Kaspersky Motorsport is pleased to announce that James Calado will race alongside Giancarlo Fisichella and Marco Cioci in 2017, as the team steps up to the PRO category in the Blancpain GT Series, running the new Ferrari 488 GT3 car.
After a successful two years in the Amateur category, Kaspersky Motorsport is ready to mount a serious campaign in the PRO class, lining up a team to compete in the Blancpain GT Series.
Experienced GT racers Fisichella and Cioci were confirmed as Kaspersky Motorsport drivers towards the end of 2016, while 27 year-old Calado is no stranger to endurance racing, having competed in the World Endurance Championship with AF Corse every year since 2014. Prior to that, the Englishman from Worcestershire raced in single-seaters, finishing third in the GP2 series in 2013, a year in which he was also reserve driver for the Force India Formula 1 team.
With a shared love of speed, skill and success, Kaspersky Lab’s relationship with Ferrari continues to go from strength to strength. The company works closely behind the scenes with the world renowned car manufacturer as a technical partner and it continues to protect Ferrari from cyber-threats, thus helping our partner to focus on constructing the fastest racing cars and winning races.
James Calado: “I’m very happy to be a part of the Kaspersky Motorsport family. It’s going to be a big challenge for us, but I know the team very well already and I am sure that together with my experienced team-mates, we can have a very good season. The new car is fantastic to drive and the fight on the track is going to be fierce, which is what we are all looking forward to!”
Antonello Coletta, Head of Attività Sportive GT: “The Blancpain Endurance Cup is becoming increasingly important in the world of GT racing. We have therefore enthusiastically agreed to support Kaspersky Motorsport, which will deploy a Ferrari 488 GT3 in the overall class in partnership with AF Corse. We are making two of our drivers available: James Calado and Giancarlo Fisichella, who will race together with Marco Cioci. So we wish the very best of luck to Kaspersky Motorsport and its drivers for a 2017 packed with success!”
Stéphane Ratel, Founder and CEO SRO Motorsports Group: “When asked what could improve the Blancpain GT Series, now that we have a record grid, great diversity and a high level of competition between many manufacturers, my answer has always been: factory supported entries from Ferrari and Porsche to compete for overall honours at the Total 24 Hours of Spa and for the Series title. The entry of Kaspersky Motorsport with a top Pro line-up fulfils part of this wish. I would like to thank Ferrari Competizioni GT, Kaspersky Lab and AF Corse for their joint efforts and wish them a successful 2017 Blancpain GT season”.