Risi Competizione Has Successful Shakedown Of New Ferrari 488

Risi Competizione has reported a successful shakedown of their new Ferrari F488 GTLM at the Fiorano Circuit in Italy this past Monday, January 18, 2016.Team Principal Giuseppe Risi and several Risi Competizione crew members were at the private Ferrari race circuit to oversee the shakedown.

"The new Ferrari 488 GTLM is a stunning and beautiful car," said Giuseppe Risi after returning home to the Team's Houston, Texas race shop. "The shakedown went well and as planned, no surprises. The car is now in transit to Miami, where a representative will pick it up and take it to Daytona. Our guys will then work to get it prepped for the Rolex 24 race. All four of our drivers have driven the 488 so the car will not be new to them. However, we will have some work to do to get the required components set for Daytona and 24-hour race mode. It will be a busy week next week since we only have limited track time before the race start."Risi Competizione drivers for the 2016 running of the Rolex 24 are Giancarlo Fisichella, Toni Vilander, Davide Rigon and Olivier Beretta, all Ferrari factory drivers. Full season drivers in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series for the popular U.S. team are Fisichella and Vilander, who have been teammates on numerous occasions, including the 2015 IMSA Petit Le Mans for Risi and last year's 24 Hours of Le Mans with the AF Corse Ferrari team.

This will be the fourth time that Risi Competizione has debuted a new Ferrari race car model in North America. In March of 2006 Risi Competizione debuted the hugely successful Ferrari 430 GT at the 12 Hours of Sebring to a podium finish (third place) with Jamie Melo, Ralf Kelleners and Anthony Lazzaro behind the wheel. Then in March of 2011, Risi Competizione debuted the Ferrari 458 GT2, again at Sebring, with Vilander and Melo as drivers. Although they suffered an alternator issue and went on to finish 11th in class, the duo collected three podiums, including one victory that season. In September of 2002 Risi Competizione debuted the Ferrari 360 GT to a third place class finish.

The Ferrari 488 GTLM inside the Michelotto factory"We worked together with Michelotto, to get this car built to the specs needed for IMSA competition," said Rick Mayer, Risi Competizione Race Engineer. "Two of our crew were onsite for several weeks working with them and then our data engineer joined them after the Roar Test, in expectation that the car will be as race ready for Daytona as possible once it arrives. Of course there is plenty of work to do since we were not able to use the Roar Test to our benefit, but we'll make it work as we always do. This is a spectacular car and we hope for some great things this season."


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