Davide Rigon and DragonSpeed are looking forward to a spiritual defense of the GTD PRO crown at this year’s Rolex 24 At Daytona.
Spiritually, in the sense that Risi Competizione’s new technical partnership with DragonSpeed provides a thread from the beloved IMSA stalwart team that won the class at Daytona last year, and a new-look program from a team that already has a pedigree of success in this race and in various championships around the world, from sports cars to IndyCar.
Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Daniel Serra came to Daytona with different Ferrari customer teams in GTD, but Rigon went with DragonSpeed, and is not only comforted by Risi’s presence but also impressed with DragonSpeed’s professionalism and commitment to this new endeavor — its first full-time GT entry.
“Honestly, everything is going on very well,” Rigon said after the final practice session on Friday morning. “During the Roar [Before the 24] we really improved the car a lot. In qualy, I was very happy about the balance of the car.
“We’re working well. The team is new — let’s see how it’ll be with the pit stops, but we’re looking very well prepared. The race is very long. We know how difficult it is to achieve a result here, so let’s try to be perfect in every pit stop.”
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DragonSpeed is receiving mechanics and engineering support from Risi — those walking around the garages will also spot Risi golf carts driving around near the DragonSpeed garage, for instance — but the rest is all Elton Julian’s squad.
“Straightaway, we have a very good feeling and very good coordination,” Rigon said. “This is the beginning of a long season. We start from here, but I think there is a lot to come. A lot to fix but at the moment, I think we start at a really high level.”
The bright yellow No. 81 Ferrari 296 GT3 is Ferrari’s only GTD PRO car from its massive eight-car contingent. The other seven will be fighting for GTD honors, making up one-third of the field at Daytona.
Rigon is joined at Daytona by fellow Ferrari Competizione GT factory drivers Miguel Molina and Thomas Neubauer, and also by Albert Costa, who is so far the only driver confirmed for a full-time role at DragonSpeed.
“Of course, it’s an honor to be in the PRO category, when you work with pro drivers like Costa, Molina, and Neubauer,” Rigon said. “We’re all aligned on the setup, on the strategy, and so on — that is the difference. But the car balance and everything is exactly the same as GTD. And then for sure, we will have some fights during the race.”
It helps that new IMSA race procedure rules, aimed at mitigating cross-class interference between GTD PRO and GTD cars, will give Rigon and his co-drivers one less headache to worry about.
“This is much better,” he stressed. “Last year, we had a lot of fighting with GTDs, which was not really necessary. It was just actually stupid to fight against another class that is not in our race. We both lose time when we fight each other, and we risk just for nothing.
“This is helping us a little bit, I think. It’s a bit easier for TV to see that when we fight, we fight with the PRO class and not with the GTD. Qualifying was also much nicer yesterday — just with the PRO class, we can work more with the slipstream, it’s a bit more technical and we’re not just avoiding traffic.”
Practice form has left some of the Ferrari personnel downplaying their chances of winning one class, let alone both GT classes. “We are nowhere on speed,” admitted factory driver Pier Guidi, who will start 14th in GTD tomorrow in the No. 21 AF Corse 296. “I think this is our position and we will stay there.”
Rigon though, continues to push, with the sole aim of standing in victory lane for Ferrari once again.
“It would be amazing, but I think this time will be tough for us,” he said. “I was lucky — I did a perfect lap. But even then I was just P12 in my class. So it’s very tough. I think the balance, we don’t have so much to improve.
“I think we’ll give our best, and let’s see in the race. Maybe some slipstream or something will help us, but at the moment it will be a very tough race. But as a DragonSpeed team and Ferrari, we want to prepare the maximum for the season, so we’re looking forward.”
