Crossing the line to the applause of the team - the Risi team were comprehensive class winnners
4 Hours
8 Hours
15 Hours
24 Hours
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4 Hours
The first four hours of the 76th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans have been full of emotion and incident for the Risi Competizione team.
The #82 Ferrari 430GT is currently leading the GT2 class -- a position it has held for most of the last two hours. Jaime Melo started the race and then handed over to Mika Salo -- both drivers completing a double stint on their Michelin tires.
Melo said afterwards: "I had no problems at all except for dealing with the prototypes. I don't mean the Peugeots or Audis, but when you come across some of the others it's very difficult. Even if you are in a corner already, they don't seem to notice you enough (take account of you) when they take their line and we have to be SO careful not to hit them or be hit by them. I did a double stint with the tires and it was okay -- I could keep a good pace, all the time driving very carefully."
While there is cautious optimism being felt at the performance of this car, there has been great disappointment for the #83 car.
At just before 1600 hours, Tracy Krohn exited the track coming out of the Arnage corner and hit the barriers, causing damage to the front and rear of his Krohn green Ferrari 430 GT. He attempted to continue but was unfortunately forced to come to a halt in the Porsche curves, with damage to the radiator and rear suspension which ultimately led to the car's retirement from the race. Nic Jonsson had completed a trouble-free single stint in the car before handing the wheel to Tracy Krohn, but Eric van de Poele did not get to drive.
An extremely disappointed Krohn said afterwards, "It was totally self-induced. I missed the turn and had a little too much pick up on the tires and did not make the correction in time. It was self-induced I'm afraid and it's obviously very disappointing for all of us."
The next update will be issued at 2300 Hours CET.
8 Hours
The best news from Risi Competizione is that there has been little of importance to report over the last four hours! The team's red Ferrari 430GT has run without any significant problems, and Brazilian driver Jaime Melo has been the first within the team to complete a triple stint. The #82 car currently holds a one lap lead over its competitors in the GT2 class.
Melo: "It was getting a bit hard in the last stint, when it was completely dark but otherwise the car is going very well and is very well balanced. The Michelin tires have been very consistent for the triple stint and so far, so good. In the traffic, it's quite hard to get through -- especially the slower prototypes -- but everything is going okay. I hope we can finish the race in the same position as now."
Mika Salo is now behind the wheel, having taken over from Melo and had an exciting moment two laps into his stint when he reported a right front puncture. He returned to the pits where the tires were replaced and the problem was diagnosed as a severe flat spot.
The next update will be issued at 0600 Hours CET.
Heros in 2007, the Krohn car was the first retirement in 2008
15 Hours
The hands of the famous Rolex clock on the Le Mans start/finish line have turned a complete circle and the most famous sportscar race in the world has now passed its halfway mark.
The Rosso red Ferrari 430 GT of Gianmaria Bruni, Jaime Melo and Mika Salo is still holding the lead in the GT2 class -- a lap in hand - and Ferraris are filling the first five places on the leader board.
The rain that was forecast for early Sunday morning duly arrived just after 4:00am, just as Gimmi Bruni was finishing a triple stint in the car. All is going well, with no unforeseen problems, and all three drivers have taken their turn behind the wheel.
Gimmi Bruni exited the car looking as fresh as when he got in: "Yes, it was okay; really okay in fact. When you are in the car in the dark, you can get into a rhythm and it's not so difficult to do nearly three hours. I didn't have any problems at all, and it just started to rain in Indianapolis as I came through there on my way to the pits so I was lucky. It is Jaime who is not so lucky to have to drive in the wet!"
24 Hours
At the end of today's 76th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, American Le Mans Series GT2 Champions Risi Competizione led a clean sweep for Ferrari of the GT2 podium after running a faultless and completely trouble free race. Gianmaria Bruni, Jaime Melo and Mika Salo drove their Ferrari 430 GT as only Champions can, not putting a foot wrong throughout the entire 24 hours, despite difficult weather and track conditions during the second half of the race.
An emotional Giuseppe Risi said afterwards: "This is tremendous. The last time we were here as a winner I was in partnership with Doyle [1998], but this is my own team and it's been going now since 2000. To me, winning Le Mans is worth winning a whole championship. One talks about Le Mans in very light terms but until you come here and have to grind through the night, hoping that the car holds together, racing against other people you respect and who are qualified to come here...and you see drivers who are top level but who have accidents and fall by the wayside. It's a lifetime achievement, especially to do it with Ferrari, and if you are a professional in the automotive world. I can't say enough about it."