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Davide ‘s long weekend at the Sebring International Raceway (Florida) ended with a fifth and sixth place at the wheel of the Ferrari 488 GTE and the Ferrari 296 GT3 respectively in the Sebring 1000 Miles – first race of the FIA WEC 2023 – and in the 12 Hours for the IMSA American championship.
WEC | In the PRO-AM category reserved for teams made up of professionals and gentlemen drivers, crew number 54 of the AF Corse team had to “settle” for fifth place, despite a potential that had also seen them battling for the win, as Davide recounts , result among the fastest on track at the wheel of the Ferrari “Our Ferrari was very fast today, we didn’t have any problems and I’m satisfied with the car. In the first phase of the race my companions (Francesco Castellacci and the gentleman Thomas Flohr) made some mistakes due to lack of experience on this track, but in the second part their pace improved allowing our team to progress. Today we could have also fought for the win, and with this awareness we will go to Portimão knowing our potential”.
Less than two hours from the end, Castellacci was the protagonist of a contact with the Hypercar 499P of Alessandro Pier Guidi, which did not prevent the car shared with Thomas Flohr and Davide Rigon from entering the Top-5.
IMSA | The 71st edition of the 12 Hours of Sebring is closed with three 296 GT3s at the finish line and the number 62 of Risi Competizione which finished sixth among the GTD Pros. In the second act of the IMSA US championship, the Ferraris proved to be competitive, but some mechanical problems and bad luck affected the results. As per tradition in the American series, the last hour was characterized by the entrances of the Safety Car which regrouped the group making the finale unpredictable. In this stage, the 296 GT3 of Risi Competizione was rear-ended by a prototype, losing the opportunity to fight for a better placement.
Risi Competizione’s sixth place comes at the end of a race in which the crew made up of Ferrari officials Davide Rigon and Serra, supported by Gabriel Casagrande, had been the protagonists for a long time. After the first driving session entrusted to the Brazilian, after the fourth hour the car in red livery took the lead, which the American team defended thanks to the strategy adopted in the pit stops. The good pace was confirmed in the central phase with Rigon at the wheel who occupied the second position, until some yellow flags shortened the distances between the crews and opened up to a finale marked by balance. 48 minutes from the checkered flag, the car in red livery was rear-ended by a prototype; Serra ended up in a spin and was able to restart, however losing the pace needed for a protagonist finale.
Davide Rigon, Risi Competizione: “I pushed hard throughout the race, we were fast enough with a good pace and a good strategy, we couldn’t do more. The team worked very well in preparing the car and Ferrari made a lot of progress on the 296 GT3 compared to Daytona. The balance was good and I enjoyed driving the car during the race. In the last stint you can win or lose, we were unlucky today. We were hit with a prototype and our podium hopes ended at that point. I think it was within our reach today, but we will continue to give our all with Risi and Ferrari to improve the car. We hope to be able to win at least one race this year.”
The Ferraris will be back in the spotlight at the WEC on 16 April in Portimao and at the IMSA in June on the occasion of the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen, the third act of the Endurance Cup which, traditionally, will finish in the autumn with the Petit Le Mans.