes 1m36.462s +0.407s 3. Renaud Kuppens Giudici BMW 1m36.934s +0.879s 4. Luigi Ferrara Roma Mercedes 1m36.940s +0.885s 5. Max Mugelli Dinamic BMW 1m37.113s +1.058s 6. Raffaele Giammaria CAAL Mercedes 1m37.283s +1.228s 7. Giovanni Berton Dinamic BMW 1m37.288s +1.233s 8. Nicola Larini Petri Porsche 1m37.325s +1.270s 9. Thomas Biagi Ferraris Mercedes 1m37.441s +1.386s 10. Francesco Sini Solaris Chevrolet 1m37.831s +1.776s 11. Fabrizio Giovanardi Petri Porsche 1m37.928s +1.873s 12. Mauro Trentin Dinamic BMW 1m38.449s +2.394s 13. Andrea Bacci Roma Mercedes 1m38.612s +2.557s 14. Mimmo Schiattarella Solaris Chevrolet 1m39.175s +3.120s 15. Roberto Benedetti RC Cadillac 1m40.354s +4.299s 16. Marco Cassara Roma Mercedes 1m41.401s +5.346s 17. Gianni Giudici Giudici BMW 1m41.710s +5.655s 18. Laurens Vanthoor Audi Italia
Previous article
Zolder Superstars: Liuzzi and rookie Vanthoor top practice
Next article
Zolder Superstars: Gianni Morbidelli wins, Laurens Vanthoor stars
About this article
| Series | General |
| Author | Andrew van Leeuwen |
LEGO Ferrari 488 GTE
Why Campos Never Made It Into Formula 1
The F1 and Indy 'nearly man' that found contentment in Japan
Having had the door to F1 slammed in his face and come within three laps of winning the Indianapolis 500, the collapse of a Peugeot LMP1 shot meant Japan was Bertrand Baguette's last chance of a career. But it's one which he has grasped with both hands
The female all-rounder who arrived "too early"
From Formula 3 to truck racing, Dakar and EuroNASCAR via a winning stint in the DTM, there's not much Ellen Lohr hasn't seen in a stellar racing career that highlights the merit in being a generalist. But she believes her career came too early...
How Radical's latest machines fare on track
The lightweight sportscar manufacturer has not rewritten the rulebook with its latest machines, but the new SR3 XX and SR10 still provide a step forward on its previous successful models
The real-life racing rogues stranger than fiction
The forthcoming Netflix film linking the world of underworld crime and motorsport plays on a theme that isn't exactly new. Over the years, several shady figures have attempted to make it in racing before their dubious dealings caught up with them
How a GP is thriving in a COVID-free territory
The New Zealand Grand Prix's mix of rising talent and big-name stars thrilled the crowds (yes, remember crowds?) assembled for the Toyota Racing Series meeting at Hampton Downs last weekend and left distant observers craving a repeat
How a much-changed Macau GP kept the party going
OPINION: The 67th edition of the Macau Grand Prix might have been a largely muted affair to the outside world without its international influx and star line-ups, another victim to the COVID-19 pandemic, but organisers deserve huge credit for keeping the party going
Engineer's view: Motorsport's revolutionary braking tool
Although brake pressure and temperature logging is commonplace, measuring and understanding braking performance hasn't been so straightforward. But that's about to change following the introduction of a groundbreaking new sensor
The high-tech materials helping Renault in its F1 rise
The Renault F1 team is at the vanguard of innovative solutions pushing development of the V6 turbo hybrid engine rules, embracing the full potential of material science in its bid to get back to the top
