Press Release Risi Competizione

Race Public Relations RISI COMPETIZIONE POST-RACE REPORT - 12 HOURS OF SEBRING Barbara J. Burns BurnsGroup PR Risi Competizione 488 GTLM No. 62: (ITA) [email protected] (FIN) Tel: +1 770 329 7134

Davide Rigon (ITA) Ferrari of Houston Donald Pierce Sebring, Florida (March 19, 2016)…The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring [email protected]

Fueled by Fresh from Florida race always presents a challenge to drivers and 6100 Southwest Freeway teams as they compete hard and fast during the once-around-the-clock Houston, Texas USA 77057 endurance race. The 64th Annual running of this historic Sebring classic was no Tel: +1 713 772 3868 www.risicompetizione.com different, and even added a new element, with a two hour and 15 minute red flag due to heavy rain and lightning.

The No. 62 Risi Competizione GTLM was able to survive the caution-filled race, which included 14 caution flags and a total of 235 laps over the remaining nine hours and 45 minutes of the 12-hour timeframe. Risi drivers Toni Vilander, Giancarlo Fisichella and finished fourth in the GTLM class and 14th overall.

Racing trouble free was key to staying in the race, and the Risi team managed a lack of issues, save for a few bumps from being tapped on-track under intense racing conditions, and held their reputation of excellent pit stops.

Although the Risi team was not quite able to notch another Ferrari victory 60 years after the marque's first Sebring win or add a fourth victory to their previous Sebring wins, finishing both the 12 Hours of Sebring and the gives the team a great deal of pride. Having received delivery of their new Ferrari 488 GTLM days prior to the Rolex 24 race in January, completing 36 hours of endurance racing is an accomplishment not many teams can claim, especially with a brand new race car.

Press Release Risi Competizione

Race Public Relations

Barbara J. Burns BurnsGroup PR [email protected] Tel: +1 770 329 7134

Ferrari of Houston Donald Pierce [email protected]

6100 Southwest Freeway Houston, Texas USA 77057 Tel: +1 713 772 3868 www.risicompetizione.com

Risi Competizione did make a podium visit when they won their first DEKRA

Green Challenge Award of the season at today's 12 Hours of Sebring. The award is determined through green racing protocols established by the United States Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency and the Society of Automotive Engineers International as part of their alliance with IMSA. In 2015 the Risi team won the DEKRA award four times including the 12 Hours of Sebring, Long Beach, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and .

Rick Mayer, Risi Competizione Race Engineer:

Regarding the DEKRA Award: "One of the advantages of the new Ferrari 488 is it's probably the most efficient car in the field. Obviously IMSA thinks so because they gave us the smallest capacity. With that, typically if we do well we will win the DEKRA Green Challenge Award. We won it four times last year and hopefully we'll win it a lot more times this year."

Regarding the race: "Well, it was quite an interesting and unique Sebring 12 hour with the changing conditions. I wish we ‘guessed’ better on some tire and pressure choices, but in the end a lot of teams ‘guessed’ -- good sometimes and bad others, just as we did. We just didn’t know how much or how long it was going to rain at each occurrence. I think we went to slicks at the right time in the end... But with the number of yellows we had, it was just a matter of staying on the lead lap. Even guys who made some unlucky choices, like the Corvettes, the No. 4 car won the race and they pitted multiple times changing tires from rains to slicks and back, you just never know how it will play out. I wish we had finished better but it was a better result than we thought we could do with the current BoP (Balance

Press Release Risi Competizione

Race Public Relations of Performance), but it made a hard, long event out of it for sure. Luck played a large part in this event. Hopefully we'll be better at Long Beach." Barbara J. Burns BurnsGroup PR [email protected] Toni Vilander, driver, No. 62 Ferrari 488 GTLM: Tel: +1 770 329 7134

"Today's race was a really solid job. There are those few things that affect our Ferrari of Houston racing a lot; with the rhythm of racing we can do a decent lap time on our own, Donald Pierce go through the traffic and be able to overtake but we need to raise the level [email protected] really high. We're lacking some speed. Hopefully it will change soon. Apart 6100 Southwest Freeway from that the team did a really good job, as always. We had really good pit Houston, Texas USA 77057 stops and good spirit in the team and I need to thank Giancarlo and Davide for Tel: +1 713 772 3868 www.risicompetizione.com a really great effort and off to the next one at Long Beach."

Giancarlo Fisichella, driver, No. 62 Ferrari 488 GTLM: "Today's race had lots of problems, lots of cautions. We had some issue on the dashboard and then on my last stint I picked up some oil on my windscreen. The windscreen was very dirty and the wiper wasn’t working well, but I did my best and I left the car to Davide. We ended up fourth, which is not bad. Obviously it would have been good to get on the podium, but I think the BoP is not great. We need something more because other people are quicker than us, especially on the straight."

Davide Rigon, driver, No. 62 Ferrari 488 GTLM: "My first stint was very good in the rain with the rain tires. The car balance was good. We just wanted to have a good car for the end of the race and we were pretty quick in the moderate rain conditions. For my last two hours we decided to keep the tires a bit longer to avoid a longer pit stop, and especially in the end when we had a restart. It was difficult to get the grip, especially in the front, and it looks like the other competitors showed they had a bit more power

Press Release Risi Competizione

Race Public Relations in the end of the race. I tried to keep my line but they overtook me, especially the BMW; they just drove by me on the straight. Barbara J. Burns BurnsGroup PR [email protected] Tel: +1 770 329 7134 I did my best. On braking our car was good but several drivers choose some risky moves so we had some contact, especially in the final laps. I was side-by- Ferrari of Houston side with a Ford and we touched, I could not avoid the contact. Donald Pierce [email protected]

Fourth place is not so bad for the points and I'm happy for the team. The Risi 6100 Southwest Freeway crew did a great job with the pits stop with not one mistake, good strategy, Houston, Texas USA 77057 Tel: +1 713 772 3868 thanks to our engineers and mechanics and to Giuseppe (Risi), who puts a lot of www.risicompetizione.com faith in his team and drivers. I was really hoping for the podium so I am bit disappointed."

The next race on the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship schedule is

Round 3 at the Grand Prix of Long Beach, April 15-16, in Long Beach, California.

For more information, please go to www.risicompetizione.com and follow us on Facebook/RisiCompetizione and Twitter @RisiComp.

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