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2011
MONZA

2011 SUPERSTARS
ROUND ONE - MONZA

RACE 1
A lot was promised from Andrea Bertolini and the all-new Maserati Quattroporte which came very close to toppling Pigoli at the end of qualifying but, although he put in a very quick time, it was Max Pigoli in the Romeo Ferraris Mercedes that snatched pole close to the end of the session. After Max had crossed the line, the Maserati was still out on track with a final chance to take pole but came up just a few tenths short but would still start on the front row.

It was an emphatic victory for Romeo Ferraris driver Max Pigoli from pole in his Mercedes C63 AMG, with team-mate Michela Cerruti moving up from her 3rd position on the grid to take 2nd and Mercedes took a clean sweep of the podium with CAAL Racing's Luigi Ferrara having a stunning drive from 16th on the grid and the 8th row to finish 3rd, with 2010 Champion Thomas Biagi having a trouble-free drive to 4th.

There was a huge disappointment for Britain's Johnny Herbert. The former Formula One driver, last year driving for the Motorzone team with a Chevrolet Lumina, only had his ride confirmed with the Romeo Ferraris team on the Wednesday and his first drive with the Mercedes was on Thursday practice, with no time to find a race set up. During the race he was holding 5th place for most of the race but a puncture dropped him down the order to finish 10th after a late braking manoeuvre on the last lap, allowing Alberto Cerqui's BMW M3 to take 5th, with team mate Stefano Gabellini 6th and Fabrizio Armetta 7th ahead of the CAAL Racing Mercedes of Riccardo Romangnoli, with Roberto Benedetti in 9th. Francesco Sini had intermittent electrical problems which held back the Ferlito Motors Jaguar XFS. The Maserati of Bertolini showed well until one of the rear tyres lost pressure and the Swiss tem entry had to pit.

RACE 2
Once again Max Pigoli started from the pole position with team mate Michela Cerruti getting ahead of the Maserati Quattroporte, now driven by former F1 driver Andrea Chiesa, into 2nd. This time, it didn't take long for Luigi Ferrara in his CAAL Racing Mercedes to start challenging, once again from his 8th row starting position, moving from 16th to 5th by the first corner and wasting no time in getting past both Francesco Sini's Jaguar and the Maserati. Ferrara had won both races here at Monza last year in his series debut and set about getting past Cerruti in 2nd place. Once past, the next battle was for the lead with Max Pigoli and the rival Romeo Ferraris Mercedes.

A move on the Parabolica got him into the lead and Pigoli slipped back into the clutches of team mate Cerruti in 3rd. Under pressure, Pigoli's Mercedes had a pucnture which let Cerruti back into 2nd. In front of her, Ferrara also suffered a puncture under braking and Michela was now in the lead...but tyre probles almost ended her race as well, the pink Mercedes swapping ends under braking into Ascari and an 11 second lead over Francesco Sini's Jaguar disappeared before she was able to get the car back on track. The Jaguar driver saw a chance to take the lead but a mysterious electrical problem once again robbed the car of power at a critical moment, being passed by the Maserati of Chiesa. In the final lap he was able to get by the Swiss driver to retake 2nd but by this time Cerruti was out of reach and taking the first win for a female driver in the series' history.

Riccardo Romagnoli brought his CAAL Racing Mercedes to 4th ahead of a race long battle between BMW team mates Alberto Cerqui and Stefano Gabellini who finished 5th and 6th.

Britain's Johnny Herbert had to pull off the track with engine problems before the race start and leaves Monza with just a single point but Michela Cerruti now heads the points table with the next round at Valencia in Spain on the 8th of May.

MONZA AND FREE TICKETS...
On the eve of the first round of 2011, over 12 thousand people have taken advantage of registering for their free tickets for Monza and they are assured of getting one of the most exciting shows in motor racing. With 10 manufacturers confirmed and a host of highly talented young drivers salted with long-time racers, even former F1 racers, the series featuring hugely-powerful V8 saloons shows that top class racing needn't cost the earth. The fight between the European high-tech motors versus the American old-school pushrods continues...but now Japan has got into the act with the entry of the new Lexus ISF. Friday practice has shown that the Maserati Quattroporte has put two poor seasons in the shade by posting the fastest time after Friday practice and former Swiss F1 racer Andrea Chiesa now has something to smile about

...but another former Formula One racer is out to grab this years' Championship - Britain's Johnny Herbert has changed teams from last year and has moved from the Motorzone Chevrolet Lumina to the awesomely powerful Mercedes C63 AMG of the Romeo Ferraris team.

BRITAIN'S JOHNNY HERBERT ALONGSIDE NEW TEAM-MATE MICHAELA CERRUTI

With 30 entries on the grid, Monza will be an explosive season opener...and one not to be missed!

...and you can get free tickets!

SUPERSTARS SEES MASSIVE GROWTH
Another big name joins the SUPERSTARS SERIES. At the first round at Monza, Matteo Bobbi will be making his debut. Minardi F1 test driver in 2002-2003, with two FIA GT titles and a wealth of experience in many different categories, the 32 year-old driver from Milan will be competing with one of the Mercedes C63 AMG Rome's Racing Team, headed by Nico Caldarola.

Bobbi said "I will come to Monza with pleasure. First it is "my track." Second, because with the Mercedes at the track, I have the opportunity to give my best. It's also great to catch up with old comrades, Tom Biagi was one of them. With Thomas we have always raced as team-mates. For the first time in our careers we are rivals. I am excited to debut in Superstars."

His debut that will be preceded by a full-scale shake-down test on Tuesday, April 5, at the circuit of Franciacorta. For Nico Caldarola, 2011 is the thirtieth year of racing and the best way to celebrate will be racing in his new team. A project born only three months ago, resulting in the creation of two Mercedes C63 AMG with the technical support of Top Run Motor Sport.

YET ANOTHER NEW TEAM - WITH THE NEW LEXUS IS Fs
Maurer Motorsport are the latest team to announce their participation in the 2011 International SuperStars series, running with a pair of Lexus IS Fs. The growing Italian based championship already boasts a record grid of potentially 47 cars heading into its eighth season, where the championship will visit six countries across Europe. Maurer Motorsport, the Swiss based team which currently runs the ADAC Cruze Cup for Chevrolet in Germany, is developing a pair of V8 powered Lexus IS F for the 2011 SuperStars season, and also plans to run the car at the Dubai 24 hour race in January 2012.

Maurer will be the second team to be using the Lexus IS F after MN Lexus Racing announced plans to run a pair of cars last month.

CAMPOS RACING JOINS SUPERSTARS
Campos Racing have announced that they will join the Superstars Series for the 2011 season. The move from the Spanish team follows its arrival in the Auto GP single-seater series for 2011. Like Superstars, Auto GP is based in Italy but expanding internationally. The Superstars Series will come to Spain in 2011, with a round at Valencia’s Ricardo Tormo Circuit on 7-8 May.

Adrian Campos’ operation will run two BMW M3 E92 racecars in the series. It will mark the first steps into touring cars for the team, which has enjoyed success in various single-seater series including GP2. Campos had come close to running Honda Accords in the World Touring Car Championship in 2009 but the plans came to nothing. Part of Campos’ plans for his Superstars team revolve around former Moto GP rider Sete Gibernau. The Spaniard will test for the team at Valencia on 25th March, to get his first taste of a Superstars racing car. He will then evaluate whether to commit full-time to racing in the championship in 2011.

Campos has also confirmed that he has been talking to compatriots Sergio Hernandez and Felix Porteiro about racing for the team in 2011. Both have raced BMWs in the World Touring Car Championship in recent years, but sponsorship issues have left them without drives. Both also raced for Campos in GP2, Hernandez in 2005 and Porteiro in 2006. Spanish driver Félix Porteiro has confirmed he will be racing in the 2011 Italian Superstars championship with the Campos Racing Team at the wheel of a BMW M3. Félix Porteiro confirmed his participation in the Superstars International Series on his Facebook profile. The former World Touring Car Championship driver will be at the wheel of a BMW M3 E92 prepared by Campos Racing Team. Porteiro drove for the Campos Racing team in 2006 in the GP2 Series, before switching to the WTCC for three seasons racing for the Italian Proteam Motorsport and ROAL Motorsport teams.

TWO FEMALE DRIVERS TO COMPETE
Francesca Linossi has become the second female racer to sign up for the 2011 Superstar Series, aiming to line up at the series opener at Monza in a new M3 E92 Coupé. She joins Michela Cerruti, who will race a Romeo Ferraris prepared Mercedes C63 AMG. Brecia-based Linossi had her first taste of a Superstars car in a Movisport prepared BMW M3 E90, the same car as raced in 2010 by Kristian Ghedina. The 18 year old, daughter of regular Superstars racer Luciano Linossi, completed nearly fifty laps over the course of the test.
Francesca said: “I’m absolutely satisfied. I didn’t push for a record laptime also because the weather was prohibitive, but I immediately felt at home with both the car and the team. I already knew Movisport but I had never raced with them before. I believe that the championship is currently at an extremely high level, and my goal is to line-up from the first race of this season.”

ANOTHER NEW TEAM IN SUPERSTARS
NOS Racing have become the latest new team to join the grid for the 2011 Superstars Series. Run by Massimo Poli, the Italian squad are planning to field two BMW M3 E92’s. The Tuscany-based team are making the step up to the V8 saloon series after several seasons in single-make Porsche championship’s. The team have begun testing at Mugello ahead of the first race of the season in early April.
Poli commented: “We are currently in talks to line-up in the series. We are looking forward to settle all the details, including the drivers which we hope to announce really soon.”

BMW ITALY CONFIRM THEIR DRIVERS
BMW Team Italy has confirmed its line up for the 2011 Superstars Series, with reigning champion Thomas Biagi once again leading the team. Biagi will be joined in BMW M3′s by Stefano Gabellini and rookie Alberto Cerqui. 2010 saw 34 year old Biagi take eight podiums, including two wins, on his way to the International and Italian titles. These titles are added to a CV which already includes the 2003 and 2007 FIA GT1 championships. Commenting on the announcement, Biagi said: “Racing with Team BMW Italy in 2010 was a dream come true for me and continuing this in 2011 too is great. The feeling with the team, the best I have raced for in my career, is perfect and this is an advantage with respect to last year when we started from scratch. We are all aware that Superstars is a growing championship and to be on top we will have to work even harder than what done last year; we are well motivated in doing so, the experience of Roberto Ravaglia and Umberto Grano has anyway a unique added value within the team and I am extremely honoured to work at their side”

ALEX DE GIACOMI TO JOIN SUPERSTARS
Alex De Giacomi will compete in the Superstars Series full-time in 2011. He will race for the Movisport team who gave him his series debut towards the end of 2010. De Giacomi, who was born in 1976 and hails from Brescia, will race a brand-new BMW M3 E90 for the team, rather than the 550i model he drove for the three rounds he competed in last year. He made his debut at Varano, finishing tenth and scoring one point in his first race. He continued to race for Movisport at Paul Ricard and Vallelunga. De Giacomi, who will race in both the International Series and Italian Championship, said: “I’ll keep climbing my learning curve, like I already did in 2010. I don’t want to talk about goals now, but I can’t wait to be on-track for the shake-down of the new car.”
43 cars and 19 teams have signed up for the 2011 Superstars Series, representing a record ten brands.

THE 2001 SEASON STARTS
The Superstars International Series will make its first visit to the United Kingdom in 2011 with a round at Donington Park. The Italian-based touring car series will also race at the historic Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium as part of a nine-round calendar. The season will kick off at Monza on April 10, before the series travels to Valencia’s Circuit Ricardo Tormo on May 8, which it last visited in 2008. On May 22 the series will race at Portimao in Portugal, before the Donington Park round on June 19. The series will return to Italy on July 10 for a round at Misano, before making its first visit to Spa on August 7. Hockenheim in Germany will host the seventh round on September 11, before the final two rounds are held in Italy, at Mugello on September 25 and at Vallelunga on October 10. The series will not visit Kyalami in South Africa, like it has done in the two most recent seasons.

The Superstars International Series will be supported by the Superstars GT Sprint at eight of its nine rounds, not including Valencia.

The Italian Superstars Series will be contested over seven races. It will run with the International Series for six of those races, with the addition of a second race at Misano on June 5.

The calendar changes highlight a shift of focus for the series, with the International Series now having nine rounds instead of seven like it did in 2010, with six venues outside of Italy rather than the previous four. The Italian Series calendar shrinks from eight rounds to seven.

Superstars International Series Calendar

April 10 – Monza, Italy
May 8 – Valencia, Spain
May 22 – Portimao, Portugal
June 19 – Donington, UK
July 10 – Misano, Italy
August 7 – Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
September 11 – Hockenheim, Germany
September 25 – Mugello, Italy
October 10 – Vallelunga, Italy

Italian Superstars Series Calendar

April 10 – Monza, Italy
June 5 – Misano, Italy
July 10 – Misano, Italy
August 7 – Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
September 11 – Hockenheim, Germany
September 25 – Mugello, Italy
October 10 – Vallelunga, Italy

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