Press Release

RISI COMPETIZIONE POST-RACE REPORT - 2019 Race Public Relations

Barbara J. Burns Risi Competizione 488 GTE-Pro No. 89: Luis Felipe “Pipo” Derani (BRA) BurnsGroup PR [email protected] (GBR) Tel: +1 770 329 7134

Jules Gounon (FRA) Risi Competizione Anna Lenzi Le Mans, France (June 16, 2019)… The drivers of the No. 89 Risi Competizione [email protected]

Ferrari 488 GTE-Pro drove a hard race but was not able to take a podium at this 6100 Southwest Freeway year’s 87th annual 24 Hours of Le Mans race. The finish line was crossed by Houston, Texas USA 77057 French driver Jules Gounon in the 12th position in class. His co-drivers Luis Tel: +1 713 772 3868 www.risicompetizione.com Felipe “Pipo” Derani and starting/qualifying driver Oliver Jarvis battled hard throughout the twice-around-the-clock endurance race.

The extremely challenging GTE-Pro had a formidable line-up for the Houston, Texas-based Risi Competizione team, including factory efforts by Chevrolet (GM), Ford, BMW, Porsche, and Aston Martin, as well as two additional factory EVOs. The experienced team was ready to challenge for a victory, which it has claimed three times since 1998, but it was not the year for a repeat.

This Risi Ferrari endurance racing team, who has been competing at Le Mans over two decades, started the legendary race further back on the grid than th usual, with a 17 class position qualifying. All three drivers were still learning the nuances of the new Ferrari and the team had reduced set-up time, which was unfortunately out of their control.

Although it was the first time for the driver trio to compete under the Risi

Competizione banner, this years’ Franco-American association with Jean Guikas of Guikas GTC brought the drivers together. For the first time in Risi Competizione history, the Ferrari was presented in the French blue livery designed by Paris art students with Prancing Horse legs adorning the side.

A total of 25 pit stops over the 24-hour timeframe, a fairly even division of driving between Jarvis, Derani and Gounon, and good weather on Saturday and Sunday allowed at least a race finish to occur when many entries were sidelined following accidents to mechanical issues.

QUOTES: Rick Mayer, Risi Competizione Race Engineer: “We stayed out of trouble, had great pitstops and an excellent brake change in the middle of the night. We were very competitive in the pits, as always, but it wasn’t our year at Le Mans. We didn’t have the pace of the factory teams and then had a mechanical issue that took 45 minutes in the pits to address. We were in ninth place at the time and in the end finished 12th in class. For some teams just to complete a 24-hour race is a victory, but for us that’s a given. We come to win, not to just finish, so this wasn’t a good race for us.”

Press Release

Oliver Jarvis, driver No. 89 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 LM GTE-Pro: Race Public Relations “It was not the result we were hoping for at the start of the week, but at the Barbara J. Burns same time you’ve got to look at it and be proud. The team did an amazing job BurnsGroup PR [email protected] and we got the car to the finish. We had a bit of a delay in the last quarter of the Tel: +1 770 329 7134 race, but you know, it’s not easy to finish a 24-hour race and we achieved that.

If anything, I just have the hunger to come back even more and do it again next Risi Competizione Anna Lenzi year. Which is weird because all I really need right now is some sleep. A big [email protected] thanks to Jean from Guikas but also the whole Risi Competizione team. It’s been a pleasure to work with them and seeing it first-hand I was very impressed. 6100 Southwest Freeway Houston, Texas USA 77057 Hopefully I get to come back and drive for them again.” Tel: +1 713 772 3868 www.risicompetizione.com

“Pipo” Derani, driver No. 89 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 LM GTE-Pro: “It was a long day for sure, but we finished the race, which is a milestone in itself. It’s such a hard and difficult race. Unfortunately, it’s not how we wanted, but it was a nice experience to be part of Risi and to race for Giuseppe and the crew was amazing to work with, even if the result wasn’t what we had hoped. We’ll take the positives and maybe we’ll come back one day and try to do a little bit better.”

Jules Gounon, driver No. 89 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 LM GTE-Pro: “I’m really happy to finally be crossing the finish line at Le Mans. It’s always hard to finish a 24-hour race. For that you need to have a great team and great crew. I’m really proud to have been making my first debut at Le Mans with Risi Competizione. It’s such renowned team and I would really like to thank Mr. Guikas and Mr. Risi for choosing me for this seat. I’m super proud to finish my first Le Mans and I hope it’s not the last one.”

For information on the Risi Competizione team visit www.risicompetizione.com and follow us on Facebook/RisiCompetizione, Twitter @RisiComp and Instagram @RisiComp.

# # #