31 March 2017
Maranello, 31 March 2017 - The Blancpain Sprint Series kicks off this weekend at the World Circuit Marco Simoncelli in Misano Adriatico. Three Ferraris are due to start in two different categories.
Reigning champion. Two 488 GT3s will be competing in the Pro-Am Cup. The first, the no. 11 of Kessel Racing, became famous in 2016 for virtually monopolising this category. Michael Broniszewski and Giacomo Piccini are at the wheel, with the Pole charged with the tougher task of repeating the triumph. In the same class, the car of Kessel Racing TP12 will be crewed by Piti Bhirombhakdi and Carlo Van Dam, who have already won twice in the GT Asia Series for Singha Motorsport and now also want to shine in Europe.
Silver Cup. The third car will be the Ferrari 488 GT3 of Spirit of Race, an offshoot of the more famous AF Corse. Italy's Lorenzo Casé and Britain's Phil Quaife will drive it, with the latter back at the wheel of a Ferrari after his experience with the F430 of CRS Racing from 2009 to 2011.
Programme and previous races. The programme includes qualifying and the Qualifying Race on Saturday (at 2:15 pm and 8:40 pm CET) and the Main Race on Sunday at 12:30 pm. Ferrari has notched up almost 70 wins at Misano. The first dates back to 1978, when Carlo Facetti took the laurels driving a 308 GTB4 in a round of the Italian GT Championship, while the latest was in June 2016 with Mirko Venturi and Stefano Gai in the 488 GT3 of Black Bull Swiss Racing, again in the Italian GT Championship.