The curtain is drawing down on a competitive season for Kaspersky Motorsport, but before the chequered flag waves to signal the end in 2016 the team will travel to Rome, Italy for one final 6H endurance challenge in the 25th (XXVI) 6H di Roma.
Fans will see the new Kaspersky Motorsport 488 GT3 racing around the famous Autodromo Vallelunga Piero Taruffi in the North of Rome. The circuit is named after famous Italian racing driver Piero Taruffi – who drove for Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Maserati in the 1950’s. More recently due to the track’s expansion and renovations has given Formula 1™ teams the perfect testing ground.
Progress with the new Ferrari 488 GT3 is going well. The team is collecting more race and performance data to learn more about the car’s behaviour. Taking a moment away from his team duties, Kaspersky Motorsport’s Chief Race Engineer Jacopo Fedele stopped by to comment on the new car:
“From our first race with this car, we learned it is much more sensitive to changes than the previous one, which means we need to make smaller modifications in terms of set-up as they have a comparatively greater effect on the car’s behaviour. With the Ferrari 458, you could rely more on what the driver felt at the wheel and still be consistent, but with this one you have to spend much more time working on set-up. It is a more complex machine and one of the factors is that it is more sensitive in terms of the difference running it on old or new tyres, so that each situation requires a different set-up”.
After an impressive outing in Barcelona with familiar Kaspersky Motorsport driver line-up of Alex Moiseev and Marco Cioci, the team raced to a well-fought fifth place overall in the Pro-AM category and will be hoping for a repeat performance at the Autodromo Vallelunga.
The big news of the race weekend which has got everyone talking is that the team will be enhanced by ex-Formula 1™ hero and AF Corse pro-driver Giancarlo Fisichella, who will complete the driver line-up to challenge for honours at the end of a 6H grueling battle.
The track is hidden away in the hills of North Rome and boasts 4.08km in length with a balanced mix of top speed straights, aero demanding corners and twisty technical corners in sector 3. The #49 is likely to reach speeds in excess of 220kph and an average of 1:32 per lap to cross the finish line in a strong position.
Adding to this race weekend’s race action and strategies will be the uncertainty of the weather conditions. Race action on Saturday (Qualifying) will commence under clear blue skies, with temperatures consistent at 15°C (60°F). However on Sunday with the 6H di Roma scheduled to get underway there is a 50% chance of heavy rain throughout the day. Temperatures will also hover around the same 15°C (60°F).
The team is feeling confident and will hope to replicate the 1st place finish from 2015.