RISI COMPETIZIONE ANNOUNCES 2016 24 HOURS OF LE MANS DRIVER LINEUP

Risi Competizione today announced the driver line-up for the 84th annual 24 Hours of Le Mans race, scheduled for June 18-19. In addition to 2016 season regulars, Giancarlo Fisichella and Toni Vilander, Matteo Malucelli will join Risi Comp at the 2016 running of the twice-around-the-clock French endurance classic in the new Ferrari 488 GTE.

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The team will compete with the No. 82 Risi Competizione-entered Rosso Corsa (racing red) 488GTE in the GTE-Pro class for Team Principal Giuseppe Risi at the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO)-sanctioned race.

“We are pleased to announce the finalization of our driver line up of Ferrari drivers for this year’s Le Mans race,” said Giuseppe Risi. “With the tough competition we expect this year, having proficient Ferrari drivers is the only way to compete. Between our team’s history at Le Mans and that of our drivers, we have a great deal of experience and hope to parlay that into success.”

The Risi Competizione team will be making its 12th entry over seven years at the renowned French sports car race. Risi’s history at Le Mans includes three victories and three additional podium finishes. Fisichella, who has six Le Mans appearances, and Vilander, who has seven, have co-driven to victory twice, in 2012 and 2014. Malucelli will be making his sixth appearance at the Circuit de la Sarthe.

“I am very happy to be returning to the Risi Competizione team,” said Italian Matteo Malucelli. “We had some good races together in 2013 and I have some business to finish in a Risi Ferrari. Driving with Giancarlo again, and with Toni, at Le Mans will be very good. This is a great team with good Ferrari drivers and I’m very happy to be part of it.”

Risi Competizione won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in three of six years. The first appearance of the Risi team at Le Mans was in 1998 when Wayne Taylor, Eric van de Poele and Fermin Velez won the LMP-1 class in the Ferrari 333 SP. Risi Competizione collected back-to-back victories in the Ferrari 430 GT in 2008 with Jamies Melo, Mika Salo and Gianmaria Bruni and again in 2009 with Melo, Salo and Pierre Kaffer. The team also made appearances in 2003, 2007 and their last entry was in 2010. Risi Competizione entered two cars at La Circuit de la Sarthe five of the six years it competed.

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