Italian GT: Audi Sport Italia very hard race 2 at Misano

By Tarek Ramchani

Audi Sport Italia had a very unlucky race 1 at Misano today. Race 2 was a kind of deja vu. A very frustrating season opener for the official Audi Italia dealer team.

Johan Kristoffersson and Alex Frassineti, who shared the #5 Audi R8 LMS ultra, finished in seventh place. They started from the back of the field, just as in race 1, and had to make an unscheduled pit-stop due to a puncture. The sister #4 car of Dindo Capello and Andrea Sonvico was ninth, a lap down. Andrea Sonvico faced brakes problems in his stint, after taking over the car from Dindo Capello.

Race victory went to the #77 Porsche GT3 R of Antonelli Motorsport, second was the #41 Ferrari 458 of MP1 Corse, and in third another Porsche GT3 R the #44 of Ebimotors. Race 2 results are here.

The next round of the Italian GT Championship is set for June, at the Red Bull Ring in Austria.

Photo credit: Audi Sport Italia

Italian GT: Unlucky race 1 for Audi Sport Italia at Misano

By Tarek Ramchani

The first race of the 2013 Italian GT Championship took place this morning. Audi Sport Italia had a very unlucky race with their two Audi R8 LMS ultra cars.

The #5 Audi R8 LMS ultra shared by Johan Kristoffersson and Alex Frassineti finished in sixth place, they started from far behind, after failing to complete a flying lap in qualifying. Both Kristoffersson and Frassineti bounced back and gained a lot of positions. Their teammates Dindo Capello and Andrea Sonvico started sixth, but finished eighth in the end. The #4 Audi R8 LMS ultra was hit by a drive through penalty just after Capello took over from Sonvico, for contact with a Ferrari 458. A very big shame as the car was battling for the podium and third place. Ahead the two Porsches were flying on track and untouchable, victory went to the #44 997 GT3 R of Ebimotors ahead of the #77 from Antonelli Motorsport.

Race 2 is set for later today, fingers crossed for Audi Sport Italia and their drivers.

Photo credit: Italian GT

Italian GT: Dindo Capello and Audi Sport Italia qualified sixth at Misano

By Tarek Ramchani

Misano is hosting the first round of the 2013 Italian GT Championship this weekend. Audi Sport Italia is entering the series for the fifth straight year with a two-car team.

Dindo Capello, after retiring from the full factory Audi Le Mans squad, will take part in the full season in Italian GT, sharing the #4 R8 LMS ultra with Andrea Sonvico. The sister #5 Audi will be driven by Alex Frassineti and the 2012 Superstars Series champion, Johan Krostoffersson.

The qualifying session, which was held this afternoon, was very difficult for Audi Sport Italia. Andrea Sonvico only managed to finish in sixth place. It was worse for the other Audi driven by Johan Kristoffersson, the Swedish driver had contact very early in the session and was not able to finish a flying lap. The #5 Audi will have to start from the back of the pack.

Pole position went to the Porsche GT3 R of Ebimotors, in second another Porsche from Antonelli Motorsport, and third the Lamborghini Gallardo of Imperiale Racing. The qualifying results are here.

The two races are set for tomorrow. We hope that Audi Sport Italia drivers will be able to recover on track and fight for the race wins.

Photo credit: Italian GT

Italian GT: Audi Sport Italia back with Dindo Capello and two Audi R8 LMS ultra

By Tarek Ramchani

Audi Sport Italia will enter the 2013 Italian GT Championship with two Audi R8 LMS ultra cars, and a strong driver line-up. The team will aim for the 2013 title, after the dramatic finale at Monza last year.

Andrea Sonvico missed the title by only a single point, loosing the title to the BMW drivers. Sonvico is back with the team and will share the first Audi R8 LMS ultra with Dindo Capello. The Italian Audi legend will compete in the Italian GT as a full season competitor for first time in years, after focusing on the Le Mans effort with the factory Team Joest. The second car will be in the hands of Alex Frassineti, who also drove for the team last year, and the 2012 Superstars Series champion, Johan Kirstoffersson. The Swedish driver had a great 2012 by winning the Superstars Series, the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship and the Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia. He is not stranger to Audi Sport Italia, the team who built his Audi RS 5 quattro, which entered by his father's team KMS.

The first round of the Italian GT Championship is set for next weekend at Misano. No doubts that Audi Sport Italia will be among the big favorites for the title hunt.

Photo credit: Audi Media

Audi Sport Italia wins GT3 class at the 6 Hours of Rome

By Tarek Ramchani

The Vallelunga circuit hosted the 6 Hours of Rome today. It was the season finale of the Italian based Dunlop Endurance Champions Cup. Audi Sport Italia did very well by taking a convincing class victory.

Audi Sport Italia took a great GT3 class win today against a very strong field from Ferrari, Porsche and BMW. The #29 Audi R8 LMS ultra finished fourth overall and was battling for the outright win for the majority of the race. The car was shared by the team's regular drivers Andrea Sonvico and Alex Frassineti. They were joined by Filippo Francioni at this event competing the three driver lineup. The trio were four laps down on the overall winners, a 1-2-3 finish for the Ferrari 458 GTE cars.

The other Audi team in the race also did well. The Belgian Audi Club Team WRT cars finished in ninth with the #22 R8 LMS ultra and twenty first with the sister #21 Audi. Bad luck for the #21 WRT machine as Edward Sandström was able to fight for the top spots in the early stages of the race.

Rome gives Audi and the R8 LMS ultra another great win. Audi Sport Italia who are regulars in national Italian GT Championship have proven once again to be one of the finest GT teams in Europe.

Photo credit: Audi Sport Italia

More information:
Gruppo Peroni Race website
Audi Sport Italia on Facebook

Positive qualifying session for Audi teams in Rome

By Tarek Ramchani

The 6 Hours of Rome is set for tomorrow at the Vallelunga race track. Three Audi R8 LMS ultras have been entered in the Italian endurance race from Audi Sport Italia and Belgian Audi Club WRT.

Audi Sport Italia has already had a very positive free practice session this morning. The official Italian Audi dealer team was able to do well again in the qualifying session. The #29 Audi R8 LMS ultra shared by Andrea Sonvico, Alex Frassineti and Filippo Francioni ended in fourth place overall with a time of 1'33.355. Most importantly they were the best GT3 car and less than a second behind the semi-works AF Corse Ferrari 458 GTE cars.

The best of the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT cars finished in seventh place overall, the #21 R8 of Edward Sandström and Yves Weerts. Not bad for the 2012 Blancpain Endurance Series champion’s first attempt at Vallelunga. The sister #22 Audi of Vincent Vosse and Jean Luc Blanchemain ended in twelfth place outright.

The race will start at 9:30 local time tomorrow. We wish the best of luck for both Audi teams. Live timing will be available here

Photo credit: Audi Sport Italia

More information:
Gruppo Peroni Race website
Vallelunga Circuit website
Audi Sport Italia on Facebook

2013 Italian GT Championship calendar

By Tarek Ramchani

The Italian GT Championship is one of the strongest National GT series in Europe. Multiple brands are represented including Audi, BMW, Porsche, Ferrari and McLaren. Audi Sport Italia has been racing in the series since 2009 with the Audi R8 LMS. The team is one of the strongest in Italy and one of the oldest running with Audi. After winning the 2011 title with Marco Bonanomi, the team faced extreme bad luck this year. Andrea Sonvico with the #31 Audi R8 LMS ultra finished runner-up to the BMW champions by just 1 point.

Now the 2013 calendar has been released and just like in 2012 seven rounds are planned. Misano will host the season opener. Then visits to Imola, the Red Bull Ring in Austria and Mugello. The series will have a two month summer break, before resuming in September for the fifth round, the track is yet to be known. Vallelunga will be round six and Monza will be the finale.

No official news yet about Audi Sport Italia’s plans for 2013. Still the team is expected to comeback with their pair of Audi R8 LMS ultra cars and we hope with Audi veteran and superstar Dindo Capello.

2013 Italian GT Championship calendar:
Round 1: Misano - 05/05/2013
Round 2: Imola - 26/05/2013
Round 3: Red Bull Ring - 16/06/2013
Round 4: Mugello - 07/07/2013
Round 5: TBA - 01/09/2013
Round 6: Vallelunga - 15/09/2013
Round 7: Monza - 20/10/2013

Photo credit: Italian GT Championship

More information:
Italian GT Championship website

Video: Closer look at the Audi R8 LMS ultra

By Tarek Ramchani

The Audi R8 LMS ultra debuted this season and immediately it was very successful. The 2012 spec R16 was able to give Audi many prestigious titles and race victories worldwide.

Here is a closer look at the winning Audi machine at the Pergusa circuit, Italy. Audi Sport Italia, a regular team in the Italian GT Championship, made a single appearance in the Superstars GTSprint. A very positive event as the team was able to win race 1 and had a strong third in race 2 with drivers Davide Di Benedetto and Michele Merendino.

More information:
Audi Sport Italia website
Audi Sport Italia on Facebook
Audi R8 LMS on Facebook

Audi Sport Italia and Andrea Sonvico runners up in Italian GT

Audi Sport Italia Press Release For second successive season Andrea Sonvico is Italian Gran Turismo runner-up Tough end to a long year for Audi Sport Italia as their R8 LMS ultra drivers rally at Monza decider—but wind up second and third It's been a tough, tough end to a long year for Audi Sport Italia camp, the garage filled with emotion this afternoon following a gut wrenching finale in Monza  where Andrea Sonvico narrowly missed out on his maiden Italian GT3 title. Sonvico, again paired here with sportscars mainstay Dindo Capello, put in a gutsy effort in this weekend legs but lost out to Team BMW Italia duo Thomas Biagi-Stefano Colombo after fourteen hard-fought rounds by a lone point. Sonvico had also been 2011 Italian GT3 runner-up to works Audi driver Marco Bonanomi. On a mild and sunny weekend a healthy crowd was entertained by a drama-filled plot which, at times, is typical of the close racing in these series, but this time out proved almost maddening. The atmosphere at the historic F-1 venue was certainly livelier than at the previous six meetings as twenty entries were bunched up for the season finale where a three-way battle between BMW leaders Thomas Biagi and Stefano Colombo and Audi Sport Italia's Andrea Sonvico, Davide Di Benedetto and Alex Frassineti was set to take place. Having swept the wins at the previous meeting Biagi and Colombo had a 13-point cushion on runner-up Sonvico and an even broader edge on Di Benedetto/Frassineti. But the Z4 drivers were also wary of their performance at the ultra-quick circuit in the park, moreover they had to handle a hefty 30-second time handicap at the mandatory pit stop on Saturday. A 20-second time handicap was also lurking for Di Benedetto/Frassineti, whilst Sonvico and team mate Capello had no such worries. Saturday things played out well for Audi, although in a kind of freakish way. As Porsches were topping the standings as they had throughout most of practices and races--911 GT3Rs wound up taking 1-2 wins in both rounds--Sonvico hung on to try to nail down the title despite a tough initial stint, as he had to cope with a faulty flow meter that hindered his and Capello's effort. None the less Sonvico and Capello accomplished their first goal of the weekend as they scored 12 points for a third place as the leading Z4 drivers added a meager 4 points to their own box score. This Top3 finish actually came out of the bag of tricks of the 3-time Le Mans winner, who with one lap to go was lying fifth with barely time to catch up the McLaren in front of him. On the final lap the two leading Porsches tussled and Barri's car left debris and rubble at tricky Lesmo corner, which triggered panic among pursuers barring Capello, who kept at bay his R8 LMS ultra powerslide managing in the process to get past the McLaren, whose driver wasn't as quickly in her response to havoc. Frassineti and Di Benedetto toiled with their hefty time handicap at the pit-stop and wound up seventh just in front of Biagi/Colombo's Z4. Therefore the three Audi Sport Italia team mates had still one final race on Sunday to determine who would earn this year’s championship with Sonvico still having a 5-point gap from the leading BMW pair and Di Benedetto/Frassineti as dark horses 13 points adrift of leaders. The R8 LMS ultras were well positioned on row 2 just behind an all-Porsche front row, whilst Colombo had been stuck in the middle of the pack on row 5. As Frassineti opened the race powering on through the opening stages, sadly Sonvico plans were dashed early as his team mate Capello was soon caught up in tussles triggered by entries which had taken to the track apparently set to prove that they had nothing to lose. Capello on contrary was all too aware that BMWs drivers were far behind and he did not seek eventful tactics--as posting more points than foes may have done the job for Audi Sport Italia. Never the less the title-chasing #31 Audi slipped soon to the back of the field when one of the swipes had as unwelcomed outcome a rear tyre puncture. The next twist of fate was just around the corner, as the series leading BMW was sidelined by mechanical trouble in a plume of smoke. As the driver and a concerned BMW pit wall watched now powerless, a hard charging Sonvico, who had taken  the relay from Capello, was still down the order scoreless and could only expect some further late race drama in front of him to make up ground but this time the drama was fading, and the lack of further retirements played out in Biagi's favor. The lone point that Sonvico and Capello could clinch confirmed the former as first in points scored at 145, but taking into accounts valid points (two rounds had to be discarded) the haul of 143 won it all for the BMW duo by one point. The second R8 LMS ultra managed to post a fourth place finish with a Top3 within its reach, but the youngest Audi Sport Italia pair had to post a second place to pull up a surprise climb to the top and at a track that had Porsche written all over it this may well have been a hurdle too high to clear. Therefore Di Benedetto and Sonvico confirmed their third spot in the final points standings just nipping the best Porsche crew. CAMPIONATO ITALIANO GRAN TURISMO 2012 Round 13 - Monza, October 20: 1. M. Malucelli/C. Passuti (Porsche) 28 laps  51:26.527 avg speed 189.188 kph 2. P. Ruberti/M.Cordoni (Porsche) +18.416s; 3. D. CAPELLO/A.SONVICO (AUDI R8 LMS ULTRA) +20.935s; 4. C. van der Drift/A. Neri (McLaren) +28.610s; 5. A. Palma/R. Giammaria (Ferrari) +31.653s; ../.. 7. D. DI BENEDETTO/A. FRASSINETI (AUDI R8 LMS ULTRA) a 37.118s. CAMPIONATO ITALIANO GRAN TURISMO 2012 Round 14 - Monza, October 21: 1. A. Balzan/G. Barri (Porsche) 27 laps 51:18.860, avg speed 182.885 kph 2. L. Rangoni/A. Garofano (Porsche) +16.072s; 3. G. Lancieri/S. Comandini (Ferrari) +23.387s; 4. D. DI BENEDETTO/A. FRASSINETI (AUDI R8 LMS ULTRA) +27.047s; 5. C. Sbirrazzuoli/T. Ramindra (Ferrari) +35.140s; ../.. 10. D. CAPELLO/A.SONVICO (AUDI R8 LMS ULTRA) - 2 laps CAMPIONATO ITALIANO GRAN TURISMO 2012 Drivers' points standings : 1. Biagi/Colombo 143 points; 3. SONVICO 142 pts.; 4. DI BENEDETTO/FRASSINETI 135 pts.; 6. Balzan/Barri 131 pts.; 8. CAPELLO 107 pts.; 9. Passuti 105 pts.; 10. Cerruti/Liberati 99 pts.

Three podium finishes for Audi Sport Italia was not enough at Mugello

Audi Sport Italia Press Release 

R8 LMS ultras three podium finishes are not enough at Mugello, on a day the Italian Gran Turismo points lead change hands

Fmr. leader Andrea Sonvico and Dindo Capello post 3rd and 4th as teammates Davide Di Benedetto-Alex Frassineti clinch runner-up and third spot at Tuscan venue

BMW Italia definitely can call Mugello their own, as the squad run by former touring car star Roberto Ravaglia sweeped the four Italian GT3 rounds that had Tuscany's rolling hills as their backdrop. On Sunday, in their second 2012 visit at the history-laden track, Thomas Biagi and Stefano Colombo claimed both wins, the latter snatching his second successive and fourth season victory from female team mate Michela Cerruti with just half-lap to go. The move allowed the winners to come back atop the points standings for the first time since early August, when Audi Sport Italia's Andrea Sonvico had pipped from the top spot the rivals. Teaming up with Audi mainstay Dindo Capello, Sonvico started from row 3 the morning race, occupying P5 throughout his stint behind Gianluca De Lorenzi's brand-new Mercedes SLS. After the mandatory pit-stop his team mate Capello managed to move up a couple of spots and in the final stages of the round he also had to rely on his ample bag of tricks to safeguard his P3 from the charging BMW of young gun Edoardo Liberati. The runner-up spot was claimed by #32 R8 LMS ultra driven by Davide Di Benedetto and Alex Frassineti. The former proudly put his mark on the most amazing start seen this season, rocketing from row 2 on the outside of Colombo and Matteo Malucelli's Porsche at San Donato bend. The Sicilian bravely resisted the pressure from the BMW driver until Lap 6, when he relinquished the lead to Colombo, who never looked back thereafter. Malucelli on contrary didn't give any sign of giving up, but Di Benedetto kept P2 safe until the pit stop, leaving to Alex Frassineti the opportunity to seal the pair fifth 2012 podium finish.

Race 2 had Audi's Saturday hero, Frassineti, sitting on pole. The Rome-based driver didn't make any mistake at the start of the afternoon 48-minute plus 1-lap race, but he was quickly passed for the lead by Biagi, who had started second in his Z4. Frassineti was then able to fend off Liberati's assault until Lap 6, when the BMW driver moved by making it a 1-2 for the Z4s. Frassineti then kept the fastest pace --that is, among drivers who were not sitting in a BMW, whilst Capello was stuck in P5 behind Stefano Comandini's Ferrari, whose better top speed allowed the Rome driver to keep the 3-time Le Mans winner at bay until the pit stop. The pit stop sent back on tracks a pair of BMWs leading a pair of Audis, with Di Benedetto comfortably edging Sonvico. The latter in the closing laps had to put in his best driving resources as Malucelli's Porsche came back menancingly but ultimately had to bow to the Audi.

Porsches were off pace at Mugello, leaving Audis alone to attempt to spoil BMW's party, but they are likely to come back with a vengeance at Monza season finale where, besides leading Biagi-Colombo and runner-up Sonvico, even Di Benedetto-Frassineti have could be a dark horse as candidate to grab the Gran Turismo crown, now held by Audi works driver Marco Bonanomi.

CAMPIONATO ITALIANO GRAN TURISMO 2012
Round 11 - Mugello, September 23:
1. T. Biagi - S. Colombo (BMW) 26 laps 49:57.052, avg speed 163,804 kph

2. D. DI BENEDETTO - A. FRASSINETI (AUDI R8 LMS ultra) +6.4564s

3. D. CAPELLO - A. SONVICO (AUDI R8 LMS ultra) + 15.405s
4. M. Cerruti - E. Liberati (BMW) + 16.070s

5. S. Comandini - V. Fornaroli (Ferrari) + 30.311s

CAMPIONATO ITALIANO GRAN TURISMO 2012
Round 12 - Mugello, September 23:
1. T. Biagi - S. Colombo (BMW) 26 laps 49:56.599 avg speed 163,829 kph

2. M. Cerruti - E. Liberati (BMW) + 0.717s

3. D. DI BENEDETTO - A. FRASSINETI (AUDI R8 LMS ultra) +24.878s

4. D. CAPELLO - A. SONVICO (AUDI R8 LMS ultra) + 26.213s

5. S. Comandini - V. Fornaroli (Ferrari) + 26.705s

2012 ITALIAN GRAN TURISMO

Drivers' points standings (after 12 rounds):

1. Biagi/Colombo 139 points;

3. SONVICO 132 pts.;

4. DI BENEDETTO/FRASSINETI 130 pts.;

6. Balzan e Barri 114 pts.;

8. Cerruti e Liberati 95 pts.;

10. CAPELLO 94 pts.;

Hard day for Audi Sport Italia drivers at Imola - Audi R8 LMS ultra

Audi Sport Italia Press Release 

It was a hard day for Audi Sport Italia drivers at Imola as the team tackled the fifth meeting of 2012 Italian Gran Turismo.

R8 LMS ultra drivers had to make do with lone podium finish in Race 2, but points standings leader Andrea Sonvico --and team mate Dindo Capello--manage to keep top spot ahead of Porsche duo Balzan-Barri

At Imola it definitely took a Porsche to end up on top of time charts: the rest of the Italian GT3 field --including Audi Sport Italia's drivers -- watched frustrated as Ebimotors and Antonelli Sport crews shared the available wins at the former F-1 venue. Starting from the front row Ebimotors' Alessandro Balzan/Giacomo Barri dominated Race 1 while Antonelli Sport's Paolo Ruberti/Cristian Passuti jogged throughout Sunday's Race 2.

Andrea Sonvico and Dindo Capello’s respective best qualifying times held them inside the second row in both races, alongside their sister Audi car, at least proving that the R8 LMS ultras may have been the best of the rest at Imola, performance-wise.

Sonvico, who alongside Audi stalwart Capello came to the famed circuit well poised to defend the series' leading spot claimed before the summer break, was indeed able to maintain his position. But this came the hard way: car #31 drivers toiled to P7 on Saturday and to a hard-fought P4 on Sunday, way off the pace of the 911s. Heavy time handicap penalties triggered by the outstanding RedBull Ring results hampered the effort put in by Capello and Sonvico: this took a toll as they faced off with the quickest BMWs and Ferraris. Therefore at Imola Audi Sport Italia's best finish was picked up by car #32 duo Davide Di Benedetto and Alex Frassineti, whose Sunday run ended up in P3, just a couple of seconds adrift of Mancini-Lancieri's Ferrari 458 Italia. The Sicilian Di Benedetto -- who did not have to cope with time penalties -- nearly caught up with Mancini at the checker, also setting his car fastest lap as time was running out. It was a good way to make up for a sad Saturday, as he had beached his R8 LMS ultra in a sand trap on the opening lap...
Sonvico uphill battle at Imola unexpecetedly got a lucky break when just after the mandatory pit-stop Barri's Porsche was victim of an aggressive move by Valentino Fornaroli's Ferrari, whose car tangled on the 911 rear left tyre forcing the Ebimotors driver to an unscheduled pit-stop to get a new tyre.

In spite of this puncture, the Porsche pair clinching 24 points has made up significant ground on Sonvico, who now leads by four points. But all 911 GT3R drivers at the next venue, Mugello, most likely will have to cope with a re-tooled domestic Balance of Performance, as Imola's verdict did not go unnoticed by the Italian Sporting Body's Bureau in charge of laying out a GT3 level field.

CAMPIONATO ITALIANO GRAN TURISMO
Round 9 - Imola, September 1:
1. A. Balzan - G. Barri (Porsche) 27 laps 50:01.317 avg speed 158.982 kph

2. P. Ruberti - C. Passuti (Porsche) + 8.308s
3. T. Biagi - S. Colombo (BMW) + 15.555s
4. S. Comandini - V. Fornaroli (Ferrari) + 15.708s
5. M. Cerruti - E. Liberati (BMW) + 30.651s
6. G. Lancieri - F. Mancini (Ferrari) + 36.564s
7. D. CAPELLO - A. SONVICO (AUDI R8 LMS ultra) + 38.099s
RTD. D. DI BENEDETTO - A. FRASSINETI 0 laps

Round 10 - Imola, September 2:
1. P. Ruberti - C. Passuti (Porsche) 28 laps 51:24.835 avg speed 160.406 kph

2. G. Lancieri - F. Mancini (Ferrari) + 25.456s
3. D. DI BENEDETTO - A. FRASSINETI (AUDI R8 LMS ultra) +26.549s

4. D. CAPELLO - A. SONVICO (AUDI R8 LMS ultra) + 40.842s
5. M. Cerruti - E. Liberati (BMW) + 41.432s

CAMPIONATO ITALIANO GRAN TURISMO 2012

Drivers' points standings (after 10 rounds):

1. SONVICO 112 total points

2. Balzan e Barri 108 pts.

4. DI BENEDETTO - FRASSINETI 103 pts.

6. Biagi - Colombo 99 pts.

8. Cerruti - Liberati 76 pts.

10. CAPELLO 74 pts.

Dindo Capello and Audi Sport Italia heading to Imola

By Tarek Ramchani

Imola will host the fifth round of the Italian GT Championship this weekend. Audi Sport Italia will be present at the Enzo and Dino Ferrari circuit with their pair of Audi R8 LMS ultra cars.

Last time out in Austria, Audi Sport Italia had a great weekend at the Red Bull Ring. A fine second in Race 1 with Davide Di Benedetto and Alex Frassineti in the #32 Audi R8 LMS ultra. It was even better in Race 2 with a maiden last lap win for Dindo Capello and Andrea Sonvico who share the #31 car. This was enough to give Sonvico the championship point lead. Capello had already missed the two opening rounds as he was being busy with the official Audi team at Le Mans, thus he will only support his team mate in the chase for the title. In second overall is their team mates, Davide Di Benedetto and Alex Frassineti.

The Italian GT field is not very big, yet the races are very close with great quality competitors. The factory supported BMW Z4 GT3s from ROAL Motorsport have been the biggest threat since the start of the season. However, now both the Porsche and Ferrari teams are progressing and fighting for race wins. The Audi drivers will have to look at a new rival as well, a new McLaren MP4-12C is about to make its debut in the Italian series.

Both qualifying sessions and Race 1 are set for Saturday, with Race 2 on Sunday. Fingers crossed for the whole Audi Sport Italia team.

Photo credit: Italian GT Championship / ACI

More information:
Audi Sport Italia official Facebook
Italian GT Championship official website

Dindo Capello and Andrea Sonvico after the Red Bull Ring race 2 win

Audi Sport Italia Capello and Sonvico win at the Red Bull Ring

Audi Sport Italia Press Release

Red Bull Ring win alongside Dindo Capello propels back Andrea Sonvico into Italian Gran Turismo leading spot

Audi Sport Italia drivers also claim runner-up spot as Davide Di Benedetto and Alex Frassineti picked up second and fourth

The lone abroad meeting for 2012 Italian GT -- at Austria's Red Bull Ring -- started on a high for the Audi camp as 2011 runner-up Andrea Sonvico clinched pole position for race 1 and finished even better as Como-based driver won a nail-biting race 2 overtaking Fabio Mancini's Ferrari at Remus corner on the very last lap. Dindo Capello's young team mate was therefore able to snatch the top spot in the standings from Thomas Biagi and Stefano Colombo, whose spell as leading duo ran across four months - from round 2 to round 7. Sonvico -- and Christian Montanari, the stand-in driver for Capello when Dindo had works commitments-- had briefly led after their round 1 win.

On Saturday Sonvico spent his opening race stint close behind Giacomo Barri's Porsche then relinquishing the seat to Capello. As the #31 car was having to cope with the heftiest time penalty in the field --due to having clinched the first place at Misano race 2-- the 3-time Le Mans winner had to toil in his driving duties making do with a 5-place after having eaten away at Biagi's BMW edge throughout. Luckily Audi Sport Italia's #32 car did not have to climb such a time penalty and young duo Davide Di Benedetto-Alex Frassineti did not let the opportunity slip through their fingers putting in a consistent drive that -- although couldn't not match winners Balzan-Barri's pace -- was more than enough to build a comfortable 10-second edge on the Ferrari that rounded out the Top3. 

Sunday's race was way more spectacular as front row drivers battled closely since the red light went off, with Balzan's Porsche snapping at Peter Kox' Lamborghini bumper. The experienced duo was soon joined by Capello, who overtook Gabriele Lancieri's Ferrari on lap 4. His #31 R8 LMS ultra put further pressure on the dicing duo at the top and Capello also claimed the race fastest lap before pitting in to hand over the seat to Sonvico. As the fast Lambo dropped out of contention when Nico Pronk took the wheel, Saturday's winner discovered the pleasures endowned to heavy time penalty. With the Ebimotors Porsche embroiled in a comeback through traffic, it was up to Lancieri-Mancini's Ferrari --that could easily overcome a meager 5-second time penalty-- to enjoy the leading spot. But Sonvico had unleashed already his R8 LMS ultra and on lap 28 he caught up with Mancini. The latter used his mileage in tin tops to keep at bay the Audi but on the very last lap he did not fend off Sonvico's move on the inside at Remus corner and therefore he and Capello could  hoist the most coveted silverware for the second time in three races (Misano being the first).
Di Benedetto and Frassineti put in one of their usual consistent drive, picking up the fourth spot behind the Ebimotors 911 GT3R. The ensuing 8-point haul leaves the Audi duo 9-point adrift of team mate Sonvico. Previous GT3 leaders Biagi and Colombo were also overtaken by the Porsche duo. As more new arrivals loom for the upcoming September Italian GT rounds 2012 title chase actually hots up.

CAMPIONATO ITALIANO GRAN TURISMO 2012
Round 7 - Red Bull Ring Spielberg, August 4:1. A. Balzan - G. Barri (Porsche) 31 laps 50:06.850

2. D. DI BENEDETTO - A. FRASSINETI (AUDI R8 LMS ULTRA) + 7.179s
3. F. Mancini - G. Lancieri (Ferrari) + 18.072s

4. T. Biagi - S. Colombo (Porsche) + 23.635

5. D. CAPELLO - A. SONVICO (AUDI R8 LMS ULTRA) + 27.668s

CAMPIONATO ITALIANO GRAN TURISMO 2012
Round 8 - Red Bull Ring Spielberg, August 5:1. D. CAPELLO - A. SONVICO (AUDI R8 LMS ULTRA) 31 giri in 50:13.335
2. F. Mancini - G. Lancieri (Ferrari) + 0.621

3. A. Balzan - G. Barri (Porsche) + 1.509

4. D. DI BENEDETTO - A. FRASSINETI (AUDI R8 LMS ULTRA) + 12.526

5. P. Kox - N. Pronk (Lamborghini) + 28.737

CAMPIONATO ITALIANO GRAN TURISMO 2012

Provisional drivers' points standings:

1. SONVICO 100 points;

3. DI BENEDETTO/FRASSINETI 91 pts.;

5. Balzan/Barri 89 pts.;

7. Biagi/Colombo 87 pts;

9. Cerruti/Liberati 65 pts.

Audi Sport Italia drivers romp to double win at Misano Adriatico GT3 meeting

Audi Sport Italia Press Release

Audi Sport Italia drivers romp to double win at Misano Adriatico GT3 meeting

Dindo Capello and Andrea Sonvico post win and second place as Audi team mates Davide Di Benedetto and Alex Frassineti clinch their maiden R8 LMS ultra victory

Poring through the pages of Misano Adriatico time sheets, people may well be led to think that Audi Sport Italia entries spent a weekend at the beach (sort of) in Italian Gran Turismo round 5 and 6, with Audi drivers on top across the board. Actually Dindo Capello-Andrea Sonvico and Davide Di Benedetto-Alex Frassineti took a win apiece, and their R8s were only briefly headed during or immediately after mandatory pit stops.

Coming off a dismal weekend at Mugello all drivers bounced back to make their mark in the baking sun, and most likely Dindo Capello -- in his first GT3 outing since October 2011 -- was the spark that ignited the fire. Capello and, of course, the latest Balance of Performance upheld by the Italian Sporting body, which allowed the V10 engines to fit 43mm air restrictors instead of the 39 mm that had the cars nearly choking throughout the previous two race weekends. On Friday, during free practices topped by Sonvico and Frassineti, drivers unanimously reported enhanced performance from their V10s, and the dance went on Saturday as Sonvico and Capello claimed both pole positions available for #31 car, an achievement that as yet had been monopolized by BMW Italia's Z4s.

Saturday grid had the front row filled by R8s, but a chaotic start forced pole sitter Sonvico to relinquish his spot to team mate Di Benedetto, as the 2011 GT3 runner-up dropped behind Valentino Fornaroli's Ferrari. None the less on lap 2 Sonvico had moved past the 458 Italia and he did not wasted time catching up the leading #32 Audi. Di Benedetto and Sonvico then battled in the sun staging an unrelenting 14-lap dice that only came to an end when the Sicilian driver pitted to hand over his R8 LMS ultra to Frassineti, leaving briefly Sonvico enjoy P1. It was therefore up to Capello to try to challenge Frassineti leading spot, but Capello, did not let his wish to post his first 2012 domestic win get in the way of the first 2012 Audi 1-2 "festa", and therefore Frassineti and Di Benedetto were able to celebrate their first Audi win.

Capello, who just before claiming the runnerup spot in Saturday race had clinched an impressive pole position for Sunday race, must have been well aware of his chances to take a quick revenge, and that's what the Asti driver actually did taking a good clean getaway from the rolling start to build a consistent edge over the revamped Porsches and Comandini's Ferrari 458 Italia. Capello on his way to make his Sunday an Hat-Trick Sunday posted the race fastest  lap and handed over the #31 entry over six seconds ahead of team mate Frassineti. The latter, starting from row 5 had brilliantly battled his way back through the field to the runner up spot just seconds before the pit stop window opened, when Comandini's Ferrari went wide under pressure from #32 Audi. Capello's team mate Sonvico only had to take care of Giacomo Barri's Porsche, whose time penalty was the tiniest among leading entries. He did so on lap 19 to grab back P1, then the Como-based driver bided his time to clinch his second 2012 win after the opening round at Vallelunga. Sadly it was not meant to be another 1-2 race for Audi Sport Italia, as gearbox trouble forced Di Benedetto to hobble around to pick a disappointing P6.

In spite of this mishap the title race hots up now, as the best finish spot for BMW drivers at Misano was P3, claimed by Michela Cerruti and Emanuele Liberati in race 2, and series leaders Thomas Biagi-Stefano Colombo posted P6 and P5 finishes. The gap between Sonvico and the leading BMW pair has now shrunk to a six-point spread, 79-73. The series will take a 1-month summer break and will resume with the lone race meeting abroad, held at Austria's Red Bull Ring.

CAMPIONATO ITALIANO GRAN TURISMO 2012
Round 5 - Misano Adriatico, July 7:1. D. DI BENEDETTO - A. FRASSINETI (AUDI R8 LMS ULTRA) 30 laps, 51'00.427s, average speed 149.132 kph
2. D. CAPELLO - A. SONVICO (AUDI R8 LMS ULTRA) + 1.648s
3. S. Comandini - V. Fornaroli (Ferrari 458 Italia) + 38.121s
4. M. Monti - C. Passuti (Porsche 911 GT3R) + 45.317s
5. A. Balzan - G. Barri (Porsche 911 GT3R) + 51.082s

CAMPIONATO ITALIANO GRAN TURISMO 2012
Round 6 - Misano Adriatico, July 8:

1. D. CAPELLO - A. SONVICO (AUDI R8 LMS ULTRA) 29 laps, 49'52.636s avg speed 147.427
2. A. Balzan - G. Barri (Porsche 911 GT3R) + 8.090s
3. M. Cerruti - E. Liberati (BMW Z4) + 8.938s
4. C. Passuti - M. Monti (Porsche 911 GT3R) + 13.577s
5. T. Biagi - S. Colombo (BMW Z4) + 34.476s
6. D. DI BENEDETTO - A. FRASSINETI (AUDI R8 LMS ULTRA) + 1'00.365s

CAMPIONATO ITALIANO GRAN TURISMO 2012

Provisional points standings:

1. Biagi/Colombo 79 total points;

3. SONVICO 73 pts.;

4. DI BENEDETTO/FRASSINETI 68 pts;.

6. Cerruti/Liberati 53 pts;.

8. Balzan/Barri 57 pts.;

10. MONTANARI 38 pts.

More information:

Audi Sport Italia FB page

Frustrated Audi Sport Italia drivers leave Mugello with plenty to mull over misfortunes

Audi Sport Italia Press Release

Davide Di Benedetto-Alex Frassineti post lone Top3 Audi finish; the Tuscan weekend of Andrea Sonvico and Christian Montanari  ruined by spate of freak punctures

The happy --but short-lived-- moment came early at Mugello in the second meeting of 2012 Italian Gran Turismo, as both R8 LMS ultras grabbed the lead at the start of Saturday race, courtesy of Andrea Sonvico and Alex Frassineti that leapfrogged in sync the all-BMW front row. Unfortunately by lap 5 the duo had been edged by Stefano Colombo's Z4, who ultimately finished in P3 alongside Thomas Biagi. The Audi entries, which both had to cope with better time penalties than Colombo's BMW, were hopeful to shoot for Audi Sport Italia's second season win, and their plans looked fairly well designed, in theory. But just before the mandatory pit stop Sonvico suffered a rear left tyre puncture and handed over the #31 to unlucky team mate Christian Montanari nearly one lap down the running order. Di Benedetto managed to resume the race just ahead of Michela Cerruti's BMW, but soon the Sicilian driver learned that he had been enforced a 3.780s time penalty for having rushed off the pit lane. Di Benedetto fended off the gritty female driver come back, but although he took the chequered flag as first it was up to Cerruti and Edoardo Liberati to celebrate their maiden Italian GT win.

Race 2, staged on Sunday at noon, started with polesitter Thomas Biagi heading into the braking zone in Turn One first. Biagi and young sidekick Colombo never looked back throughout the 26-lap race, and this in spite of their 30-second time penalty due to previous Top3 finishes and their Z4 minimum weight having been increased 20 kilos before the Tuscan meeting. They strenghtened their hold on the series lead as they left the greeny venue with a 24-point lead over the Audi pairings.

Audi Sport Italia's R8s cruised in P4 and P5 in the first half of the Sunday event, with Montanari pipping team mate Di Benedetto just seconds before the pit stop window opened. Saturday's mishap at least meant that Montanari and Sonvico had to toil with a lesser time penalty than all rivals BMWs, but Sonvico's will to bid for the lead again was bluntly set aside when he suffered another blown rear left tyre -- a mere lap after having started his racing spell. Then the Como-based driver with barely five minutes to go suffered another freak puncture on Avon rubber, this time to the front right tyre -- a feat that had the Audi staff scratching their heads as the tyre is not sustaining any strain at the Tuscan venue. Sonvico and Montanari picked up two points, not nearly enough to let them keep the runner-up spot in the standings. Now this spot is occupied by Audi team mates Di Benedetto and Frassineti, albeit 24 points adrift of the BMW Italia duo.

In the early stages of his stint Frassineti had remained trapped behind Valentino Fornaroli's Vita4One Ferrari long enough to lose track of Alessandro Balzan. The Porsche  driver built a small but crucial gap on the charging R8 LMS ultra, that in spite of a good deal of effort couldn't not get by the Ebimotors 911 before the chequered flag.

CAMPIONATO ITALIANO GRAN TURISMO

  

Round 3 - Autodromo del Mugello, June 9.

1. Michela Cerruti-Edoardo Liberati (BMW) 26 laps 50:22.480 avg speed 162.426 kph

2. DAVIDE DI BENEDETTO - ALEX FRASSINETI (AUDI R8 LMS ultra) + 1.332s

3. Thomas Biagi-Stefano Colombo (BMW) + 20.060s

4. Stefano Comandini-Valentino Fornaroli (Ferrari) + 22.292s

5. Fabio Mancini-Gabriele Lancieri (Ferrari) + 29.460s

../..

7. CHRISTIAN MONTANARI-ANDREA SONVICO (AUDI R8 LMS ultra) + 47.500s

Round 4 - Autodromo del Mugello, June 10.

1. Thomas Biagi-Stefano Colombo (BMW) 26 laps 50:25.887 avg speed 162.2423 kph

2. Alessandro Balzan-Giacomo Barri (Porsche + 5.980s

3. Gabriele Lancieri-Fabio Mancini (Ferrari) + 5.981s

4. DAVIDE DI BENEDETTO - ALEX FRASSINETI (AUDI R8 LMS ultra) + 6.765s

5) Stefano Comandini-Valentino Fornaroli (Ferrari) + 22.292s

../..

DNF CHRISTIAN MONTANARI-ANDREA SONVICO (AUDI R8 LMS ultra) - 4 laps

Drivers points standings after 4 rounds:

1st Biagi/Colombo 67 total points;

3rd DI BENEDETTO/FRASSINETI 43 pts.

5th MONTANARI/SONVICO 38 pts.

7th Cerruti/Liberati 37 pts.

9th Balzan/Barri 30 pts.

More information:

Audi Sport Italia official Facebook

Audi Sport Italia unlucky in Italian GT race 2 at Mugello

By Tarek Ramchani

Despite some bad luck Audi Sport Italia achieved a fine second place finish in race 1 yesterday. The official Audi Italia dealer team faced a lot of misfortune in race 2 today.

The Audi R8 LMS ultra cars started from second and third behind the pole setting BMW. The #32 car of Alex Frassinetti and Davide Di Benedetto were right ahead of the sister #31 car shared by Andrea Sonvico and Christian Montanari. Montanari again replaced Dindo Capello this weekend as Dindo is busy with the factory Audi Le Mans program. As in Race 1, both Audis battled hard with the BMW of ROAL Motorsport. In the first part of the race the #31 faced drama, Andrea Sonvico twice got a blown tire. The car lost a great amount of time and dropped to last before handing the R8 to his team mate Christian Montanari. The sister #32 kept fighting for top spots but couldn't match the very fast pace of Thomas Biaggi's BMW. Di Benedetto who was behind the wheel of the car after the mandatory pit stops challenged a Porsche GT3 R and Ferrari 458 for a podium finish. In the end after a fought three-way battle he ended in fourth, some 6 seconds behind the winning Z4 GT3. The other car only finished fifteenth, 4 laps down and losing vital points for the overall championship standings.

Overall Audi Sport Italia’s weekend at Mugello was quite a difficult one. The #31 R8 LMS ultra was extremely unlucky with tire issues in both races. The other car did better and the new comers Alex Frassinetti and Davide Di Benedetto adapted very well to the Audi R8 LMS ultra. Next race will be at the Misano circuit. The team will have Dindo Capello at the next round. The Audi star is one of the fastest with the R8 LMS, adding extra chances for the Italian Audi squad in the battle for the championship title.

Mugello Race 2 full results

Photo credit: ACI / Campionato Italiano Gran Turismo

More information:
Audi Sport Italia official Facebook
Italian GT Championship official website

Audi Sport Italia second place finish in Italian GT race 1 at Mugello

By Tarek Ramchani

The Italian GT Championship is at the Mugello Circuit this weekend for round 2. Audi Sport Italia entered their two Audi R8 LMS ultra race cars. The team is doing well at the Ferrari owned track.

The official Audi Italia dealer team qualified in third and fourth overall for today's first race. The #32 Audi R8 LMS ultra shared by Davide Di Benedetto and Alex Frassineti right ahead of the sister #31 car of Andrea Sonvico and Chrisitian Montanari. Dindo Capello being busy with the factory Audi team at Le Mans is missing the second event of the Italian season after he also missed the opening round.

In race one as at Vallelunga in the opening round, it was an all Audi vs. BMW affair. The Z4 GT3 cars locked out the front row for race 1. However the Audis managed to fight hard and challenge the ROAL run Team BMW Italia cars. Later bad luck hit both Audi Sport Italia R8s, first the #32 was hit by a penalty for pit stop infringement and later it was the turn of the #31 car with a critical tire problem that dropped Sonvico and Montanari way back in the field. In the end the #32 R8 LMS of Davide Di Benedetto and Alex Frassineti managed to finish in a very strong second despite the penalty and right behind the winning BMW after a great battle to the finish. The sister #31 car only got seventh overall, some 48 seconds back from the leaders.

Race 1 was quite a good one for Audi Sport Italia. The team managed to score vital points and secure a very strong second after all the drama in the 48 minutes sprint race. Race 2 is set for tomorrow, the Audis will start from positions two and three. We are hoping the two cars have better luck tomorrow, without any doubt the R8s will fight for the race win.

Mugello Race 1 full results

Photo credit: ACI / Campionato Italiano Gran Turismo

More information:

Audi Sport Italia official Facebook

Italian GT Championship official website

Maiden win for Audi Sport Italia's R8 LMS ultra

Audi Sport Italia Press Release 

Maiden win for Audi Sport Italia's R8 LMS ultra in the Italian Gran Turismo opener

Andrea Sonvico and Christian Montanari clinch clean win in Vallelunga Race 1 and podium finish in Race 2; Davide Di Benedetto and Alex Frassineti post Race 1 Top3 finish

2012 Italian Gran Turismo season kick-off had a pretty good load of new things in store for Audi Sport Italia. The drivers' line-up underwent a major overhaul, as in Vallelunga the lone familiar face was 2011 runner-up Andrea Sonvico. He was splitting his time in the seat of the brand-new R8 LMS ultra with Christian Montanari. The other car was handed over to Davide Di Benedetto and Alex Frassineti. All of them had to make acquaintance with their new weapons on Friday at the Piero Taruffi circuit, as the completion of the cars upgrade had been carried out a few hours before the team trucks headed south to Rome.

On Saturday morning the dearth of valuable track time in the upgraded GT3 car may have somehow hindered the Audi drivers' pole position chase, but none the less did not scarred the Emilio Radaelli-led troops, which were pretty confident of their possibilities come race time. As it is, if Saturday morning belonged to BMWs, which grabbed both poles, on Saturday afternoon it was up to an R8 LMS ultra pair to have the last laugh.

Sonvico got ahead of poleman Stefano Colombo's Z4 at the start and was never challenged throughout the 30-lap afternoon race. Whilst Sonvico's team mate Alex Frassineti and the BMW driver challenged each other for the runner-up spot, Sonvico steadily edged away from the rest of the pack, moreover setting Race 1 fastest lap.
Audi Sport Italia's latest recruit Montanari, who is standing in for Audi Works driver Dindo Capello, was fired up to make a big impression: he just did so when he resumed the race at the front of the pack. The leading group of three drivers pulled away from the rest of the field as the 30-lap race developed, with the #31 Audi eventually beating the best BMW to the chequered flag by 5.982 seconds. Davide Di Benedetto stepped in for Frassineti in the second half of Race 1 and tried hard to pass Thomas Biagi in the closing laps, but ultimately settled for third, sealing a double Audi Top3 finish.

BMWs had sweeped Sunday's grid front row, but as the cars -- all on slick Avon tyres -- took the start, heavy clouds started to move on. As umbrellas started to sprout across the grandstands, former FIA WTCC driver Alessandro Balzan's Porsche leapfrogged BMW Italia's Z4s to lead the first half of the race, with the Bimmers in close attendance. Montanari's R8 LMS ultra was in P5 snapping at the rear fender of Enrique Bernoldi's Ferrari 458 Italia and Di Benedetto was toiling in P7 just before the mandatory pit-stop. The latter was to prove a major hindrance for Audi Sport Italia's duo, as they had to discount the time penalty triggered by the brilliant Saturday results and moreover they were prevented from reaching the pits before their leading rivals by an unfriendly pitstop window.

All drivers then went out on wet tyres and in the closing stages as rain turned into drizzle the fastest cars on this surface proved to be the R8 LMS ultras, which impressively made up ground on the opposition. Sonvico edged the second BMW to grab P3 on Lap 25, whilst Frassineti had a brief tussle with Michela Cerruti Z4 at Roma corner before sneaking back in P4. BMW winning duo Biagi-Colombo took possession of the lead in the Italian GT3 standings, three points ahead of the best placed Audi pair, Montanari-Sonvico. Fellow Audi drivers Di Benedetto-Frassineti are a step behind, 15 points adrift of the lead.

CAMPIONATO ITALIANO GRAN TURISMO --

Autodromo Piero Taruffi, May 5 2012. Round 1

1. CHRISTIAN MONTANARI/ANDREA SONVICO (AUDI R8 LMS ultra) 30 giri in 49'54"702 alla media di 147,316 km/h

2. Thomas Biagi/Stefano Colombo (BMW) + 5.982S;
3. DAVIDE DI BENEDETTO/ALEX FRASSINETI (AUDI R8 LMS ultra) + 7'151;
4. Stefano Comandini/Valentino Fornaroli (Ferrari) + 22'292;
5. Alessandro Balzan/Giacomo Barri (Porsche) + 29'583.

CAMPIONATO ITALIANO GRAN TURISMO : 

Autodromo Piero Taruffi, May 6 2012. Round 2

1. Thomas Biagi/Stefano Colombo (BMW), 26 laps 51:05.036 average speed 124.747 kph

2. Enrique Bernoldi/Michael Lyons (Ferrari) + 7.457s;
3. CHRISTIAN MONTANARI/ANDREA SONVICO AUDI R8 LMS ultra) + 38.407s;

4. DAVIDE DI BENEDETTO/ALEX FRASSINETI (AUDI R8LMS ultra) + 58.103s;
5. Tommaso Rocca/Davide Romanini (Ferrari) + 1:23.962s.

CAMPIONATO ITALIANO GRAN TURISMO 2012

Provisional points standings after 2 rounds:

1. Biagi-Colombo 35 total points;

3. MONTANARI-SONVICO 32 pts.;

5. DI BENEDETTO-FRASSINETI 20 pts.;

7. Lyons-Bernoldi 18 pts.;

9. Balzan-Barri 12 pts.