Super Touring race 1: Larini’s winning start

Tarquini's Honda Accord made a fine start from pole to head Larini's Alfa 156 into the Prima Variante, but the funnel effect of the first chicane caused Larini's team mate Fabrizio Giovanardi to clash with Tarquini's colleague Fabrice Walfisch. While Giovanardi escaped unscathed, Walfisch got caught up with Volvo's Jan Nilsson and both dropped to the tail of the field.

Enrico Toccacelo made a suspiciously good start to run third from seventh on the grid on the opening lap in his Conrero-run Alfa 156, but he soon dropped behind Giovanardi and Roberto Colciago (Audi Quattro).

Although Tarquini led the opening lap, Larini looked menacing and outbraked him into the first corner on lap two. The pair had opened a 1.5s gap over Giovanardi, although last year's Euro STC champ was closing on them as they began lap three.

Tarquini was right on Larini's tail as they turned into the Ascari chicane for the third time, but he hit the kerb too hard on the first element and spun into the tyrewall head-on, which wrecked the front end of the Accord.

Larini was handed a big lead, but Giovanardi soon ate into his advantage. The Alfas were locked in combat by lap four, and Giovanardi swept ahead with a brave move at the Parabolica on lap five. With a 6s gap to play with over Colciago, the Nordauto-run Alfas were allowed to battle it out for victory.

The defining moment of the race came at the first chicane with two laps to go, when Larini outbraked Giovanardi, forcing Fabrizio wide which caused him to lose a lot of time. Giovanardi closed right up again in the final stages, but couldn't find a way past.

Colciago was a lonely third, ahead of Sandro Sardelli's PRO Motorsport-run Nissan Primera. The latter was given a stop-go penalty for jumping the start, but failed to come in and was given a 10s time penalty instead. Fortunately for him, he finished 10.6s ahead of the recovering Walfisch, who benefited from a clash between Nilsson and Angelo Lancelotti's Alfa 156 at the Lesmos.

Race two is scheduled to start at 14.05 BST, with the grid lined up in reverse order. Tarquini's JAS team faces a race against time to rebuild his battered Honda and, if they do manage to get it ready, he will start from the back alongside Larini.


1 Nicola Larini (Alfa Romeo 156) 9 laps
2 Fabrizio Giovanardi (Alfa Romeo 156) +0.364s
3 Roberto Colciago (Audi A4 Quattro) +7.094s
4 Sandro Sardelli (Nissan Primera) +22.389s
5 Fabrice Walfisch (Honda Accord) +22.955s
6 Gianluca De Lorenzi (BMW 320I) +25.614s
7 Massimo Pigalo (Audi A4 Quattro) +25.716s
8 Romano Bernardoni (Alfa Romeo 156) +26.219s
9 Angelo Lancelotti (Alfa Romeo 156) +26.578s
10 Eric Cayrolle (BMW 320i) +32.313s