After several decades in the world of international motorsport, there is no team that better understands the ups and downs and ever-changing fortunes than Houston-based Risi Competizione. As quickly as you win, you can be at the other end of the grid and that’s what happened today to North America’s leading GTE Ferrari team at Circuit of The Americas in Austin Texas.
After winning the GTLM category at the last two rounds of the 2014 TUDOR United Sportscar Championship, Giancarlo Fisichella and Pierre Kaffer had reason to believe that they would come into the team’s home race in a strong position to challenge for pole position. Work carried out by the team between the first and second practice sessions paid dividends but the third and final free practice session before this afternoon’s 15-minute qualifying was perhaps an omen for what was to come.
German Pierre Kaffer qualified the No.62 F458 with a time of 2:05.348 – some two seconds behind the pole-winning No.910 Porsche of Patrick Pilet, an additional GTLM entry for this round. On a track where downforce seems to be vital, the Ferrari was struggling to match its competitors and the team was equally at a loss to explain why.
Pierre Kaffer said afterwards: “That was hard for us but it’s difficult to say why; we have to analyse what happened. We struggled a lot with understeer and I couldn’t turn or rotate the car. We don’t know what caused that right now but in such a tough field it’s hurt us a lot and definitely wasn’t the best we’ve had from the car so far the weekend.”
It should be noted that Risi Competizione has started many a race from a less than favorable position and won, most recently at Road America in August. Let the challenge begin!
The United Sportscar Championship is running alongside the FIA World Endurance Championship this weekend in what is due to be a festival of racing and entertainment for fans in Texas and beyond. The FIA WEC’s 6 Hours of Circuit of the Americas takes place from 5pm and into the night, hence the early start for the TUDOR race.
The Lone Star Le Mans for the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship race takes place at Circuit of The Americas, Austin TX on Saturday, September 20 beginning at 11:35 am. The 2h45 minute race will be for all four classes.